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Patagonia sues Trump over Utah lands
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Patagonia joined a lawsuit Wednesday challenging Trump's order stripping nearly 3m acres from Utah monuments.
The suit argues the cuts betray Tribal sovereignty and mark the largest public lands.
Background
President Trump in July reduced Bears Ears National Monument by 91% and Grand Staircase-Escalante by 90%, removing protections from nearly 3 million acres. This follows a similar 2017 downsizing that was reversed by President Biden in 2021. Patagonia, which first sued Trump in 2017, has now joined conservation and tribal groups in a new lawsuit.
How it unfolded
- 2016President Obama designated Bears Ears National Monument.
- 2017Trump first reduced Bears Ears by 83%; Patagonia filed its first lawsuit.
- 2021President Biden restored the monument to its original size, making the earlier lawsuit moot.
- Jul 2026Trump again reduced Bears Ears by 91% and Grand Staircase-Escalante by 90%, removing protections from nearly 3 million acres.
- Sep 2, 2026Patagonia joined a lawsuit with conservation and tribal groups challenging the reductions.
Who’s saying what
- Patagonia
- The company says the orders are illegal and 'betray Tribal sovereignty.'
- Environmental groups
- They call the cuts the 'largest cut to public lands protection in U.S. history.'
- Trump administration
- The administration prioritized mining and resource extraction over preserving the land for the public.