Trump opens 2.93M acres at Bears Ears, Grand Staircase-Escalante to new mining claims on September 11

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 development on September 11, when nearly 2.93 million acres removed from Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante became eligible for new mining claims and mineral leasing.The two presidential proclamations, signed on July 13 and published in the Federal Register on July 17, reduced the protected footprints of the monuments by more than 90% each. Under the proclamations, the excluded federal lands could, after 60 days, become available for mineral and geothermal leasing as well as location, entry and patent under federal mining laws.Bears Ears reduced to about 121,000 acresTrump’s Proclamation 11043 reduced Bears Ears National Monument from approximately 1.36 million acres to about 121,096 acres. The remaining monument consists of the Shash Ja'a Unit, covering approximately 106,816 acres, and the Indian Creek Unit, covering about 14,279 acres.The proclamation excluded approximately 1.24 million acres from the monument. It said the excluded ...