Lee Applauds Trump’s Actions Reining in Monument Overreach

WASHINGTON —Today, Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, applauded President Donald J. Trump’s proclamation modifying the boundaries of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monuments.

“Today’s proclamation shows that President Trump listens to Utahns and respects the limits Congress placed on the Antiquities Act,” said Chairman Mike Lee. “For too long, presidents have weaponized monument designations to lock up millions of acres, close roads, restrict grazing, and cut rural communities off from lands their families have lived on and worked for generations. I thank the President for correcting this abuse and keeping his promise to the people of Utah.”

The proclamation reduces Bears Ears National Monument to approximately 121,000 acres and Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument to approximately 182,000 acres. The revised boundaries will allow federal agencies to concentrate limited personnel and funding on the cultural, historic, and scientific objects identified within the proclamation. 

Lands outside the modified boundaries remain in federal ownership and continue to be protected under existing federal and state laws. The proclamation will provide greater access for recreation, preserve historic roads and trails, and give ranching families and rural communities greater certainty about the lands on which they depend.

Congress enacted the Antiquities Act in 1906 to allow presidents to protect historic landmarks and other objects of historic or scientific interest. The law requires monument reservations to be confined to “the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected.”

Previous designations placed approximately 3.2 million acres within the two monuments—more land than all seven of Utah’s other national monuments and all five of its national parks combined and about the combined size of the states of Rhode Island and Connecticut. Those sweeping boundaries strained federal staffing and law-enforcement resources while increasing the burdens placed on rural counties responsible for search-and-rescue operations and other public services.

President Trump’s action returns the monuments to a focused and manageable scale, improves the ability of land managers to protect significant resources, and restores a meaningful voice for the Utah communities closest to these lands. 

“These modified boundaries don’t diminish protection, they focus it,” said Governor Spencer Cox. “The new proclamations focus management efforts to better preserve the cultural and archaeological resources that make this part of Utah so special. Management matters, and we are optimistic about the future preservation of Utah’s historic, cultural, and scientific resources in these areas.”

“President Trump’s executive action restores a more balanced approach to managing Utah’s public lands and shows a willingness by this Administration to listen to the state of Utah,” said Senator John Curtis. “While today’s announcement is an important step in the right direction and a more appropriate interpretation of the Antiquities Act, the responsibility remains with Congress to do what executive orders cannot: bring stakeholders together, work through disagreements, and enact lasting solutions. This approach worked in Emery County, which serves as a strong example to build on.”

"Utahns have long supported protecting our state's extraordinary cultural and natural resources," said Representative Celeste Maloy. "This action honors that goal while following the law Congress passed and giving greater consideration to the people who know these lands best.”

"The Antiquities Act is crystal clear: presidential designations meant to protect objects should be 'confined to the smallest area compatible' with the proper care and management of those objects. That mandate was ignored,” said Representative Burgess Owens. “The mess started with Bill Clinton, who acted from a seat in Arizona with his back turned to Utah. It was compounded by Barack Obama in the waning hours of his presidency. Together, they created monuments larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined which is an unmistakable violation of the 'smallest area compatible' standard. I am grateful for President Trump's actions today, and for his willingness to listen to the Utah communities who cherish and honor these landscapes. Utah deserves leaders who respect the rule of law. Today, accountability prevailed."

“The people of Utah understand these lands better than any distant bureaucracy ever could,” said Representative Mike Kennedy. “Decisions about how they are managed and protected should rest with the communities who live closest to them. The Antiquities Act was written to protect specific and important areas, and honoring its intent is the rational way to safeguard these treasures while giving Utahns a real voice in their future.”

“This has, unfortunately, become a back-and-forth issue between administrations,” said Representative Blake Moore. “Today’s announcement takes into consideration years of local concern over restricted access and misuse of the Antiquities Act while still protecting our state’s natural and cultural resources for future generations. If the Antiquities Act is going to be used, it needs to be on the smallest area possible—that’s what we’re doing here.”

“The Antiquities Act was never meant to be a tool for locking up millions of acres with the stroke of a pen. Today’s action takes a major step in the right direction of appropriately sized monuments allowing responsible stewardship that works with our communities, not against them. Utah has fought hard to enforce Antiquities Act limits on monument size, and we will continue fighting to ensure the law is applied faithfully — and that Utahns have lasting certainty about the lands they call home,” said Attorney General Derek Brown. “But our work isn’t finished. The long-term answer isn’t found in which president happens to occupy the White House. The answer lies in honoring the textual limits the Antiquities Act already places on monument sizes. Utah will keep pressing until that’s the reality, not just the ideal.”