Devil’s Garden, cut from Grand Staircase-Escalante NM, Utah                                                                             (Mike Painter)

 
July 22, 2026

Dear CalUWild Friends & Supporters—

It’s been a busy few weeks in Washington since we sent out our May-June Update last month.

We’ll start off with the good news, which is that the clock ran out in the Senate on the Congressional Review Act resolution introduced by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) that would have nullified the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM) management plan. That has effectively killed it, since it is now subject to a 60-vote motion to proceed, which would not pass. Of course the good news was short-lived, since, as you’ve undoubtedly heard, the president signed an executive order decimating GSENM, along with the Bears Ears National Monument. GSENM is a place close to our hearts, since it was the establishment of that monument that led to CalUWild’s founding in 1997.

There are two other critical issues this month requiring attention: The Interior Department is proposing changes to the way it manages various aspects of wilderness. And: Just announced a few days ago, Interior is seeking comments on eliminating the 10-mile protectives buffer around Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico. Detailed information on each of these is below.

As you see, the administration is waging all-out war on public lands and other environmental protections. Fortunately, there is a large group of dedicated organizations who are fighting back with every conceivable tool, and CalUWild is working closely with them in several coalitions. But participation by the general public is still needed, which is where you come in.

Please, make your voice heard!

 
Thanks,
Mike Painter, Coordinator

 
IN UTAH
1.    Grand Staircase-Escalante & Bears Ears
          National Monuments Shrunk Again
          (ACTION ITEM)

IN GENERAL
2.    Interior Department Undertakes
          Review of Wilderness Policy
          COMMENTS NEEDED
          DEADLINE: August 14
          (ACTION ITEM)

IN NEW MEXICO
3.    Chaco Canyon Under Attack Again
          COMMENTS NEEDED
          DEADLINE: July 29
          (ACTION ITEM)

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

 
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

 
IN UTAH
1.    Grand Staircase-Escalante & Bears Ears
          National Monuments Shrunk Again
          (ACTION ITEM)

On Monday the president signed two executive orders not just shrinking again, but eviscerating, Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears national monuments in southern Utah. The reductions are greater than 90%, far more than what he did in 2017. In a slap in the face to the Tribal Nations who had proposed the Bears Ears, he “terminated” the Bears Ears Intertribal Commission, which was responsible for co-managing the monument with the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service. All this took place in the Oval Office with the Utah congressional delegation standing behind him, grinning.

On top of it, the president lied (surprise!), saying: “You can’t go hunting, you can’t go fishing, you can’t do anything, you can virtually not even walk on it.” Deputy Interior Secretary Kate MacGregor, standing right behind him said: “That’s exactly right, sir. You are remedying that today.”

Of course, those claims are completely false, as both original proclamations specifically state that hunting and fishing are allowed. In fact, Utah’s own hunting regulations state: “All of Utah’s national parks and monuments—except the Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears national monuments—are closed to hunting (p. 6, emphasis added).”

Adding insult to injury, this took place while the Babylon Fire was tearing through the monument uncontrolled, then burning over 105,000 acres and only 50% contained. It was the largest wildfire in the U.S.

The real reason for the reductions appears in the new proclamation:

Our friends at the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) have prepared two maps showing the scale of the reductions. (The new boundaries are outlined in blue.)

On Monday, over 1,000 people rallied across Utah in Salt Lake City, Ogden, Provo, Moab, St. George, and Bluff to protest. The Salt Lake Tribune has had excellent coverage of the events:

The most important thing you can do right now is call your member of Congress and two senators and state your objections to the administration’s shrinking of the two monuments. State clearly that this is why America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act is so important—it provides permanent protection for the wildest undeveloped BLM land in the state. And then thank them for or ask them for their cosponsorship of the bill (H.R.2467 / S.1193). See the list below for the representatives we are particularly interested in having cosponsor. CalUWild’s website contains a full listing of California Senate and House cosponsorships and Washington, DC office phone numbers.

If you just don’t have the time to make a call, the Monuments for All Coalition has an online form letter (though use your own words to the extent possible) that will deliver letters to the White House, your senators, and your representative. You do need to include personal information for them to be delivered.

There are other thing to do, as well. Write a letter to the editor or an op-ed piece for your local paper. If you’re on social media, post a video or a picture you took in the monuments.

SUWA will be setting up in-district meetings with the following offices asking for cosponsorship:

All except Reps. Rivas and Min are previous cosponsors. If you live in one of their districts and would be willing to participate in one of those meetings, please contact Jenny Holmes, SUWA’s West Coast Organizer: jenny [at] suwa [dot] org

 
IN GENERAL
2.    Interior Department Undertakes
          Review of Wilderness Policy
          COMMENTS NEEDED
          DEADLINE: August 14
          (ACTION ITEM)

Back in 2025 the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act became law. In addition to reauthorizing things like the Every Kid in a Park Program for fourth graders, it also directed that agencies issue guidance for recreational climbing, recognizing “that recreational climbing (including the use, placement, and maintenance of fixed anchors) is an appropriate use within” designated wilderness. This was a controversial inclusion in the bill at the time, with many organization opposing the provisions while supporting the overall EXPLORE Act. CalUWild had grave reservations over including it and did not support the overall bill, despite the other good provisions. We lost the battle on that one.

Last month the Interior Department announced that it would be taking a look at the climbing provision as required. But hidden in the announcement was language also announcing reviews on other topics related to wilderness, though not required by any law. There are now eight open comment periods. (They didn’t make it easy.)

Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)

National Park Service (NPS)

We suspect that this was done purposely to overwhelm people trying to comment. When this was first announced, we didn’t know how we were going to publicize it without overwhelming everyone ourselves. Fortunately there is a lengthy comment period, giving organizations several weeks to develop a workable solution. And here it is: Through the wonders of modern technology you can submit one comment at the portal below, and it will copy and distribute it to each of the appropriate comment collection sites, in your name, rather than through any organization. Note: This portal is not for comments on the EXPLORE Act climbing guidances.

It’s a simple form, not requiring much personal information. There are detailed instructions and comment suggestions on the page, but I’ll emphasize a few things here:

There are boxes to opt of future emails from the developers, too.

The Wilderness Society has prepared an interactive map of the affected areas.

Again, the Comment DEADLINE is August 14.

Thank you for stepping up!

 
IN NEW MEXICO
3.    Chaco Canyon Under Attack Again
          COMMENTS NEEDED
          DEADLINE: July 29
          (ACTION ITEM)

Back in April, the Department of the Interior had a brief seven-day comment period asking for input on a proposal to remove the Biden-era mineral withdrawal (Public Land Order 7923, from 2023) that created a 10-mile buffer zone around Chaco Culture National Historical Park, stopping exploration and drilling in the area. Despite the short timeframe, over 100,000 comments were submitted opposing the proposal. (CalUWild submitted comment on behalf of our members, since there wasn’t time to get an alert together.) Despite the overwhelming proportion of comments opposing the idea, last week the BLM released a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA), once again open for comment, This time the timing is slightly more generous—14 days—so we’re able to include it in this month’s Update. But the deadline is only seven days away, July 29.

The Draft EA contains three alternatives:

Please submit a brief comment, and begin by supporting the No Action Alternative. If you have been to Chaco Canyon, talk about your experience there. Here are some additional talking points (and please use your own words):

You can comment by clicking on the Participate Now button at the top of the project homepage, which gives more information about the project, or by going directly here.

Again, the DEADLINE is July 29.

 
IN THE PRESS & ELSEWHERE
4.    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.

California

Texas

General

 
 
 

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