Antiquities Act Used to Lock Off 1.8 Additional Million Acres

Two weeks ago President Obama used the Antiquities Act to designate the Sand to Snow National Monument, Mojave Trails Monument and the Castle Mountains National Monument —- a total of 1.8 million acres without any formal review, economic analysis or public comments. Public Lands Council Executive Director Ethan Lane says
Lane: “They touted the fact that this is the 22nd time that this administration has used the Antiquities Act to make this type of designation. The most of any president since the inception of the Act in 1906. By their numbers alone they have locked up 245 million acres — that includes land and water — using the Antiquities Act. Obviously this is something we have a tremendous problem with, mainly because this simply not what the Act was intended for. When it was created, it was intended — as the name implies to protect antiquities — indian burial grounds and native american artifacts and things like that. It was never intended to be used like this to lock off million of acres at once. We have other processes for that. If the administration feels these lands need to be protected they need to go through those processes and include the American people.”
Sadly there may very well be more last-minute designations ahead as President Obama closes out his final term. Later this week we will visit with the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association’s Jerome Rosa about the potential designation in their state.