A resolution sponsored by members of Congress would throw out the management plan for Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah, threatening natural resources and recreation in the area, including one of our bikepacking routes. Learn more and find a link to take action here…

On March 4, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) and Representative Celeste Maloy (R-UT-02) co-sponsored a resolution that would throw out the entire management plan for Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. If the plan is discarded, it could threaten the scenic natural beauty and future of bikepacking routes like our Grand Staircase Loop.

Grand Staircase Loop, Bikepacking Grand Staircase - Escalante, Utah

The management plan was signed in 2025 and resulted from years of public input from ranchers, mining companies, Native American communities, climbers, paddlers, bikers, and many others. Management plans guide federal agencies like the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) as they seek to manage multiple uses, including extraction, agriculture, and recreation, for long-term sustainability. However, because of the national monument designation, the 2025 plan prioritizes conservation and resource protection. If thrown out, the BLM will need to draft a new land management plan for the 1.9 million acres, which cannot be substantially similar to the existing plan. At a minimum, years of more planning and public input would be required by an already depleted BLM.

  • Bikepacking the Grand Staircase Loop Video, Mick Turnbull
  • Grand Staircase Loop, Bikepacking Grand Staircase - Escalante, Utah

In 2017, the first Trump administration reduced the size of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument by 47 percent. When President Biden restored it to its original 1.9 million acres, it required a new management plan, which is the one under threat by this action. Outdoor Alliance has created an informational page describing this action and providing a way for people to contact their lawmakers about this threat. Follow this link to get in touch and voice your opinion as soon as possible.

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