Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante cover vast stretches of southern Utah, known for their dramatic canyons, ancient cliff dwellings, petroglyphs, and rich archaeological heritage.

Bears Ears holds deep cultural and spiritual significance for several tribal nations, including the Navajo, Hopi, Zuni, Ute Mountain Ute, and Uintah-Ouray Ute. It contains ancestral villages, ceremonial sites, and burial grounds.

While monument status protects the landscape from mining, drilling, and new construction, Utah officials and supporters of the move argue the restrictions block access to valuable coal, uranium, and other critical minerals.

Grand Staircase-Escalante was designated by President Bill Clinton in 1996, while Bears Ears was created by President Barack Obama in 2016. Trump reduced their boundaries during his first term before Biden restored them.

Trump's latest action aligns with broader Republican efforts to expand mining, drilling, logging, and energy production on federally owned lands while reducing conservation regulations.

The Antiquities Act allows US presidents to create national monuments, but legal experts continue to debate whether a president can unilaterally shrink or redraw the boundaries of existing protected sites.

The decision is expected to face opposition from conservation groups and Native American communities, while supporters argue it gives states greater control over land use and economic development.