Utah Sierra Club, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance Hosting Virtual Press Call Register

Date and Time:
Tue, Mar 17, 2026; 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM  (Mountain)

Organized By: Utah Chapter

Utah Sierra Club & the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) Host Virtual Press Call Rejecting Attacks on Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

(UTAH) — On Tuesday, March 17th, the Utah Sierra Club and the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) will host a virtual press call conference with community members speaking out against Senator Lee and Rep. Maloy’s plan to overturn the Monument Resource Management Plan for Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

SPEAKERS:

• Franque Bains, Chapter Director of the Utah Sierra Club
• Steve Bloch, Legal Director, SUWA
• Nathan Waggoner, Escalante Outfitters
• Involved Community Members

WHEN: Tuesday, March 17 at 9:30AM MDT

BACKGROUND:
Grand Staircase-Escalante was established as a national monument in 1996 to protect unparalleled geological and ecological resources in southern Utah. Since its designation, the monument has attracted millions of visitors and contributed more than 3,000 new jobs to a growing local economy. The monument is also culturally significant to many of the Tribes in the region, and lastthis year, six Tribes formed the Grand Staircase-Escalante Inter-Tribal Coalition to advocate for Tribal voices and perspectives to be heard and included in the management of the monument. But the ecological, economic, and cultural benefits of the monument are now under attack by Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) and Representative Celeste Maloy (R-UT-02), who are attempting to override years of public input and Tribal consultation local permitting authority to undo protections for the public lands we all rely on. 

On March 4, the elected officials behind 2025’s failed public lands sell-off attempts – Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-UT-02) – introduced a joint resolution to undo the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Management Plan using the Congressional Review Act (CRA). If both chambers of Congress pass the measure by simple majority votes, the plan – which sets expectations for how these remarkable public lands will be managed for recreation, camping and outdoor access, collaboration with Tribal Nations, dark night skies, grazing, and other uses – will be undone and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will be barred from issuing another plan that is “substantially the same” in the future. This assault on a national monument marks a significant escalation in Congress’ use of the CRA and – if successful – would lead to chaos on the ground. In a new op-ed for Deseret News, Utah Sierra Club Chapter Director Franque Bains spoke about the importance of protecting Grand Staircase-Escalante’s land use plan:

“In its 29 years, this monument has been the reason that the local economy has grown, more so than in surrounding counties without national monuments… The best way to honor and protect the remarkable landscape we all love and also help local business is to keep intact this monument’s plan.”

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About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. Learn more at www.sierraclub.org/utah

About Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance