Media Contacts
-
Becca Rohrer
Associate Director of Communications, North America Policy
The Nature Conservancy
Email: rebecca.rohrer@tnc.org
On July 13, 2026, United States President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order significantly shrinking the boundaries of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments in Utah. In response to this news, Tom Cors, senior director of legislative affairs for The Nature Conservancy, issued the following statement.
“As a livestock operator and the largest private landowner at Bears Ears National Monument, The Nature Conservancy has spent decades working alongside Tribal Nations, ranchers, federal agencies and local communities to conserve this landscape while sustaining working lands central to the region’s heritage and economy. Bears Ears National Monument, as well as Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, is home to irreplaceable cultural resources, iconic wildlife and working ranchlands that support people and communities. We do not support reducing the size of either monument.
“Now is the time for more, not less, protection of public lands. Polling shows that 89% of Americans across the political spectrum value public lands and want them safeguarded for future generations—not weakened, transferred or sold off.
“National monument lands make up only a small fraction of the federal lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management and have not significantly reduced opportunities for grazing or oil and gas leasing on public lands overall.
“This decision also could impact the future of the Antiquities Act, one of our nation’s most important conservation tools, which has been used for more than a century by presidents of both parties to designate national monuments that protect federal public lands and waters with exceptional cultural, historic and scientific significance.
“The boundaries of these monuments have changed multiple times in recent years, creating uncertainty for long-term conservation, scientific research, collaborative land management and the communities that depend on these landscapes. This newest action will shrink the two monuments by nearly 90%. While the lands removed from the monuments will remain federally managed public lands, they will lose the additional protections provided by national monument designation, potentially opening up nearly 3 million acres to mining, development and other uses that will undermine decades of conservation progress.
“In Utah and across the country, national monuments conserve wildlife habitat, support local economies and ensure recreation opportunities. Our communities depend on healthy lands and waters, and national monument designations remain an important tool for protecting America’s natural and cultural resources for future generations.”
More Policy News
President Trump's Proposed Budget Falls Short When It Comes to Investing in Nature
United States President Donald Trump released his administration’s proposed fiscal year 2027 budget. TNC released a statement in response to this news.
There is No Scientific Justification to Revoke the Endangerment Finding
The U.S. EPA's decision to repeal the Endangerment Finding will limit the government's ability to regulate emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act.
New Rule Will Weaken Habitat Protections Under the Endangered Species Act
A final rule from the Administration will rescind the longstanding definition of what it means to “harm” a plant or animal under the Endangered Species Act.
The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more resilient. The Nature Conservancy is working to make a lasting difference around the world in 83 countries and territories (39 by direct conservation impact and 44 through partners) through a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. For more news, visit our newsroom or follow The Nature Conservancy on LinkedIn.