Prospectors File Mining Claims on Recently Exposed Utah Monument Lands

Roughly a month after President Trump curtailed two Utah national monuments, public records reveal that at least nine mining claims have been filed on lands now open to development.

The filings indicate that several firms are eager to extract minerals from the former monument areas, which host abundant wildlife, archaeological sites, and substantial deposits of uranium and other valuable metals.

On July 13, President Trump issued proclamations reducing each monument by over 90 percent, unlocking almost three million acres for mining, oil and gas extraction, and other commercial uses, with the stipulation that new mining claims could be submitted after September 11.

The following day, Utah‑based Kimmerle Mining submitted seven claims in zones excised from Bears Ears, per the San Juan County Recorder’s Office. Company executive Kyle Kimmerle, who has previously contested the monument’s original limits in court, argues that those boundaries “locked up” valuable mineral resources.

On August 6, Craig Rosequist lodged two additional claims in territory stripped from Grand Staircase, according to the Kane County Recorder’s Office. His LinkedIn profile identifies him as an “owner at MMT Mine.”

The exact acreage covered by the new claims remains uncertain. The Bureau of Land Management, which administers the monuments, is expected to reject the filings before the September 11 deadline.

Neither Kimmerle nor Rosequist provided an immediate response to requests for comment.

National monuments are federally protected public lands, offering safeguards comparable to those of national parks. Unlike parks, which require congressional action, monuments can be established by presidential proclamation under the Antiquities Act of 1906.

Submitting a mining claim represents only the first step in mineral extraction; claimants must also satisfy fee requirements and secure state and federal permits, a process that often spans several years.

During his first term, President Trump reduced the sizes of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase at the behest of leading Utah Republicans. Native American tribes and environmental organizations sued to block the reductions, and President Joe Biden later reinstated broad protections for the monuments before any court ruling was finalized.

Following Trump’s initial reduction of Bears Ears, Kimmerle Mining developed a site named Easy Peasy on formerly protected land. In 2018, the company excavated roughly 30 tons of ore seeking uranium—for nuclear fuel—and vanadium—for steel strengthening.

The mine subsequently halted operations when low uranium prices rendered it unprofitable. In 2021, Kimmerle joined as a plaintiff in a legal challenge contesting Biden’s restoration of the monument boundaries.

Prior to signing the recent proclamation shrinking Bears Ears, President Trump asserted that the reduction was needed because recreational use within the monument was virtually impossible.

However, recreational activities have been permitted in Bears Ears since President Barack Obama established the monument in 2016. Moreover, the Trump administration received briefings on hiking and off‑road vehicle opportunities in the area roughly a month before the Oval Office remarks, as previously reported by The New York Times.

In the proclamation, President Trump cited a different rationale: the need to obtain “critical minerals such as silver, copper, molybdenum, lead, uranium, vanadium and zinc,” which he described as essential to national energy and resource independence.

Steve Bloch, legal director of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance—a nonprofit environmental organization that first identified the nine new claims—expressed concern that mining could harm the delicate desert ecosystem.

Bloch warned, “The fact that companies and individuals are already seeking mining weeks before the Trump proclamations even permit it highlights our apprehension about future impacts as we strive to restore and protect the monuments fully.”

Brian Somers, president of the Utah Mining Association, countered that “responsible mineral development can coexist with the protection of sensitive landscapes.” He noted that frequent policy reversals could deter firms from pursuing additional claims in the region.

Somers added, “The back‑and‑forth between administrations poses a challenge; industry needs certainty about the land’s status before it will feel comfortable investing.”

The courts may ultimately decide the fate of these mining claims. In the coming weeks, tribal groups and environmental advocates intend to launch another legal challenge against Trump’s most recent reduction of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase.

They are likely to contend that the Antiquities Act permits presidents to create monuments but not to dismantle or shrink them. The case could eventually reach the Supreme Court, where Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. has indicated that the century‑old statute warrants re‑examination.

Research assistance was provided by Kirsten Noyes.

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