Scope: Federal
Branch: Executive
Severity: Amber
Date occurred: July 13, 2026
The President signed a proclamation on July 13, 2026 modifying the Bears Ears National Monument, published in the Federal Register on July 17, 2026. The proclamation was issued under authority asserted pursuant to the Antiquities Act.
Constitutional basis: Unilateral executive diminishment of a monument under a statute expressly authorizing only designation, with Congress's Property Clause authority over public lands judicially unresolved.