Trump administration policies are decimating habitat and hunting

A July 13 proclamation signed by President Donald Trump reduced the size of two national monuments in Utah — Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante — by 90%, or about 2.9 million acres. As explained by American Hunters & Anglers, “The largest rollback of protected public land in American history just happened and it was served with a side of lies.”

American Hunters also pointed out that Trump said (incorrectly), “You can’t do anything. You can’t go hunting. You can’t go fishing. You can’t do anything. You can virtually not even walk on it.”

Hunters and anglers disagree. Backcountry Hunters & Anglers posted the following “Facts Incoming” response on Instagram: “President Trump says there’s no hunting, fishing, or even walking on the ‘Grand Staircase monument.’ Here’s the truth: hunting, fishing, and recreation have always been allowed in Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante.” As for not being able to “walk on it,” well, I’ve hiked and camped in Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears many times over the years.

In addition, during 2017 BHA released detailed habitat maps of six Western national monuments. Each of the monuments — including Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante — was designated to safeguard, at least in part, important wildlife habitat, valuable fisheries and access to great places to hunt and fish. Together, the six monuments encompassed nearly 4 million acres of big game habitat, including nearly 3 million acres of deer habitat, and more than 1 million acres of elk habitat. Despite the fact that 65% of Utah voters and 91% of Western voters oppose cuts to the monuments, Trump took the action anyway.

Colorado’s Dinosaur National Monument (and others) may be next on the chopping block. During June the Bureau of Land Management leased thousands of acres in northwestern Colorado to oil and gas companies in the state’s biggest such sale in modern history.

“More than 100 parcels included in the June 16 sale encompass elk, pronghorn and mule deer migration corridors,” I wrote in a June 19 Colorado Newsline opinion piece. “About two-thirds of the 156,000-acre sale is just south of Dinosaur National Monument.”

Other Colorado public lands are also in the crosshairs. The Bureau of Land Management’s proposed Fourth Quarter 2026 oil and gas lease sale includes five parcels on the Roan Plateau, putting more than 126,000 acres across Colorado — including portions of this iconic landscape — on the auction block.

“The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) mandates quarterly lease sales at an unprecedented scale and pace,” BHA Western Policy and Conservation Manager Devin O’Dea explained. “In Colorado, the scale of these changes is significant. For 2026 alone, 403 parcels totaling more than 349,000 acres have been nominated for leasing. By comparison, from 2018 through 2024, a total of 289 parcels covering roughly 242,000 acres were nominated.”

Trump is also planning to remove Roadless Area protections from some 50 million acres of public lands. “The Forest Service already manages 370,000 miles of roads and can’t keep up with the maintenance backlog,” BHA stated in a May 19 Instagram post. “We don’t have a shortage of road access on public lands. We have a shortage of intact habitat.”

On July 1 President Trump was in Medora, North Dakota, visiting the new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library. While in office from 1901 to 1909, Roosevelt protected some 230 million acres of public land, created the predecessors of the U.S. Forest Service and National Wildlife Refuge System, established five national parks, and designated 18 national monuments. Unfortunately, Trump is in the process of gutting Roosevelt’s public lands legacy.

The group Public Land Warriors took strong exception to Trump setting foot anywhere near Roosevelt’s library.

“President Roosevelt protected 230 million acres of national forests, parks, and monuments. This administration has systematically removed protections from over 100 million acres of public lands and waters,” the Warriors said. “In just the last 18 months alone, they have rolled back safeguards on 86 million acres. That is the equivalent of 38 Yellowstone National Parks.”

Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who served as commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010, said: “Every once in a while, in our personal lives we get a test on whether we are going to do the right thing or not. Whether we are going to show strength … Whether we are going to do what we have to do.”

This is our test, our occasion. Join us.