Source: Common Dreams
by Jake Johnson
“US President Donald Trump on Monday signed proclamations dramatically shrinking the size of two national monuments in Utah, eliminating roughly 3 million acres of protections for Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante and potentially opening the beloved, wildlife-rich areas to industry exploitation. Trump’s proclamations, issued at the urging of Utah Republicans including Sen. Mike Lee, aim to reduce Bears Ears to just under 121,100 acres (down from nearly 1.4 million) and Grand Staircase-Escalante to 181,541 acres (down from 1.87 million). … During a signing ceremony on Monday, flanked by Utah Republicans, Trump characterized his scaling back of monument protections as an effort to give land ‘back to the people of Utah.’ The president falsely claimed that people could ‘virtually not even walk on’ the lands under the protections he targeted.” (07/14/26)
https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-shrinks-national-monuments