Patagonia Sues Trump Over Utah National Monument Shrinking
· outdoors
Monumental Injustice: Patagonia’s Lawsuit Against Trump’s Utah Land Grab
Patagonia recently filed a lawsuit against President Trump’s decision to shrink two national monuments in Utah, Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, by nearly 90%. This move is a stark reminder of the ongoing struggle for environmental justice in the United States.
The Trump administration’s decision has been widely criticized as a betrayal of public trust. The Antiquities Act, which gave Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton the power to create these monuments, contains no provision for undoing a designation once made. Yet, President Trump chose to ignore this fact and open up millions of acres of public lands to oil drilling, uranium mining, and other developments.
This decision is part of a larger pattern of environmental degradation and disregard for tribal sovereignty that has characterized the Trump administration’s approach to conservation. Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert noted in a blog post that “What is happening in Utah is tragic.” The company’s lawsuit argues that the Trump administration lacks the legal authority to downsize the protected lands, as the Antiquities Act contains no power to undo a monument designation.
Bears Ears was the first national monument created at the request of Native American nations. It was established after the Hopi Tribe, Navajo Nation, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Ute Indian Tribe, and the Pueblo of Zuni successfully petitioned the Obama administration for protection. This marked a significant shift towards greater tribal involvement in conservation efforts.
The Trump administration’s decision to shrink these monuments has put this progress on hold. Angelo Baca, an enrolled citizen of the Navajo Nation and member of the Hopi Tribe, expressed his disappointment with the Salt Lake Tribune: “It’s been disappointing to see how much work has been put into trying to do co-management with the tribes and the federal agencies, and then having all that work put on hold or shelved.”
Utah Governor Spencer Cox and the state’s congressional delegation have argued that the lands contain important resources and that past Democratic administrations exceeded the intended scope of the Antiquities Act. However, this argument is undermined by the long history of environmental degradation and exploitation in the region.
Patagonia notes that the Trump administration’s decision is part of a broader attack on the environment, including canceling renewables projects and attempting to roll back greenhouse gas regulations. The company’s lawsuit argues that these actions are not only an affront to conservation but also a threat to national security.
The fate of these monuments remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: this decision will have far-reaching consequences for both the environment and tribal sovereignty in the United States. As we move forward, it’s essential that we prioritize environmental justice and recognize the inherent value of public lands. The struggle for conservation is a long-term effort, and protecting our natural resources requires more than just lawsuits.
Reader Views
- TTThe Trail Desk · editorial
"The lawsuit filed by Patagonia against President Trump's Utah land grab is a long-overdue check on executive power. But let's not forget that this decision was years in the making, with conservative lawmakers and special interest groups quietly lobbying for the reduction of these monuments since their inception. The real question is: what's next? Will we see similar attempts to gut other protected areas across the country? And can a court truly stop the bulldozers and mining equipment already on the ground?"
- JHJess H. · thru-hiker
The fight for Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante is far from over. While Patagonia's lawsuit against Trump's land grab is a crucial step towards protecting these national monuments, we can't forget that conservation efforts are often at odds with local economies. The oil and gas industries have long had a stranglehold on Utah politics, and it'll take more than just a court battle to upend their influence. We need to support policies that address the root causes of environmental degradation, like climate change and resource extraction, rather than just treating symptoms with feel-good lawsuits.
- MTMarko T. · expedition guide
The Trump administration's reckless disregard for public lands is staggering. As someone who's spent years guiding expeditions through these very monuments, I can attest to their irreplaceable value as not just protected areas but also economic drivers for local communities. Patagonia's lawsuit is a necessary step in holding the administration accountable for its actions. However, we need to acknowledge that this fight isn't just about protecting land – it's also about ensuring tribal sovereignty and self-determination are respected. We can't forget that Bears Ears was created with indigenous input; shrinking these monuments undermines the very principles of co-management that were supposed to be the hallmark of this administration's conservation efforts.