"Sixteen claims follow the president opening up most of the reserve sacred to Native Americans to mining and drilling."
"The first mining claims have been staked in areas that were formerly part of Utah’s Bears Ears National Monument, after President Donald Trump issued an order in July shrinking it to less than 10 percent of its original size.
President Barack Obama established the monument in 2016 to protect a vast wilderness held sacred by local Native Americans, preventing mining and drilling there.
Claims could only be staked starting on Sept. 11, 60 days after Trump’s proclamation. Since then, at least 16 mining claims have been filed with the San Juan County Recorder’s Office, according to public records."
Jake Spring reports for the Washington Post September 16, 2026.
