National Trust for Historic Preservation: Return to home page

On February 13, the National Trust sent a letter to the House Natural Resources Committee opposing legislation that would remove more than 1.1 million acres from the Bears Ears National Monument, including some of the most significant and highly visited archaeological areas.

The Shash Jáa National Monument and Indian Creek National Monument Act (H.R. 4532), introduced by Rep. John Curtis (R-UT), would protect just 15 percent of the original monument boundaries and establish a troubling new management structure that would put these lands at risk. The letter urges the Committee not to advance the legislation, and, instead, engage in meaningful discussions with Tribal governments, archaeological experts, conservationists, and other stakeholders about how to protect the exceptional cultural resources of the area for current and future generations.

A total of 31 organizations and Tribal Nations signed the letter—a tremendous showing of support from those dedicated to preserving cultural, historic, and archaeological resources. The full letter may be viewed here.

On December 6, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, along with our partner groups Patagonia Works, Utah Diné Bikéyah, Friends of Cedar Mesa, Archaeology Southwest, Conservation Lands Foundation, Access Fund, and the Society for Vertebrate Paleontology, filed a lawsuit to block President Trump’s attempt to revoke protections for approximately 85 percent of the Bears Ears National Monument in southeast Utah.

Stephanie K. Meeks, President and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation said:

“Bears Ears National Monument tells the story of human civilization in North America thousands of years before the arrival of the first Europeans, and our nation cannot afford to have this sacred place opened to looting, vandalism or destructive oil and gas development. Shrinking the boundaries of Bears Ears National Monument is a direct assault on the Antiquities Act, one of America’s bedrock conservation and preservation laws that has helped to ensure the protection of many irreplaceable cultural landscapes across the United States. This unprecedented action does not represent the will of the American people, and is, in fact, destructive to all we hold dear as a nation. We look forward to defending Bears Ears, the Antiquities Act, and America’s unparalleled system of public lands.”

The full press release may be read here.