Western Larch, © George Wuerthner
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Andy Kerr's National Monuments Index Page
When many of the boundaries of our national parks and forests were established years ago, we didn't have the science to tell us more land was needed. Now we have the science and we need to act on it." Bruce Babbitt, Secretary of the Interior, 1993-2000 |
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Conservationists convinced President Clinton to designate several national monuments before he left office (see article below). Such opportunities will arise again. The President's power to proclaim national monuments comes from a congressional delegation of power by The Antiquities Act of 1906. It is not an exercise of executive authority. Evolving Presidential Policy Toward Livestock Grazing in National Monuments co-authored with Mark Salvo appeared in the Penn State Environmental Law Review. Every president since Teddy Roosevelt, save the last three (likely four) Republican presidents, has exercised that authority granted by Congress to establish national monuments. The Wilderness Society has a nice handbook on national monuments. Clinton designated one new national monument in Oregon:
He came close (but no cigar) to designating another:
I believe there are certain places humankind simply cannot improve upon—places whose beauty and interest no photograph could capture, places you simply have to see for yourself. We must use this time of unparalleled prosperity to ensure people will always be able to see these places as we see them today.
When many of the boundaries of our national parks and forests were established years ago, we didn't have the science to tell us more land was needed. Now we have the science and we need to act on it."
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