BOULDER, COLORADO, USA, 4 September 2026—The Geological Society of America (GSA) opposes the significant reductions to Bears Ears and Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monuments.
GSA joins scientists, educators, Tribal Nations, and others who have called for the continued protection of these landscapes. The reductions are also being challenged in federal court.
Both monuments preserve exceptional records of Earth history whose boundaries reflect geologically coherent landscapes that preserve the continuity and context essential to understanding them.
At Grand Staircase–Escalante, a vast sequence of exposed rock layers unfolds across a landscape shaped by dramatic uplift and erosion. This largely intact landscape serves as a living laboratory for studying geological processes, ancient ecosystems, evolution, and environmental change across space and time. Within it, the Kaiparowits Plateau holds an internationally significant record of dinosaurs and ancient ecosystems.
At Bears Ears, the deeply eroded terrain of the Colorado Plateau reveals more than 300 million years of Earth history, including one of the world’s best continuous records of the transition from the Triassic to the Jurassic. The monument’s geology also provides essential context for its archaeological record, revealing how people have lived within and responded to a changing landscape over time.
These irreplaceable monuments support ongoing scientific discoveries, train future generations of geoscientists, and help the public understand Earth’s history.
GSA recognizes the national importance of mineral resources and the role geoscientists play in their responsible development. But responsible development also requires protecting exceptional scientific and geoheritage resources from irreversible damage.
GSA calls for the monuments’ boundaries to be restored and their long-term stewardship to reflect the irreplaceable scientific and cultural value of these landscapes.
The Geological Society of America (GSA) is a global professional society with more than 18,000 members across over 100 countries. As a leading voice for the geosciences, GSA advances the understanding of Earth's dynamic processes and fosters collaboration among scientists, educators, and policymakers. GSA publishes Geology , the top-ranked geology journal, along with a diverse portfolio of scholarly journals, books, and conference proceedings—several of which rank among Amazon’s top 100 best-selling geology titles.