Trump administration to review national monument boundaries in energy push

• The Trump administration has ordered a review of national monument boundaries as part of its effort to expand U.S. energy production. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum directed federal officials to submit compliance plans by Feb. 18.
• Trump previously reduced the size of two national monuments in Utah during his first term, citing resource availability. However, Biden later restored protections, with the legal authority of presidents to alter boundaries still being unsettled in court.
• The Interior Department has not specified which monuments may be affected, while conservation groups oppose the move and oil industry advocates support it.

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The Trump administration has ordered a review of national monument boundaries as part of a broader effort to expand U.S. energy production. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum issued the directive on Monday, Feb. 3, requiring federal officials to submit plans by Feb. 18 on how to comply with the order.

Has a presidential reduction of national monuments happened before?

During his first term, President Donald Trump reduced the size of two national monuments in Utah, Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalate, which are near coal and uranium resources.

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At the time, Trump referred to their federal designations as a “massive land grab.” However, former President Joe Biden later reversed those reductions, restoring protections for both sites.

Are U.S. presidents allowed to reduce the size of national monuments?

The legal authority of a president to alter existing national monument boundaries remains uncertain and is currently the subject of a pending court case. Litigation challenging Trump’s previous monument reductions was still ongoing when Biden reversed them, leaving the issue unresolved. The Supreme Court has upheld a president’s ability to create national monuments under the Antiquities Act of 1906.

What happens next?

The Interior Department has not indicated if any specific monuments are being considered for boundary changes. Officials emphasized they have not made any final decisions.

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Reaction to the directive has been divided. A coalition of national monument advocates criticized the move, calling it “sneaky” and “unpatriotic,” while oil industry groups have praised the Interior Department’s order.