Utah Voters Favor Restoring National Monument Protections Reduced by Trump

New polling data indicates that a significant majority of registered voters in Utah, specifically two-thirds, support the restoration of full protections for the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments. These iconic landscapes, rich in natural beauty and cultural heritage, had their protected areas drastically reduced by proclamations issued by former President Donald Trump in December 2017. The reductions brought the total acreage of these monuments to less than a quarter of their original size, a move that sparked considerable controversy and legal challenges.

The Bears Ears National Monument, originally designated by President Barack Obama in December 2016, encompassed approximately 1.35 million acres. President Trump's actions in 2017 reduced this area by roughly 85%, dividing it into two smaller units totaling about 201,000 acres. This drastic downsizing was a departure from the Obama administration's conservation efforts and was met with strong opposition from Indigenous tribes, who have ancestral ties to the land, and environmental organizations.

Similarly, the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, first established by President Bill Clinton in 1996, initially covered about 1.9 million acres. Trump's 2017 proclamations also targeted this monument, dividing it into three separate units and shrinking its total acreage by approximately 47%, bringing it down to about 1 million acres. Critics argued that these reductions opened up vast tracts of ecologically sensitive and culturally significant public lands to potential mining, drilling, and other extractive industries, threatening their long-term preservation.

The recent poll, conducted by Wyatt Myskow, surveyed registered voters across Utah, revealing a strong public sentiment in favor of reversing these Trump-era decisions. This finding suggests a potential shift in public opinion within the state, or at least a robust desire among a majority of voters to reinstate the comprehensive protections that were in place prior to the 2017 reductions. The support for restoring these monuments highlights a growing consensus among Utah voters regarding the importance of preserving these significant natural and cultural landscapes for future generations. The implications of this public opinion could influence future policy decisions, legislative efforts, and political discourse surrounding public lands management in Utah, potentially impacting upcoming elections.