Which 6 National Monuments Trump is going to destroy for mining?

The Trump administration is considering scaling back six national monuments across Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Utah. The move would open protected federal lands to mining and other forms of resource extraction.

A senior Interior Department official and a congressional aide, speaking anonymously, confirmed the plan. They cited a recent Bureau of Land Management review of areas with mineral withdrawals.

The monuments under threat include:

• Bears Ears (Utah)

• Grand Staircase-Escalante (Utah)

• Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni-Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon (Arizona)

• Ironwood Forest (Arizona)

• Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks (New Mexico)

• Chuckwalla (California)

These areas cover nearly 5.4 million acres and attract more than 6.6 million visitors each year.

The Interior Department’s draft proposal, dated April 21, 2025, outlines plans for land swaps to boost coal, oil, and gas production. It follows Interior Secretary Doug Burgum’s February 3 order to document mineral reserves across public lands.

In 2017, Trump reduced Bears Ears by 85% and Grand Staircase-Escalante by 45%, sparking widespread protests and lawsuits. His administration had also eyed changes to Ironwood Forest and Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks but did not act before leaving office.

Now, with a second term, Trump is pushing to revive those efforts. His latest executive order has reclassified coal as a mineral, strengthening the push for resource extraction.

Grand Staircase-Escalante alone holds about 9 billion tons of coal, according to Jacqualine Grant, a geoscientist. Other minerals like uranium and cobalt are also present, but experts question whether extraction would be economically viable.

Conservationists argue that the value of these lands goes beyond resources. They highlight the role monuments play in local economies through tourism and recreation.

Kelly Herbinson of the Mojave Desert Land Trust said national monuments strengthen communities and protect against urban sprawl.

Indigenous leaders also voiced strong opposition. Zion White, a councilman for the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe, called the Chuckwalla Monument "a page of history" and said public lands should not be "political bargaining chips."

Rolling back monument protections could trigger major legal battles. The 1906 Antiquities Act lets presidents create national monuments but does not clearly authorize them to shrink or revoke protections.

Drew Caputo of Earthjustice warned that any attempt to cut monument protections would be illegal and vowed to fight the move in court.

National monuments generate billions in economic output each year. A recent Conservation in the West poll found that 89% of voters, including many Trump supporters, oppose reducing monument protections.

Last week, the administration also signed a proclamation to open the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument to commercial fishing, another move facing legal challenges.

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