Secretary Haaland,

I ask that you recommend to President Biden restoring Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante to their prior boundaries, before they were shrunk on Dec. 4, 2017.

On that date, former President Trump came to Utah and, against the wishes of many residents, local authorities, business owners, and most importantly tribal leaders, reduced the two monuments by a combined 2 million acres. Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument was shrunk by nearly 50%. After years of negotiation, input, and urging by tribes, Bears Ears National Monument was established on December 28, 2016 only to have it egregiously slashed by 85% less than a year later.

The action taken by the Trump Administration is problematic on a number of fronts:

1) After years of conversation, Native Americans achieved a historic moment in protecting and managing America's public lands when President Obama established Bears Ears National Monument. The area protected by the monument encompasses some of the most sacred and culturally significant lands to Indigenous people of the region. The new monument protected natural, paleontological, archaeological, and cultural sights of great significance to the Hopi Tribe, Navajo Nation, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Pueblo of Zuni, and Ute Indian Tribe and was supported by 30 tribes in total. With little input from Indigenous leaders, President Trump undid their hard work.

2) America's public lands are responsible for nearly a quarter of our country's greenhouse gas emissions. Knowing that, according to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, global greenhouse gas emissions need to fall by 50% by 2030 and reach net-zero emissions by 2050 to avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change, public lands must be part of the solution. When the boundaries of both Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante were reduced, however, internal Interior Department documents showed access to oil, gas, and other extractive materials played a significant factor in redrawing the lines.

3) Reducing the boundaries of Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears national monuments hurts Utah's and the region's economy. According to a 2017 study released by the Alliance for a Better Utah, Utah's growing outdoor recreation economy provided 76 times the jobs as the coal industry and contributed $850 million more than coal in annual state and tax revenue. Knowing extractive industries are in decline and that outdoor recreation is growing, the Trump Administration still chose to shrink the national monuments in order to open the lands up to the detriment of the local, state, and regional economies.

By executive order signed his first day in office, President Biden called for a review of the two national monuments and asked you to submit a report on the appropriate action to be taken. Given the Biden Administration's commitment to social and environmental justice, meeting bold climate goals, and creating sustainable jobs, restoring the boundaries of both national monuments is a critical step in putting action behind those words.

Thank you for coming to Utah and seeing first-hand the spectacular red rock canyons, sprawling vistas, and jaw-dropping landscapes our state has to offer. We are proud to call this place home and are excited to be sharing these beautiful places with you. Please join us in protecting these lands for generations to come.