In July 2026, Trump removed monument protections from 2.93 million acres at Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante; on September 11, the excluded lands became eligible for new mining claims
Trump opens 2.93M acres of Utah lands to new mining claims after cutting monument protections. (Photo: Shutterstock) President Donald Trump’s July decision to sharply shrink two major national monuments in Utah took effect for mining and mineral…