Two monuments in southern Utah were cut in 2017. Lawsuits followed, asking a single question: the Antiquities Act lets a president create a national monument, but does it let a president take one apart? Those cases were paused in 2021 when the boundaries were restored. They were never decided.

On July 13, 2026 both monuments were cut again, and the reductions took effect on September 11, 2026. On September 2, 2026 the same cases were reopened. Plaintiffs argue the Act authorizes a president to designate a monument and nothing more; the government argues it permits a president to modify an earlier declaration. Nothing has been ruled on. Everything below is a place to read the filings yourself.

“The Antiquities Act of 1906 authorizes presidents to designate national monuments, but it does not give them the power to shrink the monuments created by their predecessors or to undercut their protections.” — Sierra Club, September 2, 2026. The government’s position, that the Act permits modification and the reduced boundaries still protect the necessary objects, is summarised here.

Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument litigation

Bears Ears National Monument litigation

Who is standing up

Sovereign tribal nations — Bears Ears. Five nations formed the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition in July 2015 and filed suit together in December 2017, hours after the first reduction. Three are represented by the Native American Rights Fund; the Navajo Nation and the Ute Indian Tribe have their own counsel.

Sovereign tribal nations — Grand Staircase Escalante. Six nations formed the Grand Staircase-Escalante Inter-Tribal Coalition on March 25, 2025, advocating for long-term protection of this monument and for tribal priorities to be meaningfully included in how it is managed.

Conservation organizations. Many are represented by Earthjustice; others filed with their own counsel. They are listed, with links, under How you can help below.

Grassroots, scientific and public interest groups. NRDC case page  ·  Archaeology Southwest

Businesses. Patagonia Works is a named co-plaintiff. A coalition of 118 outdoor businesses, including REI, Black Diamond and Osprey, signed a joint letter opposing the reductions without being parties to the case. Patagonia  ·  Deseret News on the 118-business letter

How you can help

These are the organizations on the ground and in the courts. Give your time, your membership or your money to any of them — that is stewardship in its most practical form.

Monumental Love // Stewardship cannot be silenced.

Our commitment to the monument is not driven by law, boundaries or policy. It is a commitment that has been forged over time and lies deep in the footprints of those who walked before us.

This project is a small, home grown initiative driven by the community that loves the land and wants to give back. We make our promise to the land and support those on the ground doing the work and the advocates protecting it.