Trump shrinks Bears Ears, Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in Utah

President Trump signed executive orders on Monday to reduce the size of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in Utah, with Trump claiming the action returns land to Utah residents. The Hill's bylined reporting from Rachel Frazin presents Trump's direct quote but provides limited specifics on acreage affected or implementation details in the visible excerpt. Independent coverage from the Salt Lake Tribune specifies that nearly 3 million acres were cut from the two monuments combined, while the New York Times and Deseret News add context that this mirrors Trump's 2017 actions and note that Native American tribes and environmental groups are expected to mount legal challenges—information absent from The Hill's excerpt. Critical readers should monitor the anticipated litigation from conservation groups and tribal nations, which Earthjustice has already signaled it will pursue, and watch for any legal rulings on the executive orders' constitutionality.