Three Presidents, Three Different Changes to the Same Public Lands

Trump removed protection from 1.15 million acres of Bears Ears and 860,000 acres of Grand Staircase-Escalante on July 13, undoing what Biden had protected. This is the third president in a row to undo the previous president's changes to the same lands. Courts have never decided if presidents can legally shrink these protected areas—suggesting which party wins elections matters more than what the law allows.