in effect
Proclamation 11043, signed July 13, 2026, is a presidential action that reduces the size of the Bears Ears National Monument in Utah using authority granted by the Antiquities Act. It formally redraws the monument’s boundaries and opens the excluded land to mining, mineral leasing, and other public-land uses.
The monument shrinks from approximately 1.36 million acres (the size set by President Biden’s 2021 proclamation) to approximately 121,096 acres — a reduction of roughly 1.24 million acres. The remaining land is divided into two units: the Shash Já Unit (~106,816 acres) and the Indian Creek Unit (~14,279 acres). Sixty days after July 13, 2026, the excluded lands become open to mining claims, mineral and geothermal leasing, and general public-land disposal. The Bears Ears Commission, a multi-tribal advisory body established by the 2016 proclamation, is dissolved; a new advisory committee is established with seats for five tribal nations, four local municipalities, and six members appointed by Utah’s governor. Agency management plans must now prioritize livestock grazing, expanded motorized vehicle access, and domestic resource extraction alongside cultural and historical preservation.
The five tribal nations with ancestral ties to the region — the Hopi Nation, Navajo Nation, Ute Indian Tribe, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, and Pueblo of Zuni — lose the Bears Ears Commission as their formal advisory channel, though the proclamation preserves separate tribal consultation requirements under other federal laws. Energy and mining companies gain access to roughly 1.24 million acres previously off-limits to mineral extraction, including deposits of uranium, copper, and other critical minerals. Ranchers, recreational users, and local governments in San Juan County gain representation on the new advisory committee and are promised expanded grazing authorizations and motorized vehicle access within the reduced monument.