Democratic Senators Oppose Trump's Utah Monument Reductions
Thirty-four Democratic senators and Indigenous leaders condemned President Donald Trump's executive orders reducing two Utah national monuments by 3 million acres.
A group of 34 Democratic senators, led by Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján, issued a letter on August 4, 2026, opposing the decision by President Donald Trump to drastically shrink the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in Utah.
On July 13, Trump signed executive orders that reduced the monuments' footprints by approximately 3 million acres, removing 90% of their original size. The orders also disbanded the Bears Ears Commission. The opposing senators described the monuments as "national treasures" and argued that these reductions leave culturally significant sites vulnerable to destruction while creating economic instability for local communities.
The Navajo Nation and Zuni Tribe also condemned the move, stating they were not consulted during the process.
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