BEARS EARS, UTAH (RFD NEWS) — The Trump administration is scaling back the boundaries of two major national monuments in Utah, a move that agricultural organizations say will restore livestock grazing opportunities and expand multiple-use management across more than two million acres of federal land.
The administration announced it will reduce the size of the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments, reopening additional acreage for uses including livestock grazing.
The decision has been welcomed by cattle industry groups, including the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and the Public Lands Council, which have long argued that previous monument designations restricted access to federally managed grazing lands.
Supporters of the change say restoring multiple-use management will provide ranchers with greater flexibility while helping sustain rural economies that rely on public lands for livestock production.
Economic impacts have also been part of the debate. A previous study by the University of Utah found that reduced grazing opportunities within the monument areas cost the state more than $9 million in economic activity, highlighting the importance of federal grazing access for many rural communities.
