White House Issues New Direction for Bears Ears National Monument
President Donald Trump issued a presidential proclamation on July 13 modifying Bears Ears National Monument in southeastern Utah and directing the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture to prepare a new transportation plan that "endeavors to maximize public access." The proclamation also reduces the monument to approximately 121,096 acres divided between the Shash Jáa and Indian Creek units and establishes new management direction for the lands that remain within the monument.
For ORBA, the significance of the proclamation is not limited to where the monument boundary is drawn. Of particular importance is how federal agencies are directed to manage roads, trails and public access within the remaining monument going forward.
The Antiquities Act and Why It Matters
The Antiquities Act of 1906 authorizes the President to establish national monuments on federally owned or controlled lands to protect historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest. The law also requires that the land reserved for a monument be confined to the "smallest area compatible" with the proper care and management of the objects being protected.
SEMA has previously supported review of large monument designations and legislation requiring congressional and affected-state approval for future designations. SEMA has also warned that monument designations and the land-management plans that follow can affect existing roads and trails used for motorized recreation. When President Biden restored the larger Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante boundaries in 2021, SEMA opposed the action and stated that it would monitor the resulting management plans to protect existing off-road access.
In 2024, SEMA and ORBA jointly reviewed the proposed Bears Ears Resource Management Plan and encouraged the OHV community to participate, citing proposals that could close substantial areas to off-highway vehicle use and restrict motorized access.
Transportation Planning Takes Center Stage
While much of the public discussion will focus on the monument's revised boundaries, the transportation provisions may prove equally significant for the off-road community.
The proclamation directs the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service to prepare a new transportation plan that "endeavors to maximize public access" by designating roads and trails for motorized and non-motorized vehicle use and providing for appropriate maintenance.
Pending completion of that plan, the agencies may allow motorized and non-motorized use on roads and trails that were designated for such use immediately before the original 2016 Bears Ears proclamation. They may also maintain those roads and trails and designate additional roads and trails for motorized use, including routes that were not designated for motorized use before 2016.
The proclamation separately directs the agencies to consider the importance of maintaining and improving access for recreation and hunting when developing the monument's management plan. It also directs them to endeavor to authorize traditional land uses, including recreation and public access, to the greatest extent possible under applicable law and states that necessary restrictions must be narrowly tailored.
These provisions do not automatically reopen every road or trail, nor do they eliminate protections that apply to archaeological sites, Tribal cultural resources, wildlife habitat or other protected resources. The practical effect will depend on implementation through future BLM and Forest Service planning and route-designation decisions.
Why It Matters
Federal transportation planning determines how the public experiences America's public lands. Decisions about road and trail designations affect recreation, hunting, camping, tourism, stewardship activities and access for surrounding communities.
For ORBA, SEMA and the broader off-road community, the proclamation represents a notable change in direction because it expressly identifies maximizing public access as an objective of transportation planning. It also recognizes the need to maintain recreation infrastructure and gives agencies flexibility to evaluate additional motorized route designations rather than limiting consideration to routes that were designated before the monument was created.
The proclamation also revises the monument advisory committee to include an outdoor recreation representative, specifically identifying commercial recreation providers or off-highway vehicle users among the eligible stakeholder groups. That provision creates an important opportunity for the motorized recreation community to participate in future management discussions.
Related Resources
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/07/modifying-the-bears-ears-national-monument/
SEMA: Interior Department to Review National Monument Designations Since 1996 (2017)
SEMA: President Trump Reduces Size of National Monument Designations (2017)
SEMA: President Biden Restores National Monument Boundaries (2021)
https://www.sema.org/news-media/enews/2021/41/president-biden-restores-national-monument-boundaries
SEMA/TORA: OHV Community Input Wanted on Bears Ears National Monument Resource Management Plan (2024)