Judge Chutkan Reopens National Monuments Litigation
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On October 13, U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan issued an order granting a request by SUWA and other conservation groups (filed in September) to reopen the 2017 litigation challenging President Trumps’ illegal reductions of Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments. Those cases had been stayed after President Biden restored the two monuments in 2021. Now, unfortunately, they’re relevant again.
During a status conference held a few days later, Judge Chutkan ordered the federal government to give those working to protect the monuments 48 hours advance notice of any surface disturbing activities on lands cut from the national monuments.
“President Trump’s attack on Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments, two crown jewels of the nation’s public lands system, was illegal, plain and simple,” said SUWA Legal Director Steve Bloch. “And because of this unlawful act, irreplaceable cultural resources and the monuments’ unique geology and flora and fauna are now at risk from activities like mining. Today was an important step towards restoring protections for the monuments. We’re looking forward to presenting our arguments to the court and defending these remarkable landscapes.”
>> Read our full press release
Photo © Whit Richardson
Bears Ears Mining Claims Increase to 72 (So Far)
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Since mining restrictions were lifted on lands Trump illegally cut from Bears Ears National Monument, 72 mining claims have been filed on some of those now unprotected landscapes. This is more than triple the number of claims filed after Trump’s first-term attack on the monument.
“The pace of new mining claims in Bears Ears National Monument is alarming and reinforces the need for vigilance while we work to undo Trump’s illegal actions and restore both Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments,” said SUWA Staff Attorney Hanna Larsen. “These claims are located in some of the region’s most remarkable places, including the headwaters of the Dark Canyon Wilderness and just outside Natural Bridges National Monument.”
SUWA continues to monitor these claims and will act as necessary to protect both Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments from irreversible harm.
>> Read our most recent press release
Photo © Jeff Foott
SUWA and Partners File Suit to Protect Nine Mile Canyon
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On October 6, SUWA, alongside the Nine Mile Canyon Coalition and Center for Biological Diversity, sued the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for approving a hydrocarbon highway through Gate Canyon in eastern Utah. That project—if completed—would straighten 6 miles of what is currently a scenic, winding gravel road and involves the blasting and destruction of 100-foot-tall canyon walls, Utah historical sites, and habitat for threatened wildlife. It would also lead to dramatically increased truck traffic, sometimes mere feet away from archaeological sites in nearby Nine Mile Canyon, often described as the “world’s longest art gallery” due to its abundance of Native American rock imagery.
This would all be done to accommodate 70-foot oil tanker trucks traveling to the oil fields and transloading facilities in Carbon County, Utah. As many as 1,000 vehicles could pass through the area each day—the equivalent of a tanker truck every 7 minutes, according to news reports.
Our lawsuit challenges the BLM’s rushed and behind-closed-doors environmental review for failing to disclose or analyze the impacts of increased traffic and the destruction of Gate Canyon on scenery, wildlife, the area’s rock imagery, and historic axle grease inscriptions. The agency also ignored its own management plans that require protecting cultural and scenic values and violated the federal National Historic Preservation Act and the Endangered Species Act.
>> Read our full press release
Photo © Ray Bloxham/SUWA
BLM Proceeds with Plan to Auction Off Wild Landscapes for Fossil Fuel Development
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Last month, SUWA and many of our supporters submitted comments on a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lease sale offering 43 parcels of public land in Utah for oil and gas development, including wild places in the Dirty Devil and Hatch Point regions. The agency has since released a final environmental assessment discounting that input and intends to move forward with the sale.
As you may recall, many of the parcels—including some near Bears Ears National Monument—are in designated critical habitat for the Mexican Spotted Owl, a species listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Yet the BLM failed to consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service about foreseeable impacts to the owl, as required by the ESA. Instead, the agency kicked the can down the road to the drilling stage when it claims that it may (but likely won’t) fulfill that requirement. This backwards approach is illegal and does nothing to ensure the owl is protected.
SUWA plans to file a formal protest of the leasing decision. Stay tuned for future updates.
Photo © Ray Bloxham/SUWA
Attention Wordsmiths: SUWA Is Hiring!
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Can you imagine writing copy for future Redrock Reports and drafting (or editing) a wide array of other SUWA materials, both print and digital? Now is your chance! SUWA is seeking a Writer & Communications Specialist to join our growing Communications Team. If you have a deep love for protecting public lands, strong writing skills, and experience with social media, please apply. We offer great benefits and the opportunity to learn and grow with other communications professionals in support of a great cause.
The application deadline for this position is Monday, November 9. Learn more, including how to apply, at suwa.org/careers.
On the Horizon: November 2026 Elections
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We’d be remiss if we didn’t note that the 2026 Midterm elections are less than two weeks away on Tuesday, November 3. During this election, at the federal level, all 435 seats in the House of Representatives are on the ballot, and depending on where you live you may have a senator on the ballot as well. This is in addition to any races that may be happening at the state, county, or local level.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, SUWA does not endorse candidates, but we can encourage you to vote! In many states, early voting or vote-by-mail is already underway. You can visit vote.org to check your registration status and learn about how to vote, wherever you live. One final ask: once you’ve made a plan to vote, reach out to a family member, friend, or colleague and help them do the same!
