My company, which is based in Colorado, holds a permit in the Grand Staircase-Escalante in Utah and brings clients regularly from all over the world to Utah’s spectacular public lands. I am constantly amazed by the landscapes every time I visit Utah and equally amazed by the schizophrenic attitude of Utah’s elected officials and the Department of Interior. It now seems that after intense backlash from local communities, the Interior Department has abruptly reversed course on the Bureau of Land Management’s plan to sell off approximately 1,600 acres within the former boundaries of Grand Staircase for mining and drilling, often by non-U.S. companies.

When President Donald Trump made his proclamation to shrink Grand Staircase to half its size, he claimed it was in the best interest of economic growth. But actually, the local economy was doing just fine before 700,000 acres of land were removed from the 22-year-old monument. In fact, Escalante City Resort Tax records show people spent $2,010,000 during just one summer month in Escalante.

While I’m glad the Interior Department has abandoned plans to open up our lands to mining and drilling, if it is truly acting in good faith, it would walk back the administration’s rash decision to reduce the monument and restore full protections for the monument, which is so vital to the community and all Americans.