Senator Mike Lee moves to block Bears Ears National Monument restoration

Senator Mike Lee has initiated a legislative process that conservation groups claim could permanently prevent the restoration of the Bears Ears National Monument in southeastern Utah. This move follows a decision by President Trump to reduce the monument's size by 91 percent, a change that opened the area to mining, drilling, and increased off-road vehicle use.

Lee submitted a Government Accountability Office opinion to the Congressional Record, asserting that the original designation of the monument was a rule. This allows him to file a joint resolution under the Congressional Review Act. If passed by a simple majority in the Senate and signed by the president, the resolution would overturn the original plan. Conservation advocates, including representatives from American Hunters and Anglers, argue the maneuver is intended to make the reduction of protections permanent and prevent future administrations from restoring the monument.