Illegal Monument Rollbacks Threaten Wildlife, Indigenous Sites, Rural Communities

DENVER - The proposed repeal of protections for a combined 3 million acres of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments threatens wildlife and crucial habitat, sacred Indigenous sites, outdoor recreation opportunities, and rural communities. It also undermines the Antiquities Act, which has been used by nearly every president since 1906 to safeguard important landscapes.

"Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante are extremely important for Indigenous ceremonies, traditions, and subsistence, while providing invaluable wildlife habitat, abundant recreation opportunities, and the fuel for rural economies," said Garrit Voggesser, senior director of Tribal partnerships and policy at the National Wildlife Federation. "Stripping national monument protections not only threatens co-stewardship partnerships with Indigenous communities that are the first stewards of these ancestral lands, but also undermines protecting the very lands, waters, and communities that countless people have fought to preserve. These actions are yet another strike at Tribal sovereignty and undermine years of collaboration among Indigenous leaders, ranchers, hunters, anglers, local business owners, and conservationists."

Polling of voters in seven Western states found that support for keeping existing national monument designations in place has increased from 88 percent in 2025 to 91 percent in 2026.