Sandstone, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah                                                            (Mike Painter)

 
June 2, 2026

Dear CalUWild Friends & Supporters —

It’s been a while since our last Update. Congress has been in chaos or out of session these last few months, and while the administration has taken a few actions, none of them was open for public comment. Nor has there really been anything new for people to take action on themselves. So with all the other news from around the country, I thought a bit of a break was in order.

The more practical reason was that, as previously written about, we’ve been expecting a vote in Congress to disapprove the Resource Management Plan for the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah. I wanted to send out a final call to action as close to a congressional vote as possible. But every week, the resolution failed to be scheduled, so the proposed Update just kept getting delayed further and further. Now the end of the 60-day period under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) is drawing near, and it may show up at any time. So it’s included now. See ITEM 1. CalUWild got its start back in 1997 when the original management plan for the monument was being developed, so this is an issue of even more special importance to us.

There are four ACTION ITEMS this month, though none is very arduous. ITEM 4 requires a little thinking, but hopefully it will be interesting, too.

In other news:

•   Steve Pearce was confirmed by the Senate as Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) by a vote of 46–43, along party lines. There was substantial nationwide opposition to him, so he was included in a package of 49 nominees, meaning that there was no stand-alone vote for him, providing cover for GOP senators. The “bipartisan” Senate Stewardship Caucus also split along party lines, as well, a huge failure for them.

Mr. Pearce is a longtime vocal opponent of all national public lands, so his directorship does not bode well. We will have to pay attention to his actions and continue to work even more closely with Congress in the years ahead.

•   The BLM announced the final rescission of the Public Lands Rule. This removes the important clarification that conservation is a purpose equal to resource extraction under the Federal Land Policy & Management Act. However, it doesn’t really change that requirement. The rescission also reverted to allowing nominations for new Areas of Critical Environmental Concern to only be part of a plan revision process. It also eliminated the new restoration and mitigation leasing program. Furthermore, BLM unfortunately also decided that it was not required to engage in any tribal consultation in rescinding the Rule.

•   The Forest Service has announced that its release of a proposed rule and draft environmental impact statement to rescind the Roadless Rule has been delayed. It now expects to release them before the end of summer, but no firm date has been set. There will be a public comment period on the draft, though it’s not clear how long it will be. Over 99% of the comments submitted last summer, when USFS first proposed the rescission, supported keeping the Roadless Rule in place. We’ll let you know when the comment period opens.

•   Scott Socha, a top official at Delaware North (DNC), a major concessionaire in the national parks, was the administration’s choice to be Director of the National Park Service. DNC was the company that had trademarked the longstanding names of many of the lodgings in the Park. Then when it lost its contract in Yosemite, it sued the Park Service for $51 million over supposed trademark losses. In the end, the Park Service and Aramark, the new concessionaire, settled for $10 million. Mr. Socha had no prior experience in the Park Service itself and faces opposition from many. Eventually he withdrew his name without explanation, and no replacement has been put forward.

•   Yosemite National Park removed the successful summer reservation system that had been in place the last few years. Entry wait lines have been long, especially on weekends, and parking in Yosemite Valley has reportedly been nightmarish. So if you’re going, plan accordingly. (Arches NP in Utah is also not requiring reservations this year, and reports are that there are lines to get into the park as well.)

 
Summer is upon us, so I hope you have a chance to get out and enjoy some of the places we’re trying to protect. And thanks, as always, for your support.

 
Best wishes,
Mike Painter, Coordinator

 
IN UTAH
1. Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
          Management Plan Under Attack
          PHONE CALLS NEEDED
          (ACTION ITEM)
2. Red Rocks Bill Cosponsor Update
          (ACTION ITEM)

IN UTAH
1.   Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
          Management Plan Under Attack
          PHONE CALLS NEEDED SOON
          (ACTION ITEM)

We wrote in our last Update about the likely possibility that Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-UT) would be introducing resolutions in both Senate and House under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to disapprove the Resource Management Plan for Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. They did in fact do that, but so far, no votes have been scheduled. The clock is running out for Congress to act, but we’re not taking any chances. It’s likely that the Senate would pass a resolution, but we need only a few House Republicans to vote against one there in order for it to fail.

The following California representatives, in particular, could use messages from their constituents, asking them to vote against any CRA resolution:

Please call your House Representative, warning them that a CRA resolution vote might be coming up very soon for GSENM and urging them to vote against it should it come up. If you have family or friends in GOP House districts, please ask them to call their own representatives as well!

Point out that the monument plan was the product of lengthy discussions and collaboration among many stakeholders, including Tribal Nations, local busniesses, and the public. Disapproval of the plan would likely lead to administrative chaos, because any actions already taken under the plan would be nullified. Furthermore, it sets the bad precedent of Congress getting involved in the detailed management of our public lands, something better left to the agencies.

Rep. Maloy published a so-called fact sheet on the Monument, which our friends at the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance have debunked here.

 
CalUWild’s website contains a full listing of the Washington, DC office phone numbers for California House and Senate members..

 
2.   Red Rock Bill Cosponsor Update
          (ACTION ITEM)

We have two new cosponsors of America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act from California:

If you live in one of their districts, please give their office a call to say thank you!

There are currently 68 cosponsors in the House and 18 in the Senate. For a full list of cosponsors nationwide, click here.

 
IN GENERAL
3.   Antiquities Act 120th Anniversary
          June 8
          (ACTION ITEM)

Pres. Teddy Roosevelt signed the Antiquities Act on June 8, 1906. The law gives presidents the authority to designate national monuments on their own initiative. Every president except three—Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and George H. W. Bush—has used the law to protect “objects of historic and scientific interest.”

Given the current administration’s general hostility to public lands, the upcoming anniversary of the Antiquities Act presents a good opportunity to remind them that the public strongly supports national monuments and public lands in general.

So on June 8, next Monday, consider giving the Interior Department a call. (If necessary, leave a message.) Make a point of saying it’s the Antiquities Act Anniversary, and that you support protecting public lands. Therefore you oppose sell-offs, national monument revocations, increased off-road vehicle use, and anything else you would like to mention.

Interior’s main phone number is (202) 208-3100. There is also an online comment form here.

 
4.   National Wilderness Coalition Launches
          Voices for Wilderness Website
          (ACTION ITEM)

The National Wilderness Coalition, of which CalUWild is a founding member, is constantly looking for ways to spread awareness of wilderness and the wide variety of people who value and enjoy it. The latest effort is the development of a website Voices for Wilderness. You’re invited to share your thoughts and stories about why wild places matter to you. The goal is to share this with lawmakers and agency officials as well as the public at large.

You can do this via written response, video, or voice recording—the choice is yours. Click here for the homepage, and then click on the “Add your voice” button, where you’ll be asked for contact information, and then proceed from there. It’s pretty self-explanatory.

Early contributions for a successful kickoff would be great. Thanks for participating!

 
IN THE PRESS & ELSEWHERE
5.   Links to Articles and Other Items of Interest

If a link is broken or otherwise inaccessible, please send me an email, and I’ll fix it or send you a PDF copy. Gift links are temporary links from some websites, allowing non-subscribers to view articles for free for a limited time. As always, inclusion of an item in this section does not imply agreement with the viewpoint expressed.

 
In California

In General

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