Trump administration to shrink Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante

WASHINGTON D.C. — President Trump is expected to take executive action as early as Monday to shrink boundaries for Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments. This is yet another attempt by the administration to throw away America’s most iconic, irreplaceable natural places for short-term commercial profit.

For more than a century, presidents from both political parties have used their authority under the Antiquities Act to designate national monuments. The courts have affirmed many times the presidential authority to create national monuments — not destroy them.

In response to the news, Axie Navas, The Wilderness Society director of designation campaigns, released the following statement:

"As America marks 250 years, national monuments remind us what makes this country special: the freedom to explore the outdoors and connect with the people, places and stories that shape us. Yet, this administration is willing to trade all that away so that drilling and mining companies can reap short-term profits. We can’t let that happen. We stand with the Tribal Nations who steward these lands, and local communities, wildlife, and the wild places that define who we are as Americans."

In the 2026 State of the Rockies Conservation in the West poll, 91% of Western voters — spanning the political spectrum — think existing national monument designations should be kept in place rather than removed.

The Wilderness Society stands prepared to defend against these attacks and to fight on behalf of our Tribal partners, local communities and the public’s right to protect these cherished landscapes and hand them down to future generations.

For media inquiries, contact Keri Gilliland at kgilliland@tws.org and Chelsi Moy at cmoy@tws.org.