Stories about Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
Monument Protections Cut as Chaco Buffer Faces Proposed Revocation
Archaeology Southwest reports that executive orders reduce Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments by nearly 3 million acres, while the Bureau of Land Management seeks to revoke a 20-year protection order covering federal lands around Chaco Culture National Historical Park. Tribal governments and preservation groups are opposing both actions.
Proposed Section 106 Changes Draw Opposition From Archaeologists and Tribes
A draft overhaul of the regulations governing Section 106 review has prompted criticism from preservation groups, archaeologists, architects and Tribal Nations. Opponents say the proposal could reduce consultation, narrow which projects undergo review and limit consideration of effects on historic properties.
Archaeology Southwest Essay Warns of Broad Threats to Cultural Preservation
A preservation archaeologist’s essay presented at the 2026 Pecos Conference describes what he calls a crisis for archaeology, Tribal sovereignty and cultural-resource protection. The piece lists federal policy changes and proposed developments affecting sites, monuments, museums, archives and archaeological work across the United States.
Archaeology Southwest Highlights Threats to Section 106 and Southwest Heritage
A roundup from Archaeology Southwest points to proposed changes to Section 106, border-barrier construction concerns in the Lower Pecos Canyonlands and Big Bend National Park, and potential development near several protected cultural landscapes.