FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the elected officials behind 2025’s failed public lands sell-off attempts, Senator Mike Lee, R-UT, and Rep. Celeste Maloy, R-UT, introduced a joint resolution to undo the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Management Plan using the Congressional Review Act (CRA). If both chambers of Congress pass the measure by simple majority votes, the plan — which sets expectations for how these remarkable public lands will be managed for recreation, camping, and outdoor access, collaboration with Tribal Nations, dark night skies, grazing, and other uses — will be undone and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will be barred from issuing another plan that is “substantially the same” in the future. This assault on a national monument marks a significant escalation in Congress’ use of the CRA and — if successful — would lead to chaos on the ground.
This comes on the heels of Senator Lee starting the CRA wheel in motion last week when he submitted the Government Accountability Office (GAO) opinion regarding the monument management plan to the congressional record. Below are quotes from conservation organizations and additional information:
“Senator Lee and Rep. Maloy’s assault on the Grand Staircase-Escalante is a singular call to action for Americans from across the nation,” said Steve Bloch, legal director at the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance. “These wild public lands are quintessential southern Utah redrock country with stunning geology, irreplaceable cultural resources, unique fossils, and wide-open spaces. All of that is at risk if this effort succeeds and the monument management plan is undone. We intend to move heaven and earth to stop that from happening.”
“The Utah delegation appears to be hellbent on undermining our public lands and undoing years of work by local officials, Tribes, and community members,” said Thomas Delehanty, senior attorney with Earthjustice’s Rocky Mountain Office. “Our national monuments belong to the American people and should not be managed in ways that are clouded by uncertainty. This is yet another attempt by Utah politicians to hand over our public lands to industry. Every member of Congress should reject this and any other misguided CRA attack on our public lands.”
“The Utah delegation knows that our national monuments are well-loved by Americans and protecting them is overwhelmingly popular among Utahns regardless of party affiliation,” said Tim Peterson, Cultural Landscapes Director at the Grand Canyon Trust. “The public would not stand for legislation that gets rid of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument outright, so they’re trying to eliminate the commonsense management plan that affords day-to-day protections to the monument. We can’t let that happen.”
“The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is an iconic landscape that is once again at risk of being carved up for short-term gain,” said Axie Navas, director of designation campaigns at The Wilderness Society. “Our national monuments represent our freedom, and they preserve the beauty and stories that define us as a country. We must protect our public lands today so that future generations may inherit a legacy of wonder, inspiration, and the enduring promise of America’s best idea.”
“Using the Congressional Review Act to unravel Grand Staircase-Escalante’s management plan is an assault on a national treasure,” said Bobby McEnaney, director of land conservation at NRDC. “It would wipe out years of science and public input and lay the groundwork to make additional attacks on Grand Staircase easier. Americans overwhelmingly support this monument. Congress must reject this reckless effort and honor its commitment to Tribes, local communities, and future generations.”
“Grandstanding on the back of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument to appease a select few who want to kick the public out of public lands willfully ignores local communities, business owners, and Tribes who support and rely on the balanced management of national monuments,” said Chris Hill, CEO of the Conservation Lands Foundation. “It also ignores the overwhelming majority of voters in Utah and across Western states who want their Congressmembers to protect these places. It’s a Congressional power grab of the country’s national monuments and public lands, plain and simple, and Americans of all political identities will fight like hell to stop it.”
Additional Information
- January 22, 2026 press release, “Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Under Attack From Utah Members of Congress” which contains background information about the GAO opinion, the monument, and the Congressional Review Act.
- The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Inter-tribal Coalition has spoken out against using the CRA to eliminate the monument’s management plan.
Photos for media use
See a photo gallery of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
Images may be used royalty-free by members of the media for reporting on Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument with proper credit to the photographer.
Contacts
Grant Stevens, Communications Director, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA), (319) 427-0260
Keri Gilliland, Communications Manager, The Wilderness Society, (303) 386-2243
Perry Wheeler, Earthjustice, (202) 792-6211
Tim Peterson, Cultural Landscapes Director, Grand Canyon Trust, (801) 550-9861
Andrew Scibetta, NRDC, (202) 289-2421
Kris Deutschman, Conservation Lands Foundation, (505) 498-0212
