The fate of Utah’s national monuments is currently in flux. President-elect Donald Trump is expected to drastically shrink both Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments, a move he also made during his first term before it was reversed by President Biden in 2021.
Amidst those possible changes, the research firm New Bridge Strategy surveyed 500 registered voters across Utah about their attitudes towards Bears Ears and Grand Staircase, as well as public land protection generally.
On every question in the poll, the majority of respondents had favorable views towards national monuments and protecting public lands.
“We had three-quarters indicating overall that they support that continued ability to protect existing public lands as national monuments,” said Lori Weigel, the principal at New Bridge Study.
There was similar support for keeping Bears Ears and Grand Staircase National Monuments, and two-thirds were in favor of keeping them at their current size.
Respondents also felt overwhelmingly positive about Native tribes having a role in managing their ancestral lands, with 90% of respondents saying Native involvement was important.
80% percent said they wanted the current agreement between Native tribes and government agencies on how Bears Ears is managed to stay in place, including 75% of Republicans — the highest level of conservative support throughout the poll’s data.
Charissa Miijessepe-Wilson, co-director of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, said she was encouraged by this.
“The tribes have always understood the importance of relationships and being good relatives,” Miijessepe-Wilson said. “It's that understanding that has positioned us as natural and fitting land managers.”
There was a majority of support on every question across party lines as well — at least 94% of Democrats, 70-80% of independents, and generally 55-65% of Republicans.
One reason national monuments were supported by both sides of the aisle may be because of a desire to preserve Utah’s land and history.
The poll found that at least 96% of respondents considered it important to protect historic sites, conserve the land, and ensure recreational access, with 70-80% considering those goals very important.
That’s compared to 63% saying accessing resources like oil and gas — something that is restricted on national monument land — is important, and 37% rating it as very important.
87% of Utahns have also visited national public lands in the last year for activities like hiking, hunting, and skiing, with 63% visiting at least three times.
However, while the poll showed strong support for national monuments, it’s likely that Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Parks will be drastically downsized by the incoming administration, affecting areas like tourism, conservation, and energy.
But while polling numbers can’t change high-level government decisions, Lori Weigel said this data can help amplify voters’ priorities that otherwise might go unheard.
“Often we see elected officials and folks will hear from a very small minority on particular issues,” Weigel said. “And so the real benefit I think of having data that indicates how voters throughout the state are thinking about this is that it provides that broader perspective.”