President Trump’s Executive Orders shrinking the Grand Staircase Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments by three million acres is a disheartening step back for public lands in the West.
While we at Conservation Voters for Idaho focus our conservation efforts here in Idaho, the near-elimination of these monuments impacts everyone in the West. This is not about Idaho public lands or about Utah public lands. This is about protecting public lands for everyone.
These lands are still home to many tribal nations. Indigenous peoples have called these places home since time immemorial. This opens the door to activities that harm tribes and jeopardize irreplaceable cultural and tribal heritage. It is an ancestral homeland for many, and once again tribal voices are being pushed aside.
The will to protect public lands in the West is overwhelming, and that is backed by polling from multiple sources.
-96 percent of Idahoans agree that public lands must stay in public hands.
-70% of Utah voters agree that our public lands must be protected.
-91% of Western voters say existing national monument designations should be kept in place.
-87% of Republicans, 92% of Independents, and 96% of Democrats support keeping existing national monuments.
Bipartisan voters, local residents, and tribal communities all want to see these two monuments protected for current and future generations. These ongoing attempts to shrink or eliminate our cherished lands must be stopped.