Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

The 1.9 million-acre Grand Staircase-Escalante has claimed its place as a crown jewel of our nation’s public lands. It was the first monument managed by the BLM to specifically prioritize conservation of cultural, ecological, and scientific values, and it is now world-renowned for its remarkable paleontological discoveries, stunning scenery, and outstanding intact and diverse natural ecosystems.

The “Science Monument” and So Much More

Since its original establishment in 1996, heightened protections for its geology, paleontology, wildlife, plant communities, and ancestral sites have succeeded in preserving these unique values for generations to come, and local communities on the monument’s doorstep have benefited as well. More than 30 years later, the numerous benefits of protecting Grand Staircase-Escalante are clear: the monument preserves a remarkable ecosystem at the landscape-level and sets the stage for future discovery about human, paleontological, and geologic history on the Colorado Plateau.

Repeal and Restoration

On December 4, 2017, President Trump ignored millions of public comments and repealed Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, slashing it by 47 percent. Thankfully, on October 8th, 2021, President Biden signed a proclamation restoring Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument to its full, original boundaries. A new management plan for the entire 1.9 million-acre monument was finalized in January of 2025.

Latest Developments

In March 2026, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) and Representative Celeste Maloy (R-UT-02) introduced “Joint Resolutions of Disapproval” under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to undo the current Grand Staircase-Escalante Monument Management Plan. That effort buckled under grassroots pressure, but four months later President Trump signed two executive orders slashing both Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments by 90%. Grand Staircase-Escalante went from 1.87 million acres to about 181,500 acres. Within days, signs marking the monument were dismantled and removed.

In September, we sued President Trump in U.S. District Court in Washington, DC, to overturn his illegal reductions, joined by longtime partners the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Earthjustice (the latter is representing several other conservation groups). We have asked the court to reopen our previous lawsuit against President Trump’s 2017 monument rollbacks (which was put on hold following President Biden’s restorations) and have updated the case to challenge both sets of illegal proclamations. In the meantime, SUWA will be there to defend the ground. We will track—and fight back against—mining claims, oil and gas leases, off-road vehicle trail proposals, and any other actions that could damage the monuments.