President Donald Trump has revoked protections for Utah’s Bears Ears National Monument and ordered the termination of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Commission. It has set the stage for a renewed legal battle over one of the Native tribes’ most sacred landscapes. This significant shift in public land policy marks a dramatic change for the region. It also severely reduces protections put in place to safeguard these historic and culturally significant areas.
According to Native News Online, the executive action signed on July 13 dictates that approximately 1.24 million acres will lose national monument protections. The order specifies that 60 days after it was signed, the lands removed from the monument will become eligible for mineral leasing, mining claims, and other public land uses. This decision is already sparking intense reactions from those who believe the land deserves long-term preservation.
