Summary: On April 26, 2017, President Trump directed the Department of the Interior to review National Monuments created since 1996 under the Antiquities Act of 1906. What followed was a heated debate about the role of federal lands in society, the impact National Monument designations have on states and local communities, the power of the President to review the decisions of his predecessors under the Antiquities Act, and the growing need for reform. Much misinformation has been spread, reaching even to the basics of what a national monument designation entails and how they are different than America’s national parks. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke has delivered recommendations to the President regarding 26 National Monuments and marine areas in 12 states, the Pacific, and Atlantic. Congress must engage even as the Trump Administration considers next steps for these lands. As Secretary Zinke stated in his review to the President: “The executive power under the Act is not a substitute for a lack of congressional action on protective land designations.” Please join Sutherland Institute and The Heritage Foundation for a half-day conference to discuss these issues and hear from Members of Congress and their constituents who are directly impacted by National Monument lands.
