WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: Leaders Across the Country Applaud President Biden's Restoration of Protections for Three National Monuments

Today, President Biden signed three proclamations restoring protections for Bears Ears, Grand Staircase-Escalante, and Northeast Canyons and Seamounts National Monuments. This announcement advances the Administration's commitment to better protect, conserve, and restore our most cherished lands and waters, many of which are sacred to Tribal Nations.

The President's protection of these three national monuments upholds the longstanding principle that America's national parks, monuments, and other protected areas are to be protected for all time and for all people. Through a series of conservation efforts, the Administration is furthering a broader agenda of tackling the climate crisis, protecting public health, promoting wildlife and biodiversity, and rebuilding America's economy.

Recognizing the significance of today's actions, a broad coalition of federal, Tribal, and local officials, industry groups, advocacy organizations, and more are praising President Biden's leadership on conservation.

See below for what they are saying:

Tribal and Local Leaders:

Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition (BEITC): "By taking this action, President Biden will be recognizing the deep and enduring ancestral and cultural connections that Tribes have to this landscape and taking a step toward honoring his commitment to Indigenous People by acknowledging their original place in this country that is now our shared home." [Press Release, 10/7/21]

Hank Stevens, Representative for the Navajo Nation and BEITC Co-Chair: "Thank you President Biden for restoring Bears Ears National Monument to its original vision of protection by incorporating Antiquities Laws to dissuade vandalism and desecrations of our ancestral artifacts and homeland." [Press Release, 10/7/21]

Chairman Shaun Chapoose, Ute Indian Tribe Business Committee and BEITC Member: "President Biden did the right thing restoring the Bears Ears National Monument. For us the Monument never went away. We will always return to these lands to manage and care for our sacred sites, waters and medicines. The Monument represents a historic opportunity for the federal government to learn and incorporate our tribal land management practices. Practices that we developed over centuries and are needed more now than ever. President Biden was right to reinforce the action taken by President Obama almost five years ago. We battled for this Monument because it matters." [Press Release, 10/7/21]

Clark W. Tenakhongva, Vice Chairman of the Hopi Tribe and BEITC Co-Chair: "Thank you, President Biden and Vice President Harris for upholding your commitment to restore Honmuru (the Bears Ears monument), which is the birthplace of many Hopi and other Native peoples. Though this action, the history of our people, our culture, and religion will be preserved for future generations." [Press Release, 10/7/21]

Timothy Williams, Fort Mojave Chairman: "The Fort Mojave Indian Tribe honors the decision from President Biden in restoring the National Monuments. It is a great day to see the land of our Indigenous people be protected." [Press Statement, 10/8/21]

The Mountain Pact – Anna Peterson, Executive Director: "Over 140 local elected officials in the Mountain Pact network across the West, including Utah mayors, council members, and county commissioners, are overjoyed that President Biden has finally restored protections for Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments." [Press Statement, 10/7/21]

Members of Congress:

Arizona Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva, Chair, House Committee on Natural Resources: "President Biden's decision to restore full federal protection to Bears Ears, Grand Staircase Escalante and Northeast Canyons and Seamounts National Monuments shows this administration's commitment to conserving our public lands and respecting the voices of Indigenous Peoples. It's time to put Trump's cynical actions in the rear-view mirror, restore rightful protections, and restart the Bears Ears co-management arrangement with the tribes who have held this place sacred since time immemorial." [Press Release, 10/7/21]

Maine Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, Chair, House Appropriations Interior Subcommittee: "I applaud President Biden for reinstating protections for Northeast Canyons and Seamounts National Monument. It was foolish and short-sighted for the previous Administration to rollback protections for these waters. As Chair of the House Appropriations Interior Subcommittee, I've seen up-close the important steps the Biden Administration has taken to better steward our lands and waters so they are here for our kids and grandkids. With his actions today, President Biden will conserve 1.36 million acres in Bears Ears – including major sites that are culturally and spiritually important to Tribal Nations –and 1.87 million acres at Grand Staircase-Escalante where world-class geological artifacts can be enjoyed for generations to come." [Press Release, 10/8/21]

California Senator Dianne Feinstein: "I'm glad the Biden administration is restoring protections to Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments. These are some of the most beautiful and unique landscapes in the country and are home to historical tribal settlements. Earlier this year we wrote to the administration urging it to take this action. I applaud the Biden administration for working to preserve history while also protecting the environment and surrounding ecosystems. This is a smart decision." [Tweet, 10/8/21]

California Senator Alex Padilla: "Today, @POTUS kept his promise to restore protections to Bears Ears, Grand Staircase-Escalante, & Northeast Canyons/Seamounts National Monuments. I applaud his leadership in acting to protect sacred native sites and preserve our country's natural lands for generations to come." [Tweet, 10/8/21]

Colorado Senator Michael Bennett: "Over the last four years, tribal communities, Coloradans and the American people have made clear: Bears Ears is a wild and sacred place that should be protected. With this decision, President Biden has listened to and respected the tribes from the Four Corners Region, including the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe. By restoring Bears Ears National Monument, President Biden has helped our nation reaffirm our commitment to our tribes, and ensure the area is managed in a balanced way to not only preserve our cultural heritage, but also strengthen our economy. I look forward to the administration moving forward on a management and funding plan, developed in partnership with our tribes, that will protect this sacred landscape for generations." [Press Release, 10/7/21]

Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal: "I applaud President Biden for reinstating protections for the Northeast Canyons & Seamounts Marine National Monument. Today's proclamation is an essential step toward ensuring this environmental treasure continues to flourish for generations to come." [Tweet, 10/8/21]

Delaware Senator Tom Carper: "As the Woody Guthrie song goes, this land was made for you and me. Thank you @POTUS for restoring protections for these national monuments so that future generations can enjoy them." [Tweet, 10/8/21]

Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren: "Great news. I'm glad that @POTUS overturned the Trump admin's unlawful acts to slash & sell sacred sites & national monuments to the fossil fuel & mining industries. This is a step forward to protect our planet & national treasures for future generations." [Tweet, 10/8/21]

New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich: "Our public lands are part of the fabric of our democracy. I thank President Biden for recognizing the extraordinary history of these landscapes and protecting them for future generations. Bears Ears National Monument in particular is home to living histories and the living cultural landscapes that are sacred to Tribal Nations throughout the Southwest. Now that President Biden has restored these important protections, I hope that his administration under the leadership of Secretary Deb Haaland will manage Bears Ears in close coordination with the Tribal Nations who continue to have strong cultural ties to its dramatic landscape of rim rock canyons and mesas." [Press Release, 10/8/21]

Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy: "Thank you, @POTUS and @SecDebHaaland, for reversing the Trump admin attacks and restoring protections for these irreplaceable national monuments. As Sec. Haaland put it so eloquently, these places must be protected in perpetuity 'for every American and every child of the world.'" [Tweet, 10/8/21]

Washington Senator Maria Cantwell: "Some of America's most iconic landscapes are safe again. I commend President Biden for rescuing Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante from the threat of mining and fossil fuel development. Reversing the Trump Administration's illegal and wildly unpopular assault on public lands is a well-deserved victory for the local Tribes, gateway communities, and outdoor recreation enthusiasts who have fought so hard to preserve these irreplaceable areas for future generations." [Press Release, 10/8/21] [Tweet, 10/8/21]

Arizona Congressman Ruben Gallego: "EXCITING NEWS: @POTUS is keeping his promise and will restore protections for America's national monuments including Bears Ears. I am so proud to have worked with Tribes to lead the effort to protect Bears Ears in Congress. #MonumentsForAll." [Tweet, 10/7/21] [Press Release, 10/7/21]

Colorado Congressman Ed Perlmutter: "I'm glad to see @POTUS restore protections for these national monuments. We need to protect our public lands so everyone has access to the great outdoors and to help preserve these cherished places for future generations. #MonumentsForAll." [Tweet, 10/8/21]

Illinois Congresswoman Robin Kelly: "Today @POTUS kept his promise to restore protections to Bears Ears, Grand Staircase-Escalante, and Northeast Canyons and Seamounts National Monuments. I fought against Trump's illegal rollbacks and am thrilled to see these important protections returned. #MonumentsForAll." [Tweet, 10/8/21]

Massachusetts Congresswoman Katherine Clark: "Restoring protections to these national monuments is a great step in advancing environmental justice and centering Indigenous voices. These sacred lands must be conserved to honor our cultural heritage and planet for future generations. Thank you @SecDebHaaland and @POTUS!" [Tweet, 10/8/21]

Minnesota Congresswoman Betty McCollum: "It is a monumental day! Today @POTUS will restore protections for the Bears Ears, Grand Staircase-Escalante, and Northeast Canyons and Seamounts monuments to preserve these important tribal cultural resources & unique ecosystems for generations to come. #MonumentsForAll." [Tweet, 10/8/21]

New Mexico Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury: "Leadership matters. Thank you, @SecDebHaaland and @POTUS for restoring these sacred lands." [Tweet, 10/7/21]

Virginia Congressman Don Beyer: "We fought the previous administration's attacks on public lands on @NRDems for years, led by @SecDebHaaland. I'm so happy to see @POTUS and @Interior restore protections to major monuments now, including Bears Ears and the Grand Staircase-Escalante. This is huge, fantastic news." [Tweet, 10/8/21]

Washington Congressman Derek Kilmer: "In keeping with his promise to conserve our public lands & waters, @POTUS is restoring protections to 3 monuments - incl. lands considered sacred to Native American tribes in Utah. I've been a strong supporter of legislation to do this - so glad it happen!" [Tweet, 10/8/21]

Organizations:

Access Fund – Chris Winter, Executive Director: "We are absolutely elated that President Biden stood up to protect Bears Ears National Monument and conserve this national treasure. This is a huge win for Indigenous people in the greater fight for America's public lands. This proclamation not only protects climbing and the vast cultural and scientific resources at Bears Ears, but it also helps to uphold the integrity of the Antiquities Act and protects all national monuments around the country. It also recognizes the importance of outdoor recreation in these places." [Press Release, 10/8/21]

Aquarium Conservation Partnership: "On behalf of the nation's leading aquariums and zoos, we thank the Biden-Harris administration for fully restoring protections for the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts, the U.S. Atlantic Ocean's only marine national monument . . . Today's action will ensure that this valuable ocean area is more resilient in a rapidly changing climate, continues to provide a refuge for threatened, endangered and protected species, and creates a natural laboratory for scientists to study the impacts of climate change." [Press Release, 10/8/21]

Archaeology Southwest – Bill Doelle, President and CEO: "President Biden's restoration of contiguous landscape-scale protections for these national monuments and the diverse cultural and scientific values they hold is invigorating. It is a concrete demonstration of the Biden Administration's stated commitment to listen to Tribes, respect ancestral lands, preserve heritage, and be guided by science. This is something to celebrate!" [Press Release, 10/8/21]

Backcountry Hunters & Anglers – Land Tawney, President and CEO: "Millions of Americans, including hunters and anglers, have raised our voices in support of our national monuments, sending a clear and uncompromising message about the role they play in our outdoor opportunities, local communities and economic health. Now that this necessary action has been completed, we look forward to continuing to work with the administration to invest in future conservation efforts like the America the Beautiful initiative, assuring its implementation is executed through collaboration with hunters, anglers, private landowners, tribes and other diverse stakeholders." [Press Release, 10/8/21]

Blue Planet Strategies – R. Zack Klyver, Co-founder and Science Director: "As someone who spends many hours on the water, I know that providing refuge for the marine life we depend on for food and tourism will help our coastal communities in the long run. I thank President Biden for restoring protections to this monument. Our children deserve to see what a healthy ocean looks like: seabirds, fish, and marine mammals in great abundance." [Press Release, 10/7/21]

Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation – Jen Kennedy, Executive Director: "Protected areas like the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument help support thriving whale populations and coastal tourism. When children experience the ocean on a whale watch, they are excited to learn about the monument. President Biden's action to restore protections to the monument is important for coastal businesses, science education, and inspiring people to care about our ocean." [Press Release, 10/7/21]

Center for Biological Diversity – Randi Spivak, Public Lands Program Director: "It's fitting that President Biden's fully restored protections for these spectacular national monuments Trump tried to desecrate. This is truly a reason to celebrate. Biden understands the importance of these landscapes to Native people and the need to act boldly to protect the climate and preserve our natural world." [Press Release, 10/8/21]

Center for Western Priorities – Jennifer Rokala, Executive Director: "Thank you, President Biden. You have listened to Indigenous tribes and the American people and ensured these landscapes will be protected for generations to come. The cultural and paleontological resources within the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase landscapes are too important to leave at risk." [Press Release, 10/7/21]

Conservation Lands Foundation – Brian Sybert, Executive Director: "Americans love their public lands and millions of them stood up to demand justice and the restoration of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase national monuments . . . At a time when many people may be doubting the power of individual voices, President Biden has made clear with this order that his administration is listening and committed to conserve our country's great public lands, respect Indigenous ways of knowing, address climate change and build a more equitable society." [Press Release, 10/8/21]

Conservation Law Foundation – Peter Shelley, Senior Counsel: "President Biden's announcement is a welcome relief after Trump threw science out the window and slashed protections for the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts. These commonsense safeguards will have an immeasurable impact on species that call the monument home and will result in a healthier ocean overall. With our oceans in peril from human impacts and the climate crisis, it's time to protect more areas, not less." [Press Release, 10/7/21]

Continental Divide Trail Coalition – Teresa Martinez, Executive Director: "We at the Continental Divide Trail Coalition (CDTC) have long witnessed the deep and lasting benefits that greenspaces can provide for the well-being of both individuals and communities, and we applaud the decision of the Biden Administration to renew protections for these National Monuments." [Press Release, 10/8/21]

Creation Justice Ministries – Karyn Bigelow and Avery Davis Lamb, Co-Executive Directors: "Protecting the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts will help us to continue safeguarding our coastlines as well. These protections go hand in hand with efforts to cultivate climate resilience efforts all along the east coast. Today, we thank President Biden for restoring protections to this special place." [Press Release, 10/8/21]

Defenders of Wildlife – Jamie Rappaport Clark, President and CEO: "These lands are culturally significant to Indigenous peoples to whom these landscapes are sacred and are too scientifically important to leave unprotected. By prioritizing these monuments and conserving these lands, the Biden administration has underscored its commitment to equity, biodiversity and addressing climate change." [Press Release, 10/8/21]

Earthjustice – Heidi McIntosh, Attorney: "We celebrate today as an act of vindication for the Tribes in their fight to preserve these sacred places, and for the many, many people across the country who believe public lands should be protected, and not exploited for short-term, corporate gain. And we'll be prepared to defend these places against anyone who would try to challenge President Biden's proclamation today." [Press Release, 10/8/21]

Environment America – Steve Blackledge, Senior Conservation Program Director: "Our country has a long history of ensuring 'America the Beautiful' exists for generations to come. By restoring safeguards to Bears Ears, Grand Staircase-Escalante and the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts, we can rest assured that these treasured areas will remain a part of that lasting legacy. Because all three of these monuments protect biodiversity and critical habitat, this victory will help the U.S. move closer to protecting 30 percent of our important lands and waters." [Press Release, 10/7/21]

Environment Maine – Anya Fetcher, State Director: "Mainers, Indigenous tribes, and all Americans understand and appreciate the overwhelming value in conserving our natural heritage and safeguarding it for future generations. We are so glad to see the president preserve this diverse and important ecosystem at the edge of the continental shelf. This victory will help the U.S. move closer to protecting 30 percent of our important lands and waters." [Press Release, 10/7/21]

Evangelical Environmental Network – Rev. Mitchell C. Hescox, President & CEO: "The Evangelical Environmental Network is thankful for President Biden's decision today that acknowledged and listened to the majority of Americans. This decision affirmed that all Americans should have a meaningful voice, a process that was ignored in years past." [Press Release, 10/8/21]

Friends of Cedar Mesa – Joe Neuhof, Executive Director: "We are heartened President Biden has once again provided Bears Ears with the protections this internationally significant cultural landscape deserves. Restoration of Bears Ears National Monument demonstrates reverence for the Tribally led effort to protect these lands and acknowledges Bears Ears' importance to Modern Indigenous Peoples." [Press Release, 10/8/21]

Grand Canyon Trust – Tim Peterson, Cultural Landscapes Director: "We applaud President Biden for his decision to honor our shared national heritage by restoring these national monuments. Indigenous peoples have conserved Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante for hundreds of generations, and the revival of these monuments celebrates that legacy." [Press Release, 10/8/21]

Grand Staircase Escalante Partners – Sarah Bauman, Executive Director: "We are grateful for the restoration of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument as a connected and protected landscape. We also know that this is only the beginning of our work to ensure that this landscape – the first monument placed into the National Landscape Conservation System – is conserved, and its important science objectives, inclusive of Indigenous knowledge, realized." [Press Release, 10/8/21]

Great Old Broads for Wilderness – Shelley Silbert, Executive Director: "We're thrilled that President Biden and Secretary of Interior Haaland have ensured the protection of these monument lands for future generations. We celebrate the wisdom and action of Tribal organizations, who outlined the need for protection of these sacred places, and the local citizens who rallied to prevent their degradation." [Press Release, 10/8/21]

Hispanic Access Foundation – Maite Arce, President & CEO: "We deeply appreciate President Biden taking action to reverse the rollbacks initiated by the previous Administration and restore protections to these irreplaceable natural treasures. These sites tell a story about our diverse past – places that embody the architectural, cultural and deep historical roots of our nation." [Press Release, 10/8/21]

League of Conservation Voters – Gene Karpinski, President: "We are thrilled to see the Biden-Harris administration honor their commitment to restore protections for these sacred and majestic monuments — which President Trump unlawfully opened up for the benefit of big polluters and extractive industries. These actions are a critical first step toward the administration's goal of conserving 30% of our lands and waters by 2030 to stem the climate and nature crises." [Press Release, 10/8/21]

Matt McKenzie, Professor of History and Maritime Studies, University of Connecticut and Connecticut Obligatory Delegate to the New England Fishery Management Council: "The Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument is a unique, ecologically valuable, and irreplaceable marine area that deserves to be protected from human impacts. By restoring the protections of this monument, President Biden preserves our natural heritage for generations to come." [CLF Press Release, 10/7/21]

Mystic Aquarium – Steve Coan, President and CEO: "This is an extremely important moment for all who care about protecting the ocean. The monument provides a great opportunity for our scientists to study this spectacular 'living laboratory' and better understand how the ocean works." [Press Release, 10/8/21]

National Parks Conservation Association – Theresa Pierno, President and CEO: "It is an honor to share this victorious day at the White House with Tribal leaders and so many other partners who worked for decades to protect these monuments, then fought fearlessly over the last several years to restore them. The outpouring of support for Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante is a loud and clear affirmation of the enduring values we share for our protected lands and waters." [Press Release, 10/8/21]

National Wildlife Federation – Collin O'Mara, President and CEO: "President Biden has made clear that he is committed to repairing relations with Tribal nations and stewarding our public lands in ways that will address the ongoing wildlife and climate crises. The restoration of these three national monuments goes a long way toward meeting those goals." [Press Release, 10/8/21]

Native American Rights Fund – Matthew Campbell, Staff Attorney: "The region's Native Nations joined together and fought long and hard to safeguard Bears Ears. We look forward to seeing one of the country's most sacred landscapes properly protected, and we look forward to seeing that it happens in a culturally appropriate way." [Press Release, 10/7/21]

Native Voters Alliance Nevada – Taylor Patterson, Executive Director: "We applaud the Biden Administration for listening to the traditional stewards of these lands and restoring the boundaries of Bears Ears National Monument as well as other unfairly shrunk monuments." [Press Release, 10/8/21]

Natural Resources Defense Council – Manish Bapna, President and CEO: "President Biden is restoring faith to millions of people across the country who stood up for these national treasures and opposed Trump's illegal rollbacks. This begins a new chapter in managing Bears Ears that respects the tribes' traditional knowledge in caring for this living landscape . . . This is a victory for science, for future generations, and for anyone who looks to these special places for solace, education, healing, and inspiration." [Press Release, 10/8/21]

New England Aquarium: "The New England Aquarium applauds the Biden-Harris Administration's decision to restore full protections for Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument . . . Our ongoing research and aerial surveys in the Monument continue to illuminate the importance of this area for biodiversity and climate resilience." [Press Release, 10/8/21]

New Mexico Wildlife Federation – Adrian Angulo, Deputy Director: "I am proud of our administration and Secretary Haaland for centering Tribal communities and acting decisively to restore the Monuments to their full scale, avoiding any future devastating loss of environmental, cultural, and spiritual value." [Press Release, 10/7/21]

NM Wild – Keegan King (Pueblo of Acoma), Board Member: "Thank you to President Biden for reversing the largest rollback of public land protections. From the beginning, the process to reclaim this incredible landscape of federal public lands was centered on the hard work of Tribal-led organizations. Coupled with the fact that we have our first Indigenous person helming the Interior Department, this represents a watershed moment for how our communities can work together to safeguard the very best parts of our shared country." [Press Release, 10/7/21]

Nuestra Tierra Conservation Project – Charlene Juanico (Zia, Jemez, and Acoma Pueblo), Board Member: "New Mexico is grateful for President Biden and by Interior Secretary Haaland to ensure that the nexus of Indigenous cultures that make up the storied history of Bears Ears won't be erased." [Press Release, 10/7/21]

Oceana – Gib Brogan, Senior Campaign Manager: "The United States—and New England—has its marine monument back, and ocean life in these New England waters are safer because of it. Protecting the New England marine monument is a win-win for both fishermen and healthy oceans, sustaining strong fisheries for years to come." [Press Release, 10/8/21]

Public Citizen – Robert Weissman, President: "The Biden administration's restoration of these extraordinary public lands is a welcome change from Trump-era policies that put CEOs and climate denialists ahead of the public interest. After four long years of the Trump administration's rollback of protections on America's most sacred public lands, working with oil and mining industry executives to open up these important places for exploitation, accelerating the climate crisis, and hastening the loss of nature and biodiversity, renewed protections for these national monuments is hopeful news." [Press Release, 10/8/21]

Pueblo Action Alliance – Julia Bernal (Sandia and Taos Pueblo, Yuchi-Creek Nation), Director: "We are extending our gratitude to our relative, Secretary Haaland as well as other Indigenous leadership, who have taken into account the ancestral and cultural importance of this place to Indigenous people across our Southwest cultural landscapes, and the impact that cultural land designations have on our sacred landscapes, and our people." [Press Release, 10/7/21]

Salt Water Sportsman – Rip Cunningham, Conservation Editor: "The Northeast Canyons and Seamounts area needs the permanent protection that only a monument can provide to safeguard the biodiversity as well as fragile and vulnerable resources within the area. President Biden's action restores the protections that this area requires and supports the future health of these resources." [Press Release, 10/7/21]

Sierra Club – Chris Hill, Director of the Sierra Club's Our Wild America Campaign: "The Biden administration's decision to restore protections for three national monuments fulfills a promise to Tribal Nations and reaffirms its commitment to addressing the overlapping biodiversity and climate crises. The decision is a renewed commitment to the stewardship these places deserve." [Press Release, 10/8/21]

Society of Vertebrate Paleontology – David Polly, Past President: "This move restores the conservation status of more than 1,400 scientifically important fossil sites that were removed from GSE-NM in 2017, including sauropod swimming tracks, the location where the dinosaur Machairoceratops was discovered, and the Cretaceous-aged mammal sites that helped spur the establishment of the monument in 1996. Bears Ears and Grand Staircase still have important tales to tell about the ancient history of life on our planet, and this action helps ensure that they will be told." [Press Release, 10/8/21]

Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance – Scott Groene, Executive Director: "President Biden's restoration of Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments will be hailed by generations for protecting some of the nation's wildest and most culturally significant public lands. It's hard to describe the relief and joy our members are feeling right now knowing these places and their irreplaceable objects are on the path to healing after years of deliberate mismanagement and neglect under the prior administration. We're grateful to President Biden and Interior Secretary Haaland for their leadership in making these places whole." [Press Release, 10/8/21]

Surfrider Foundation – Melissa Gates, Northeast Regional Manager: "A healthy ocean is vital for animals, people, and the planet. Restoring full protections to the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument will help restore the ocean ecosystem and protect its intrinsic values while also safeguarding human communities, benefiting coastal recreation and tourism, the ocean economy, the ocean, and all life on Earth—now and into the future." [Press Release, 10/7/21]

The Coalition to Protect America's National Parks – Phil Francis, Chair: "Utah's incredible national monuments are critical cultural, historical, and environmental sites that are a core part of our shared national heritage. Protecting them is vital not only to the environment but to our collective history . . . We are grateful that Secretary Deb Haaland and President Biden believe as deeply as we do in the importance of Utah's national monuments." [Press Release, 10/8/21]

The Wilderness Society – Jamie Williams, President: "The President's actions will fulfill a promise to restore protections illegally ripped away from national monuments while at the same time ensuring these same lands address the need to tackle the climate and extinction crisis. It also shows a true commitment to working with the Hopi, Navajo, Ute, Ute Mountain, and Zuni Tribes to co-manage their tribal homelands in Bears Ears. It also acknowledges the incredible scientific importance of Grand Staircase and the key habitat for threatened and endangered species within Northeast Canyons and Seamounts." [Press Release, 10/8/21]

Western Watersheds Project – Erik Molvar, Executive Director: "Bears Ears and Grand Staircase National Monuments are spectacular landscapes, and restoring these monuments shows respect for the land, strong stewardship for their desert ecosystems, and honors the Indigenous peoples who now will have an expanded influence on their management. Granting full protections to Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante is critically important to protect these fragile desert lands from exploitation by the livestock industry and mineral extraction corporations." [Press Release, 10/8/21]

Wild Earth Guardians – John Horning, Executive Director: "WildEarth Guardians is elated that President Biden is restoring Bears Ears and Grand Staircase national monuments. We thank the Hopi Tribe, Navajo Nation, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Pueblo of Zuni, and Ute Indian Tribe for their resolve in leading the fight to protect Bears Ears. Now we can once again get to work preserving the biodiversity and cultural, archeological and paleontological resources of these spectacular landscapes." [Press Release, 10/8/21]

Utah Diné Bikéyah – Woody Lee, Executive Director: "Utah Diné Bikéyah celebrates the Bears Ears National Monument restoration. We also acknowledge the challenging times our native communities are having right now which makes this achievement bittersweet but a welcome and hopeful change for the future. We appreciate all the support and hard work of many people, organizations, leaders, and supporters who have helped advance our mission of healing the land and the people." [Press Release, 10/8/21]

Vet Voice Foundation – Mary Kaszynski, Director of Government Relations: "Today is another fulfillment of a campaign promise. But we also recognize that there's still so much to do and no time to waste. We're excited to continue working with President Biden and Secretary Haaland to achieve our shared goals outlined in the America the Beautiful initiative — ensuring our nation's treasured public lands are around and can be enjoyed today, tomorrow, and for generations to come." [Press Release, 10/7/21]

Business Leaders and Trade Associations:

American Sportfishing Association – Glenn Hughes, President: "For many years, the recreational fishing community has worked to educate legislators and decision-makers on the social, conservation and economic benefits that recreational fishing provides to the nation. Recreational fishing and resource conservation go hand-in-hand. We are grateful that the Biden Administration has taken a thoughtful approach to this marine monument in a way that recognizes the importance of allowing the public to access and enjoy these precious areas, in line with the America the Beautiful initiative." [Press Release, 10/8/21].

Clif Bar & Company – Matthew Dillon: "At Clif Bar we believe public lands are essential to our health and well-being, from local and regional parks, to national wilderness areas and monuments . . . The Grand Staircase Escalante and the Bears Ears National Monuments bring together the best of our public lands including contributions to science, honoring Native American culture, and economic development in local communities. We celebrate President Biden's decision to protect these majestic landscapes." [Press Release, 10/7/21]

Hells Backbone Grill & Farm – Blake Spalding & Jen Castle: "We rejoice today's decision by the Biden administration to restore/expand protections for Grand Staircase Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments. This is the logical and heartful decision for an administration that is committed to addressing the climate crisis and righting the historic wrongs done to the Indigenous and tribal peoples of this country." [Press Release, 10/7/21]

Ibis Cycles, Inc. – Scot Nicol, Founder: "Scientific studies show that spending time in nature is critical to both mental and physical health . . . Both the Grand Staircase Escalante and the Bears Ears National Monuments are ' bucket-list' worthy cycling destinations that are valued by all Americans wanting to maintain their emotional and physical health - and now they will be protected for generations to come." [Press Release, 10/7/21]

National Marine Manufacturers Association – Frank Hugelmeyer, President: "We applaud President Biden's decision to restore balanced conservation measures in the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument. Protecting our natural resources while preserving recreational access to fisheries is critical because it drives the largest segment of America's $788 billion Outdoor Recreation Economy. The president's proclamation proves that good conservation and responsible access for boaters and anglers can coexist." [Press Release, 10/7/21].

Outdoor Industry Association – Lise Aangeenbrug, Executive Director: "The outdoor industry has long championed the protection of public lands and strongly supports the reinstatement of these National Monuments. Our national monuments, forests, and parks provide places for respite, reflection, recreation, and restoration, and are more important than ever as part of natural solutions to climate change. We thank Secretary Haaland and President Biden for recognizing the importance of these rich cultural and natural resources, which honor Indigenous peoples and benefit all Americans." [Press Release, 10/8/21]

Outdoor Research – Dan Nordstrom: "Our company provides the outdoor clothing needed to explore our country's incredible landscapes. As a growing number of communities look to public land access as an economic driver—bringing both visitors and business investment—national monument designations deserve our support." [Press Release, 10/7/21].

Partnership for Responsible Business – Alexandra Merlino, Executive Director: "Conserving our pristine public lands is good for business. With the reversal of this Trump-era, anti-conservation move, the outdoor recreation industry is positioned to grow even more quickly. Combined with new initiatives, like 30x30, the Biden-Harris Administration continues to make investments that matter – investments that protect our most precious natural resources, and help to grow responsible businesses in the process." [Press Release, 10/7/21]

Patagonia – Ryan Gellert, CEO: "We want to thank the Bears Ears Intertribal Coalition for their leadership and thank all of our friends in the Indigenous and environmental communities who have worked to protect Bears Ears National Monument. We also want to thank the Biden administration, especially Secretary Haaland, for their work to restore protections for more than a million acres of sacred land. We have a shared responsibility to conserve these important cultural landscapes for future generations." [Press Release, 10/8/21]