Bears Ears and Grand Staircase: What Got Cut

Ellen Heyn by Ellen Heyn, Communications Associate

Ever since President Trump took office, rumors have been swirling about his plans to gut Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments. This week, months of conjecture turned into official presidential proclamations slashing the boundaries of the two monuments by 85 and 46 percent, respectively. The news didn’t come as a surprise, but it stung nonetheless. 

The sliced and diced Bears Ears and Grand Staircase now encompass only a fraction of the natural and cultural resources they once protected. Cliff dwellings, petroglyph panels, and geological features have been cast out of each monument. Here’s a look at what got cut.

Bears Ears

Bluff Trail hikersBluff Trail, San Juan River corridor. Photo: Tim Peterson


Horses petroglyphsHorse panel petroglyphs. Photo: Jonathan Bailey


Lockhart BasinLockhart Basin. Photo: Tim Peterson/LightHawk


Mancos MesaMancos Mesa. Photo: Tim Peterson/LightHawk


Rock artRock art in the Mancos Mesa Bears Ears Annex. Photo: Tim Peterson 


Valley of the GodsValley of the Gods. Photo: Tim Peterson/LightHawk


cliff dwelling cedar mesaStructure in western Cedar Mesa canyons. Photo: Jonathan Bailey


White CanyonWhite Canyon. Photo: Tim Peterson 

Grand Staircase

Peekaboo Slot CanyonPeekaboo, Spooky, and Brimstone slot canyons. Photo: Ellen Heyn


Smokey MountainView from Smoky Mountain. Photo: Tim Peterson


Wahweap hoodoosWahweap hoodoos. Photo: Ellen Heyn


Paria badlandsParia badlands near townsite. Photo: Tim Peterson 


The ToadstoolsThe Toadstools. Photo: Ellen Heyn


Adair PointAdair Point. Photo: Tim Peterson


We’ve already filed lawsuits for Grand Staircase and Bears Ears. Both complaints assert that the president used authority not granted to him by the Antiquities Act of 1906 by stripping protections from our national treasures. We expect a lengthy battle in court, and are in it for the long haul. We hope you are too.

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