(March 4, 2026) – The business community is speaking out following today’s introduction of a joint resolution by Senator Mike Lee and Congresswoman Celeste Maloy, alongside the remaining members of Utah’s congressional delegation, to overturn the Biden administration’s Resource Management Plan for the Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument. The Conservation Alliance, which represents approximately 200 businesses across North America, opposes any attempt to reduce protections of the land within the boundaries of Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. Furthermore, the business coalition disagrees with the use of the Congressional Review Act to achieve this outcome.
The Resource Management Plan (RMP) for Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument was finalized by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in early January, 2025. The plan is the result of over 30 public and stakeholder engagement meetings over two years with community members, state and Federal officials, Tribes, and other stakeholders. The RMP is focused on protecting and managing cultural and historical resources, while addressing recreational use, visitor experiences, and conservation values. The plan provides a roadmap for the protection and conservation of the land and the many important cultural sites contained within the monument.
Using the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to rescind the plan would create legal and policy instability. This is a permanent tool when enacted by Congress, meaning that if this resolution passes, the Resource Management Plan would be immediately nullified and prevented from taking effect ever again. The BLM cannot reinstate the plan or a plan “substantially similar” at any point in the future.
“Utilizing the Congressional Review Act to overturn a Resource Management Plan is a dangerous maneuver by Congress to virtually strip protections from one of the most sacred landscapes in the nation,” said Paul Hendricks, Executive Director of The Conservation Alliance. “Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is a source of unspoiled natural beauty for local community members, visitors, and recreationalists alike. It is the foundation of the surrounding region’s travel and tourism economies, which depend on this land remaining protected for generations to come. We urge members of Congress to vote to keep the current resource management plan in place.”
According to a recent study by Headwaters Economics, conserving public lands like the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument helps to safeguard and highlight amenities that draw new visitors, businesses, and residents to surrounding communities. Grand Staircase- Escalante National Monument attracted 1.03 million visitors in 2022. Travel and tourism represented 51% of total private wage and salary employment, or 2,689 jobs in the region in 2024. And following its monument designation in 1996, the areas surrounding Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument saw a 51% job increase and a 26% population increase between 2001 to 2022.
About The Conservation Alliance
The Conservation Alliance is the leading business coalition for conservation. Uniting companies across industries, perspectives, and geographies, we harness the collective power of our members to protect lands and waters for future generations. Our dual top-down and bottom-up approach pairs corporate advocacy with funding for grassroots action on the ground. Investing in The Conservation Alliance is not only an investment in protecting the resources outdoor businesses depend on—it’s a way to strengthen the outdoor economy and ensure long-term business resilience. Since its founding in 1989, TCA and its members have helped protect over 125 million acres of and nearly 5,000 river miles by advocating for common-sense policies and granting $34.9 million to local groups to improve and protect critical landscapes across the country. With natural places facing a barrage of threats, they welcome all brands that value North American landscapes to join them in leveraging the power of business to drive conservation. For complete information about The Conservation Alliance, visit conservationalliance.com.
Media Contact:
Lilly Zoller
248-302-1553
lilly@conservationalliance.com
