“You literally can’t even walk on it.”
This is the line that spread like wildfire across the internet – apt How much of Utah is on fire right now?Partly due to cuts in federal funds-From President Donald J Trump Upon the signing of an executive order that reduced Utah’s Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments by approximately 90% or, more illustratively, by 3 million acres. Surrounded by Utah Governor Spencer Cox, Utah Senators Mike Lee and John Curtis, and several other state representatives, They all cheered the President “About 30 lakh acres of land will now be well looked after,” he said while signing the EO.
The idea is to transfer that land to state management, thereby reducing federal oversight over it and, according to the group above, “manage it for Utahns, by Utahns.”
and groups like semaThe Off-Road Business Association (ORBA), and Blue Ribbon Coalition (BRC) celebrated the signing of the EO, saying it “opened up” the use to the public whereas before it was closed, and supposedly for off-roading. So, you’d assume celebrations were in order. I mean, opening up 3 million acres of public land for all to enjoy and use in a true multiple-use ethos should be great newsTM!
There’s just one small problem. None of what Trump, Cox, Lee and Curtis, their surrounding representatives, or SEMA, ORBA and BRC have said about the land management of Bears Ears or Grand Staircase-Escalante is true. In fact, you can hunt, fish, go off-road, and “walk on it.” Do you know that there is only one thing banned in those places? Develop me or them.
Who could have guessed?
Bears Ears Off-Road Trails
Photo by: onX
This marks the second time Trump has scaled down both monuments. in his first termonly for borders should be reestablished After he’s out of office – so there may be a glimmer of hope that this won’t last.
However, this latest assault is one that sees those boundaries shrinking to an extent that is truly staggering, as 3 million acres of federally managed public lands have, with the stroke of a pen, been transferred to state management – a state whose representatives, including those mentioned above, have led the charge to sell off, develop, and mine every last acre of public lands. This position was so unpopular that it became a poison pill for Trump’s own Big Beautiful bill last year, and the land sale provision sponsored by Senator Mike Lee had to be removed for it to advance in Congress. Nevertheless, the unpopularity of selling public lands has not stopped these representatives, or the administration, from doing so in other ways, and disguising these land holdings as things that are good for the people, making this transfer one of the largest ever.
Utah representatives have prioritized the sale and transfer of land for decades, even though the state receives so much revenue from outdoor recreation space, and little else it could potentially receive from mining, oil extraction, or housing development. However, this has not stopped them from pursuing that goal, as they have launched a public advertising campaign to hide these tactics, and even mounted an unsuccessful Supreme Court case that cost Utah taxpayers $14 million and change, all under the guise of telling Utahns that these were for their own good. Utahns must manage Utah’s lands. Not to those who feed.
But I will remind you from my account from Utah The state doesn’t have the money to manage this acreage. In fact, in order for them to manage any form of what they now take, Utah would have to sell off vast parcels of their newly acquired land. Still, that being said, it is a victory for recreationists everywhere that is truly astonishing, as the only thing that was not allowed in these areas was their development for housing and/or mining and extraction.
Right now, in both Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, you can hike, camp, fishing, hunting, shootingRecreate off-road, climbing, and otherwise. Exclusively for off-roaders, as its readers ride separatelyOff-road and single-track trails traverse the monuments and surrounding areas, forming some of the most extensive trail systems in the West. and you can open it and see OnX Hunt or Off-Road And excavations are being carried out in each monument and the area around them. Thousands of miles of trails, some of which I personally drove and ridden earlier this year, and have taken me to some of the most beautiful hiking spots around.
They were not closed to me or you or the rest of the public.
Some off-road trails of Grand Staircase-Escalante
Photo by: onX
Yet, when President Trump told the press during the EO signing that these places “are not for anyone’s use, OK? Can’t do anything. You can’t go hunting. You can’t go fishing. You can’t do anything. You literally can’t even walk on it,” Deputy Interior Secretary Kate McGregor responded affirmatively, saying, “That’s absolutely right, sir.” And yet, the same line is repeated by groups like SEMA, ORBA, and BRC, who all know it’s not “quite right.”
Again, off-road and hiking trails dot the landscape of both the monuments, and Utah itself, the state government, Manages hunting and fishing Within those original acres. Except for a few major places, the rest of the recreational public can do as per their wish and enjoy those places. And once again, the state of Utah, as well as the federal government, receive huge financial benefits from these places, because of the huge amount of entertainment they provide. According to the federal feds themselves, for every dollar spent on public lands they get $4 back. I’m no accountant or math expert, but it seems like a pretty good return on investment.
The only two things the federal government does is pay the bill for their continued existence and management, and limit the further development of these places. Therein lies the real reason they want to shrink these places, about which the administration, as well as Utah’s own representatives, are not hesitating: energy production, mineral extraction and development.
In every EO about public lands, the Administration has talked about U.S. energy independence, the need for mining for critical minerals, or the land being used to develop real estate. And while Senator Mike Lee, champion of selling off all public lands, has said in the past that his actions were solely for the benefit of the American people and affordable housing, when it came time to put his money where his mouth is, he voted against making housing more affordable for those same Americans. None of this is being done to improve recreational activities. None of this will be for the good of the off-roading community. None of this is being done for you or me.
However, there is hope. Although the court system moves slowly, these EOs are still likely to be challenged legally. Similarly, Americans have repeatedly said that we do not want our public lands touched, and representatives have faced similar backlash when AI data centers tried to do these things with public lands. Furthermore, during Trump’s first administration, he and Utah’s representatives tried this, shrinking both, and then when he was voted out of office, the Biden administration restored the boundaries of the monuments. As you’d expect, Americans love their wild, open spaces.
But for now, the bottom line is that the groups supposedly working in your best interests have lied to you. These locations were open to off-roading, hunting, fishing, climbing, camping and other recreational activities. They were open to the American people. In fact, you can “walk on it.” So remember that the next time someone tries to sell you something by saying it’s good for you.
