Bears Ears National Monument

Native Tribes Urge Biden to Protect Sacred Lands Before Leaving Office

The Pit River Tribe and environmental groups seek national monument status for the half-million-year-old Sáttítla volcano in northern California, safeguarding it from extractive industries and preserving its unique geological features and biodiversity. This remarkable landscape, crucial to the tribe’s creation narrative, boasts abundant plant and animal life, including endangered species, and sits atop a massive aquifer. Designation as a national monument would provide resources for conservation and align with the Biden administration’s America the Beautiful initiative, while also allowing for tribal co-stewardship. The tribe emphasizes its inherent right to participate in the decision-making process concerning this sacred land.

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Biden Reverses Trump’s Monument Downsizing, But Project 2025 Threatens More Cuts

The 2024 presidential election significantly impacts the future of millions of acres of federally owned land in the West, particularly concerning the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in Utah. President Trump’s previous reduction of these monuments’ size, reversed by President Biden, is poised for another reversal if Trump wins reelection. This broader land management debate involves potential increased access for resource extraction and challenges to presidential authority over monument designation, signaled by recent Supreme Court activity. A conservative plan, Project 2025, even proposes repealing the Antiquities Act of 1906, further escalating the conflict between conservationists and those advocating for expanded resource use on public lands.

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