Statement from Trust for Public Land Regarding National Monument Reductions of Bears Ears National Monument and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
Washington, D.C. — Dr. Ken Lucero, Indigenous and Tribal Communities Director at Trust for Public Land, issued the following statement in response to today’s action by the Trump Administration to dismantle Bears Ears National Monument and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, which are sacred to numerous Tribal Nations across our country.
“These national monuments hold profound cultural, ecological, and historical significance for all people in America. They honor the enduring stewardship of Tribal Nations and the tireless efforts of local communities and conservation advocates who fought to safeguard these irreplaceable landscapes for future generations. National monuments like Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante protect some of our most sacred Tribal sites and heritage, playing a vital role in ensuring a fuller, more inclusive telling of America’s story.
There is overwhelming public support for preserving these spaces and honoring the very purpose of the Antiquities Act, a bipartisan achievement used by presidents of both parties for 120 years to protect iconic landscapes. Passed by Congress and signed by President Theodore Roosevelt more than a century ago, the Antiquities Act permanently protects land determined to be of significant historic or scientific value.
On the 250th anniversary of our country, national monuments remain central to who we are as a nation, serving as powerful tools for expanding access to nature and providing a more complete picture of our nation’s shared, complex and diverse history. We ask that Congress uphold and protect the Antiquities Act. We will continue to work with communities to forge solutions that protect and preserve these majestic outdoor public places for all Americans – from hunters, hikers and anglers to birders and wildlife enthusiasts – that love and cherish these lands.”
National monuments have long enjoyed broad bipartisan public support as places that protect America’s most significant cultural, historic, scientific, and natural treasures while preserving access to the outdoors for future generations. National polling commissioned by TPL found that nearly three in four Americans oppose the sale of existing public lands.
Similarly, as the United States marks its 250th anniversary, Americans increasingly view parks, public lands, and national monuments as fundamental to our shared national identity. Trust for Public Land’s 2026 national YouGov survey found that 85% of Americans are proud of the nation’s parks, public lands, and natural landscapes, while 88% believe it is important to preserve the historic and cultural landmarks in outdoor spaces that tell the full American story—including the histories of Tribal Nations and other communities whose stories have too often gone untold. Together, these findings demonstrate a broad consensus that America’s public lands are a shared national inheritance that connects us to our history, reflects our values, and should be preserved for generations to come.
###
About Trust for Public Land.
Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit that works to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. As a leader in equitable access to the outdoors, TPL works with communities to create parks and protect public land where they are needed most. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land, created more than 5,504 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, raised $112 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 10 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit tpl.org.
