Zinke said reducing the size of the Utah monuments would permit greater use of the area for public access to roads, grazing, and active management for conservation, hunting, fishing and recreation.
Naming a national monument through the Antiquities Act, which was signed into law by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906, has historically received bipartisan support. Eight Democratic presidents and eight Republicans have used the law in some form, according to the Wilderness Society.
While Republicans complained about Obama's use of the law, many Democrats endorsed the designation and expansion of monuments, and said it provides needed protection to some of the nation's pristine landscapes, culturally important places and threatened animal and plant habitats.
"Veterans, sportsmen, climbers, hikers and the outdoor economy all depend on open space,” said Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington, the top Democrat on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. “Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante have been driving a vibrant outdoor economy for years. Now President Trump is using unlawful authority to pollute these special places. His administration deserves an 'F' for stewardship."
The Antiquities Act, however, specifies that national monuments should cover "the smallest area compatible with proper care and management of the objects.”
Under Trump’s proposal, Bears Ears would be divided into two smaller, monuments: Indian Creek National Monument and the Shash Jaa National Monument.