In late 2016, then-President Obama designated a 1.35 million acre swath of forest and red rock canyons in southeast Utah as the Bears Ears National Monument. According to a White House statement, the monument was established “to protect some of our country’s most important cultural treasures, including abundant rock art, archaeological sites, and lands considered sacred by Native American tribes.” It was a victory for local tribes and conservationists, but some Utah residents are wary of what they see as government overreach and are encouraging their state officials call on the Trump administration to rescind the monument status.