President Donald Trump signed executive orders on Monday, July 13, 2026, to reduce the size of two national monuments in Utah [1].
The move limits federal protections for the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments. This action opens vast tracts of land to the oil industry and private developers [2].
The reduction removes nearly three million acres from the protected status of these sites [3]. According to reports, each monument loses close to 1.5 million acres [2]. Following these reductions, the combined acreage of the two monuments is approximately 121,000 acres [4].
The administration's decision targets the reduction of federal oversight to facilitate resource extraction. These land-use changes affect areas of significant cultural and ecological value in the U.S. Southwest [1].
Native American tribes and environmental organizations are expected to challenge the executive orders. These groups have historically advocated for the preservation of these lands to protect ancestral sites, and biodiversity [1].
The shift in land management represents a broader effort to prioritize industrial development over conservation. By shrinking the monument boundaries, the federal government removes the restrictions that previously prevented drilling and mining in these specific regions [2].
“The reduction removes nearly three million acres from the protected status of these sites.”
This policy shift signals a pivot toward deregulation of federal lands to boost energy production. By drastically reducing the footprint of these monuments, the administration is removing legal barriers to extractive industries, which likely ensures a protracted legal battle with tribal nations and conservationists over the limits of presidential authority to resize national monuments.
