President Donald Trump signed two executive orders Monday that reduce the size of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments in southern Utah to 302,600 acres combined.
The reductions cut the monuments to less than a quarter of the acreage restored under the prior administration. Monday morning the sites spanned over 3 million acres before the orders took effect.
Trump stated the changes would open the land to extraction and return control to local communities. Tribal officials said they received no consultation on the decision.
The orders will take effect in 60 days. Environmental groups and tribal leaders vowed to pursue legal challenges, citing the Antiquities Act and prior court rulings.
Democratic lawmakers condemned the move as prioritizing mining over public protection.
