WASHINGTON — Today marks the 111th anniversary of the Antiquities Act, signed into law by President Theodore Roosevelt and used by him and 15 other presidents, both Republicans and Democrats, to designate more than 150 national monuments.
The magnificent treasures that have been protected by the act include Wyoming’s Devils Tower, Arizona’s Grand Canyon, Idaho’s Craters of the Moon and Alaska’s Glacier Bay.
Rather than celebrating that legacy, President Donald Trump has taken aim at the 1906 law, claiming that recent administrations have abused it to “lock up millions of acres of land and water.”
Twenty-seven national monuments designated or expanded since 1996, spanning more than 11 million acres of land and about 760 million acres of ocean, are threatened by a pair of executive orders signed by Trump in April. By Saturday, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is due to make a recommendation on what he thinks should happen to the 1.35-million-acre Bears Ears National Monument in Utah, which is at the center of the current fight.
In announcing his monuments review, Trump spoke as if a Bears Ears reversal was a done deal, saying the Obama-era designation had been done “over the profound objections of the citizens of Utah” and “should never have happened.” No previous president has tried to revoke a monument designation and legal scholars argue that Trump lacks the authority to do so.
Conservationists and lawmakers took to social media on Thursday to celebrate the Antiquities Act, with many using the hashtag #MonumentsForAll and expressing outrage over the Trump administration’s actions.
“On a day when we should be celebrating the anniversary of the law used to protect places like the Grand Canyon, Zion, and the Statue of Liberty, it’s outrageous that we’re facing down an unprecedented attack on our national parks and monuments by President Trump and Interior Secretary Zinke,” Gene Karpinski, president of the League of Conservation Voters, said in a statement.
“People understand that this review is nothing more than an attempt to give away our public lands to the fossil fuel industry,” he added.
See below for some celebratory posts:
From Upper Missouri River Breaks to Bears Ears and all over the U.S., everyone has a favorite #MonumentsForAll. Happy b’day #AntiquitiesAct! http://pic.twitter.com/3NhIwS17kt
— Nat Resources Dems (@NRDems) June 8, 2017
Happy 111th birthday to the Antiquities Act, signed into law #OnThisDay in 1906! @DevilsTowerNM first site created under Antiquities Act. http://pic.twitter.com/5KCZr60Mne
— J. A. Garfield NHS (@GarfieldNPS) June 8, 2017
On this 111th anniversary of the Antiquities Act it is under unprecedented fire from the President’s EO & @SecretaryZinke #MonumentsForAll
— Sen. Patrick Leahy (@SenatorLeahy) June 8, 2017
Happy 111th anniversary Antiquities Act! 1 million comments stand with our #MonumentsForAll – add your voice: https://t.co/sdhECs50l9 http://pic.twitter.com/j0Y7DLttS9
— Sierra Club (@SierraClub) June 8, 2017
RT if you agree: For 111 years, the #AntiquitiesAct has preserved our nation’s natural, cultural & historic wonders. #MonumentsForAll http://pic.twitter.com/kA6j8GVxQp
— Rep. Jacky Rosen (@RepJackyRosen) June 8, 2017
Today marks anniversary of Antiquities Act, which protects public lands & creates monuments. Let us continue to protect #MonumentsForAll. http://pic.twitter.com/moHI0pAHaj
— Steny Hoyer (@WhipHoyer) June 8, 2017
Want to say Happy 111th Anniversary Antiquities Act! I stand w #MonumentsForAll & against Trump’s order to review/downgrade our monuments http://pic.twitter.com/vSTu3untfc
— Ben Ray Lujan (@repbenraylujan) June 8, 2017
Today is 111th anniversary of signing of Antiquities Act, which has helped create many of our nat’l monuments, into law by Teddy Roosevelt http://pic.twitter.com/3QQFnEwuJn
— Rep. Erik Paulsen (@RepErikPaulsen) June 8, 2017
Today is the 111th anniversary of the Antiquities Act. Tell @POTUS to keep his hands off @goldbutte & #BasinAndRange. #MonumentsForAll.
— Dina Titus (@repdinatitus) June 8, 2017
Teddy Roosevelt once said “It is not what we have that will make us a great nation; it is the way in which we use it.” #MonumentsForAll
— Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (@RepAnnaEshoo) June 8, 2017
Today is the 111th anniversary of Teddy Roosevelt signing the #AntiquitiesAct to protect America’s natural treasures for generations to come http://pic.twitter.com/uEX72Nrpka
— Tom Udall (@SenatorTomUdall) June 8, 2017
On the 111th anniversary of the #AntiquitiesAct, I join my fellow Americans to renew our commitment to preserving our Nat’l #MonumentsForAll http://pic.twitter.com/HsOgILEY96
— Tim Walz (@RepTimWalz) June 8, 2017
#OTD in 1906, #TeddyRoosevelt signed #AntiquitiesAct, which allowed presidents to create national monuments like Fort Pulaski. #FindYourPark http://pic.twitter.com/r28RZRJ73N
— Fort Pulaski NM (@FortPulaskiNPS) June 8, 2017
The #AntiquitiesAct, which designates nat’l monuments, turns 111 years old today. Let’s celebrate by protecting this act! http://pic.twitter.com/04HSgUhETu
— Rep. Donald McEachin (@RepMcEachin) June 8, 2017
I oppose @Potus‘s attempts to dismantle the #AntiquitiesAct. The preservation of lands and #monuments is too important.
— Rep. Donald McEachin (@RepMcEachin) June 8, 2017
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June 09, 2017 at 02:54AM
from Chris D’Angelo
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