The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Public Lands Council support the introduction of the Improved National Monument Designation Process Act. The bill is sponsored by Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski, Chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, along with 25 co-sponsors. The bill would require congressional and state approval to designate a new monument. “Executive branch abuse of the Antiquities Act has moved it far beyond its original intent, with devastating effects on local economies,” says NCBA President Tracy Brunner. “It’s unacceptable for any President to have this much unilateral authority over land-management decisions. Impacted local communities and the American people deserve a seat at the table as well.” Under the 1906 Antiquities Act, any President has the power to establish a national monument without the approval of Congress, state and local governments or even people who live in impacted communities. President Obama has taken full advantage of this executive power, using the Act more than any other president and locking up millions of acres in the process.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting news service.
From: Whitehouse.gov
In Photos: President Obama Designates 3 National Monuments in California
February 17, 2016, by Tanya Somanader, Clay Dumas
Summary: President Obama has protected more acres of public lands and water than any Administration in American history.
“Our country is home to some of the most beautiful God-given landscapes in the world. We’re blessed with natural treasures – from the Grand Tetons to the Grand Canyon; from lush forests and vast deserts to lakes and rivers teeming with wildlife. And it’s our responsibility to protect these treasures for future generations, just as previous generations protected them for us.”
Preserving the richness of our national parks, monuments, forests, and public lands is among the greatest bequests we leave to future generations. That is why President Obama has made it a priority from the start of his Administration to invest in and conserve America’s natural treasures, protecting more than 265 million acres of land and water – more than any other president in American history.
Now, he’s added a few million acres more.
He designated three new national monuments in the California desert: Mojave Trails National Monument, Sand to Snow National Monument, and Castle Mountains National Monument.
These designations encompass nearly 1.8 million acres, essentially doubling the number of acres of public lands he has protected during his time in office and solidifying his place as the most prolific conservationist in US history.