Rollback strips an estimated 3 million acres of monument protections and sets a precedent that threatens Nevada's own national monuments
NEVADA – Yesterday, President Trump signed an executive order slashing protections for Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in Utah, removing an estimated 3 million acres from monument designation. Trump issued an executive order in 2017 that shrank both monuments, cutting Bears Ears by roughly 85 percent and Grand Staircase-Escalante by nearly half, before President Biden restored their full boundaries in 2021. Today’s order reignites a decades-long fight over the future of America’s public lands.
Barbara Hartzell, Member of the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe, Executive Director of Indigenous Voices of Nevada, issued the following statement:
“We stand with our relatives who fought tooth and nail to protect Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante. They showed up when they were asked. They shared generations of knowledge. They participated in Tribal consultation. They built relationships, found common ground, and helped shape protections rooted in stewardship and respect.
“For Tribal Nations, these are not simply public lands. They are living homelands. As the ancestral stewards, we believe the land is as alive as any of us, and we care for it as we care for our people. These places carry our ancestors, our ceremonies, our medicines, our languages, and the responsibilities we have accepted since time immemorial. That relationship did not begin when these places became monuments, and it cannot be undone by a presidential proclamation.
“What makes this news so devastating is not only the loss of protections. It is the message this sends. It tells every Tribal Nation that even after showing up, even after collaborating, even after trusting the process, generations of stewardship can still be treated as though they matter less than politics. That is how erasure happens. Not all at once, but decision by decision, until the people who have loved a place the longest are treated like strangers to it. We refuse to let that become the story of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante.”
Shelbie Swartz, Executive Director of Institute for a Progressive Nevada, issued the following statement:
“Again, President Trump shows his blatant disregard for Tribal Nations and the communities that have long stewarded our public lands. Failing to consult Tribal Nations ignores the federal government’s trust responsibilities and longstanding legal obligations to engage in meaningful consultation. We categorically oppose today’s action to strip National Monument protections from broad swaths of land in Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante—the latest step in this administration’s broader campaign to sell off public lands and hand them over to private interests.
Nevadans overwhelmingly support protecting Tribal cultural sites and our public lands. These places are where people connect with their heritage, hunt, camp, recreate, and experience the beauty of the American West. At a time when so many people are looking to the outdoors for connection, relaxation, and renewal, removing the protections for these lands is more than simply misguided—it is a slap in the face.
This decision reflects an administration that has made cruelty and disregard for communities a defining feature of its approach. The American people and our Tribal Nations deserve better.”
Kristee Watson, Executive Director of the Nevada Conservation League, issued the following statement:
“Protected public lands are an economic engine for the West. Outdoor recreation contributes more than $8 billion to Nevada’s economy and supports roughly 58,000 jobs, and every one of those jobs depends on the certainty that protected places stay so. Stripping protections from Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante ignores the 91 percent of Western voters who want existing monuments left alone. Nevadans fought hard to protect important places like Avi Kwa Ame and Gold Butte, and an order like this puts every one of those designations at risk. If a president can erase monument protections with the stroke of a pen, no landscape sacred to Tribal Nations or treasured by local communities is safe.”
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About Institute for a Progressive Nevada: Institute for a Progressive Nevada, through strategic communication efforts, educates, empowers, and engages Nevada voters to build a state where everyone has a fair opportunity to succeed.
About Nevada Conservation League: The Nevada Conservation League is the independent voice of Nevada’s conservation community. NCL works to maintain and enhance the natural character of Nevada and the quality of life for Nevadans through effective advocacy, the election of pro-conservation candidates, and building collaboration.
About Indigenous Voices of Nevada: Indigenous Voices of Nevada (IVN) is a bold force in the fight to protect Nevada’s sacred landscapes, defend its public lands, and preserve the cultural lifeblood of Indigenous communities. Rooted in resilience and powered by action, IVN amplifies Indigenous voices to safeguard the places that define our identity and history. Through transformative voter education and sustainable stewardship, we equip communities to lead the charge in protecting the natural and cultural legacy of our state. Together, we are reclaiming our stories, amplifying our sovereignty, and our future.