When Monument Boundaries Opened Land to Mining Claims in Utah

On July 13, 2026 the president changed the boundaries of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase‑Escalante national monuments in Utah. He made both monuments much smaller and removed about three million acres from protection. The proclamations say the excluded lands will open to mining claims, mineral leasing, and public land laws at 9:00 a.m. eastern daylight time, 60 days after the proclamations.

Conservation groups warn mining interests and prospectors may seek claims on the open land. In the past, similar reductions led to new mining claims being filed near the monuments. The Bureau of Land Management, or BLM, manages public land records and the process to locate a mining claim.