U.S. District Court Judge Tanya S. Chutkan rejected the Trump administration’s attempt to halt lawsuits by five Native American tribes and other groups to retain the original 1.35 million acres of the Bears Ears National Monument.

President Barack Obama designated the monument in 2016. In 2017, the Trump administration reduced its size to 201,876 acres.

According to a UPI report, the three lawsuits, now combined as one, argue that restrictions are needed to protect archeologically significant areas within the original boundaries.

The fight over Bears Ears coincides with a clash over the 1.9 million acre Grand Staircase-Esalante National Monument, also in Utah.

In 1996, President Bill Clinton established the monument, citing the need for environmental protections. The current administration removed access restrictions in 2017, prompting another combined lawsuit.