Callous Executive Orders Virtually Eliminate Two of America’s National Monuments
“Stripping Three Million Acres of National Monument designations is a desecration and dereliction of Presidential duty. Shame on this Administration,“ says Conservation Lands Foundation CEO Chris Hill
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - July 13, 2026
Contact: Kris Deutschman
916-425-7174
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Trump administration today issued two Executive Orders illegally reducing the size of Bears Ears National Monument and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah by a total of three million acres. Under the executive orders, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is reduced from 1.87 million acres to just over 181,541 acres and Bears Ears National Monument is reduced from 1.35 million acres to 121,096 acres.
The actions serve to cut off public access to these lands and allow extractive activities including mining and drilling – putting habitats, animals, clean water, Tribal cultural resources, and local economies and communities at risk.
Below is a statement on today’s action from Chris Hill, CEO of the nonpartisan Conservation Lands Foundation, which represents a national network of community advocates who are solely focused on the National Monuments and National Conservation Lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
“It’s the President’s responsibility to ensure the protection and preservation of all of America’s natural resources for future generations. The President today failed to do his duty and in turn, failed the American people. Virtually eliminating these monuments is both a desecration of our public lands and a dereliction of duty. It’s also illegal and will not stand up in the court of law.
“The Antiquities Act of 1906 grants the President the power to designate National Monuments on behalf of the American people and that action cannot be undone with the stroke of a pen: only Congress has that power, through legislation.
“Today’s action is wildly unpopular with Americans from all political identities and walks of life because it takes public lands out of public hands and puts them into the pockets of the wealthy and extractive corporations. With more than 80 percent of national public land already open to oil and gas leasing, eliminating National Monuments protection will not help the American people. It only serves to threaten the cultural resources of local Tribes and the public’s access to these irreplaceable landscapes.
“We categorically oppose today’s action to virtually eliminate these National Monuments and strip protections from three million acres of public lands, the next attack in a series of attacks this Administration has taken to sell off our public lands.
“During President Trump’s last monuments attack in 2017, three million people reaffirmed their support of national monuments. This is in addition to the millions of people who fought to protect America’s public lands and waters over the past century. Our national monuments help tell the full history of our nation from Indigenous cultural continuity to the rich biologically diverse landscapes left in this country. These healthy landscapes power our local economies and provide solemn beauty, solitude and connection.”
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