A federal judge in Utah dismissed two lawsuits led by the state of Utah that attempted to overturn President Joe Biden’s designation of the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments.
District Judge David Nuffer ruled that the Antiquities Act gives the president broad authority to designate monuments, and the court cannot overrule the judgement.
“We are thrilled with today’s decision, which aligns with more than 100 years of similar court rulings that have rejected every challenge to presidential authority under the Antiquities Act to protect cultural, scientific, ecological and paleontological resources on public lands,” said Steve Bloch, legal director with the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance.
