MAGA Republicans Introduce Bill to Set Precedent and Gut Protections For National Monuments

Washington, D.C. — Today Senator Mike Lee and Representative Celeste Maloy introduced a Congressional Review Act joint-resolution that, if enacted, would overturn the monument management plan for Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM). This is the first time a Congressional Review Act has attempted to overturn a management plan for any national monument. The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) and Stewardship Utah issued the following statements:

“It’s no coincidence this attempt to gut protections for Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument was introduced by the members of Congress who led the public lands sell-off efforts during reconciliation,” said Conservation Program Director America Fitzpatrick. “This is the first time a Congressional Review Act resolution has attempted to overturn a management plan for any national monument. It is dangerous and reckless, and anyone who opposes selling off public lands must reject this bill and protect our treasured national monuments that our communities, economies, and environment depend on. Trump’s extreme allies in Congress are not only raising costs and harming the health of families across the country, they’re determined to advance yet another attempt to sell off our public lands to Big Polluters and corporate interests. This rollback is in direct opposition to the advocacy of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Inter-Tribal Coalition and thousands of public comments supporting monument protections — proving once again that MAGA Republicans are determined to continue to attack our public lands and culturally-rich national monuments.”

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“Utahns overwhelmingly support protecting Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument,” said Stewardship Utah Co-Director David Garbett. “The current management plan does that and reflects years of public comment, local input, and engagement with tribes and local businesses owners. This is what Utah’s delegation is actually unhappy about: a protected landscape managed for the public.”

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