Locking up the land. Endangering our economy. Limiting jobs. That is what a few squeaky wheels would like you to believe are the impacts to our communities from national monuments and added protections for America’s great open spaces. That is simply false. The True Grit is there is plenty of evidence and stories to tell about the true benefits of monuments in and near our communities.
In May 2010, BLM hosted a science symposium in Albuquerque called "A Decade of Discovery," honoring the 10th anniversary of the National Landscape Conservation System. The symposium invited presenters from various fields to explore the scientific value of our conservation lands.
Since its passage by Congress in 1906, the Antiquities Act has been a critically important tool for the preservation of our public lands – lands that belong to all Americans. Serving as a vital “insurance policy” for our nation’s natural treasures, the Antiquities Act gives the president the power to grant national monument status to areas possessing significant historical and/or scientific values.
Since Congress passed the Antiquities Act in 1906, presidents — Republicans and Democrats alike — have used the Act more than 100 times to preserve some of our most spectacular and historically important public lands. Although its title suggests a focus on archaeology (ruins, petroglyphs, etc.), the Antiquities Act gives the president the power to protect all forms of American history – natural, scientific, and archaeological – by designating National Monuments.
Report Highlights
Transportation planning is one of the most significant challenges facing the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the National Park Service (NPS) as the agencies develop a management plan for the Arizona Strip Resource Area. The plan for this area is especially critical because it will determine the direction of management for the next twenty years at two of the BLM’s new national monuments — Grand Canyon-Parashant and Vermilion Cliffs. Transportation features such as roads and other routes ensure access for recreation and public safety.
The Wilderness Society and its 200,000 members are committed to the resource management planning processes for the spectacular and irreplaceable National Monuments managed by the Bureau of Land Management (“BLM”). This position paper outlines our concerns and suggestions involving one of the most critical aspects of the planning process: the creation of a coherent and legal transportation system.
