Updated
Updated · FOX 13 News Utah · Aug 2
Dozens of Utahns Protest Trump’s Monument Cuts in 100-Degree Heat
Updated
Updated · FOX 13 News Utah · Aug 2

Dozens of Utahns Protest Trump’s Monument Cuts in 100-Degree Heat

3 articles · Updated · FOX 13 News Utah · Aug 2

Summary

  • Dozens of Utahns gathered at the State Capitol on Saturday, dancing and rallying against the administration’s shrinking of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments.
  • 100-degree heat did not deter protesters, many from Indigenous communities, who said the July 13 order was made without a comment period and left Native voices out of decisions over sacred public lands.
  • Governor Spencer Cox backed the reductions, saying smaller boundaries would improve management, preservation and public access while lands removed from the monuments would remain protected under existing law.
  • Activists used the protest to press more Utahns to show up at state and local meetings, arguing public pressure is needed to protect lands they say are central to tribal identity and Utah’s heritage.

Insights

With millions of acres losing protection, what hidden industries are quietly waiting to claim Utah's newly exposed sacred landscapes?
Could shrinking these massive monuments actually save them from the destructive strain of underfunded management and overwhelming tourism?
How will the sudden removal of tribal co-management alter the survival of ancient archaeological sites hidden within the canyons?