WASHINGTON, D.C. — The restoration of Bears Ears, Grand Staircase-Escalante, and the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monuments will re-establish critical protections for fish and wildlife, archaeological treasures, and sacred Indigenous sites.

“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,” said Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. “By restoring these national monuments, President Biden is safeguarding lands of cultural significance for five sovereign Tribal nations, conserving important wildlife habitat, and ensuring that future generations will be able to experience these lands and waters for generations to come.” 

Bears Ears National Monument and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in southern Utah are home to abundant wildlife populations of bighorn sheep, black bears, bobcats, elk, and mule deer. The monuments also contain some of the highest concentrations of archaeological sites in the country and are sacred lands for the Navajo, Hopi, Ute, Ute Mountain Ute, and Zuni Tribes.

The Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument off the coast of Cape Cod contains canyons deeper than the Grand Canyon and underwater mountains rising higher than any mountains east of the Rockies. It’s home to nearly a thousand marine species, including coral thought to be a thousand years old.