{"id":15859,"date":"2026-07-23T22:19:15","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T22:19:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/?p=15859"},"modified":"2026-07-23T22:19:15","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T22:19:15","slug":"blm-removes-tribal-seals-from-signs-at-bears-ears-monument","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/?p=15859","title":{"rendered":"BLM Removes Tribal Seals from Signs at Bears Ears Monument"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"justify-start\">\n<nav class=\"align-left col-span-full mb-base\" data-pom-e2e-test-id=\"breadcrumbs\"\/>\n<p>Following a presidential proclamation that shrunk Bears Ears National Monument by 90 percent and dissolved its historic Inter-Tribal Commission, the federal government is removing Tribal seals from monument entrance signs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/p>\n<p class=\"fp-leadCaption py-tight text-left font-utility text-utility3-size leading-utility3-line-height text-secondary\">Following orders to disband the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Commission, the BLM has removed Tribal seals from monument signs in Utah<!-- --> (Photo: Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-body\">\n<p>Published July 23, 2026 03:42PM<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Tribal signs that once surrounded the boundaries of Bears Ears National Monument in Utah are disappearing.<\/p>\n<p>In early July, President Trump once again slashed Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments, this time reducing the size of the two protected areas in Utah by nearly 3 million acres combined, leaving them at a fraction of their originally designated sizes. Following the July 13 presidential proclamation, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which manages the monuments, removed Tribal seals previously included on signs surrounding Bears Ears.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen I first saw that the Bears Ears signs and Tribal seals had been removed, I just sat there with a lump in my throat. I know that to some people it may look like just a sign, but to me it represented something much bigger,\u201d Davina Smith\u2013Idjesa, a representative of the Navajo Nation and co-chair of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, told <em>Outside.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Five seals representing the Hopi Tribe, Navajo Nation, Pueblo of Zuni, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, and Ute Indian Tribe were installed to symbolize the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"noopener\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bearsearscoalition.org\/the-bears-ears-commission\/\">Bears Ears Commission<\/a>\u2014a federal-Tribal partnership that helped shape the monument. The seals were installed at monument signs as official emblems of Tribal sovereignty and government, and Smith-Idjesa said\u00a0seeing their removal is a \u201cphysical reminder of how quickly years of relationship-building, trust, and progress can be stripped away.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In an email to <em>Outside<\/em>, a spokesperson for the BLM said that the Bears Ears Commission was terminated under Trump\u2019s diretive. As such, the Tribal seals have been removed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe BLM has begun efforts to implement the modified boundaries of Bears Ears National Monument established by President Trump on July 13, 2026. Signs at the former boundary of the monument are being removed, as well as signs with tribal seals,\u201d a spokesperson told <em>Outside<\/em>. \u201cThe seals were a recognition of the Bears Ears Commission, which has been disbanded and terminated. The BLM will continue to consult with tribal nations in accordance with applicable laws.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ruben Pacheco, communications and partnerships director for the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, told <em>Outside<\/em> that community members captured the before-and-after photos near the small towns of Mexican Hat and Bluff, Utah.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe first started hearing reports from community members that they were being removed on Tuesday, July 20. Based on what we\u2019re seeing, the seals are being removed from signs within the new boundaries, and the signs outside the new boundaries are being removed completely,\u201d Pacheco said.<\/p>\n<p>The images were then posted on <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"noopener\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DbHJ7lMj6-M\/?img_index=2&amp;igsh=MW8yMHV0azRwcDRqbQ%3D%3D\">Instagram<\/a> by a group of conservation groups, including the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, Center for Western Priorities, Alliance for a Better Utah, Bears Ears Coalition, and Keep Parks Public.<\/p>\n<p>Under his <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"noopener\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2026\/07\/modifying-the-bears-ears-national-monument\/\">newly signed initiative<\/a>, Trump reduced Bears Ears to approximately 121,000 acres and Grand Staircase\u2013Escalante to about 182,000 acres. Previously, Bears Ears encompassed 1.36 million acres, and Grand Staircase-Escalante totaled 1.9 million acres.<\/p>\n<p>The Tribes say that the BLM removal of the signs represents an administrative erasure of the Bears Ears Commission.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSeeing those signs come down made me think about our history. Native people have seen promises broken, treaties ignored, reservation boundaries reduced, and lands taken when they held something others wanted. It made me wonder whether we are watching another version of that happen today,\u201d Smith-Idjesa said. \u201cNow we have watched the boundaries of Bears Ears reduced, the Bears Ears Commission terminated, the signs removed, and Tribal leadership pushed aside. That is why this hit so hard. It is not about the signs.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2748349\" class=\"pom-image-wrap photo-alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"outdoor alliance map shows new boundaries of bears ears national monument\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1294\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2748349\" style=\"color:transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/bears-ears-map.jpg?width=1080&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover 1x, https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/bears-ears-map.jpg?width=2048&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover 2x\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/bears-ears-map.jpg?width=2048&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover\"\/><figcaption class=\"pom-caption\"><span class=\"article__caption\">Under his newly signed order, Trump reduced Bears Ears National Monument to approximately 121,000<\/span> (Photo: Outdoor Alliance)a<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Outdoor Alliance, an outdoor recreation group, used <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"noopener\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.backpacker.com\/news-and-events\/news\/new-maps-show-unprecedented-cuts-to-bears-ears-and-grand-staircase-escalante-this-is-what-were-losing\/\">data<\/a> from <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"noopener\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/act.wilderness.org\/b_8IG_RJf0iwXEufiTZAcQ2?sourceid=1070800&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=20624687510&amp;gbraid=0AAAAADG4h6yeYjXA_eIcVuO3HKL1NFRH4&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjw94bTBhDQARIsAN3vv0wUg4RomnLkcpbCXlSgbhdme0oXdpiD0GBiRDcwGJxd705EF8SHGawaAneYEALw_wcB\">The Wilderness Society<\/a> and trail, as well as known trail and climbing routes, to create maps showing which recreational areas within Bears Ears will be impacted.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShrinking these monuments by more than ninety percent doesn\u2019t just erase lines on a map\u2014it also attempts to erase the vision of the five tribal nations of the Bears Ears InterTribal Coalition to protect their ancestral homeland in a generous and inclusive way for the benefit of all Americans,\u201d Adam Cramer, Outdoor Alliance CEO, told <em>Outside<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>According to Outdoor Alliance, the revised monument boundaries now exclude more than 500 miles of trail and over 1,200 climbing routes and boulder problems from Bears Ears National Monument. The new boundaries also exclude more than 230 miles of trail and over 100 climbing routes and boulder problems from nearby Grand Staircase-Escalante.<\/p>\n<p>Smith-Idjesa says that the shrinking of Bears Ears boundaries doesn\u2019t diminish ancestral responsibility and heritage.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRemoving the signs does not erase our relationship to Bears Ears. It does not erase our responsibility to this place. The Coalition Tribes will continue to carry that responsibility, no matter what signs are standing on the side of the road,\u201d she told\u00a0<em>Outside. <\/em>\u201cThose signs represented hope.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2748365\" class=\"pom-image-wrap photo-alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"map shows new boundaries and recreation areas impacted by the monument reductions at grand staircase-escalante\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1294\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2748365\" style=\"color:transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GSENM_2026_Reduction_Layout_OA.jpg?width=1080&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover 1x, https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GSENM_2026_Reduction_Layout_OA.jpg?width=2048&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover 2x\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GSENM_2026_Reduction_Layout_OA.jpg?width=2048&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover\"\/><figcaption class=\"pom-caption\"><span class=\"article__caption\">The new boundaries exclude more than 230 miles of trail and over 100 climbing routes and boulder problems from Grand Staircase-Escalante<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><!-- --><span hidden=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.outsideonline.com\/outdoor-adventure\/environment\/blm-removes-tribal-seals-bears-ears-monument-signs\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Following a presidential proclamation that shrunk Bears Ears National Monument by 90 percent and dissolved its historic Inter-Tribal Commission, the federal government is removing Tribal seals from monument entrance signs. Following orders to disband the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Commission, the BLM has removed Tribal seals from monument signs in Utah (Photo: Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15860,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15859","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-wild-living"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15859","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15859"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15859\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/15860"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15859"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15859"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15859"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}