Public lands could be deemed National Monuments without you even knowing it until the deed is done.
There’s a big stink right now about potential legislation that could snatch 13 million acres away from the public by designating them National Monuments under the Antiquities Act. Not that having more National Monuments is necessarily a bad thing, but the issue is that these decisions are being made without public comment. Opponents point out that the government is essentially taking without asking, dictating to the public what shall be done with its land. Nothing is official yet, but documents from the Department of Interior have been acquired which expose the potential plan.
Seven pages containing three attachments lay out rough descriptions of the target areas and budget estimates. Seventeen areas are listed in the western states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. It also proposes consolidating checkerboard BLM land and points out areas ineligible for Monument Designation which need alternate protection. It’s all based on the Antiquities Act of 1906. Intended to protect significant cultural and natural environments, the Act grants power to the president to deem which sites are to be protected. Many people remember the sneaky, massive designation of Utah’s 1.9 million-acre Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in 1996 by the nation’s last Democrat president, Bill Clinton. The Obama administration is treading similar ground according to some.
"There are special interest groups whose sole purpose is to lock up land without any consideration given to the importance of wholesome outside family recreation," said Rep. Doc Hastings (R-Wash.). "While they are entitled to that view, it's deeply troubling that the president's administration is seemingly
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eager to help turn that view into reality by unilaterally imposing new monument designations without the consent of the people and communities who will be directly impacted."
The AMA has released statements expressing its displeasure with the idea of not allowing public comment.
"The AMA is delivering the message that any measure to restrict our right to recreate responsibly on public land must be considered in the light of day," said AMA Vice President for Government Relations Ed Moreland in a recent press release. "It is government's responsibility to protect our lands for the people, not from the people, and that requires an open and fair venue for public discourse."
For more detail on the AMA’s stance and what it is doing about the situation, read the following press releases.
February 18, 2010
The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) has formally objected to a process being developed by the Obama Administration to potentially designate as many as 13 million acres of public and private land as National Monument. The designation, currently being considered by the Department of Interior (DOI), would occur with no public debate.
"As the nation's largest organization advocating for the rights of America's estimated 20 million motorcyclists, the AMA is delivering the message that any measure to restrict our right to recreate responsibly on public land must be considered in the light of day," said AMA Vice President for Government Relations Ed Moreland. "It is government's responsibility to protect our lands for the people, not from the people, and that requires an open and fair venue for public discourse."
According to a document recently obtained from the DOI, the department is considering new National Monument designations totaling 13 million acres in 11 western states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
A letter to the DOI from the AMA, objecting to this particular National Monument designation process, can be accessed at: AmericanMotorcyclist.com/legisltn/DOI_Nat_Monument_2-18-10.pdf. The DOI document identifying the areas being considered for Wilderness designation can be downloaded at: AmericanMotorcyclist.com/legisltn/documents/doi_internal_document.pdf.
Compounding the potential National Monument designations, many of the affected areas are also being considered by Congress for Wilderness. While the AMA supports the appropriate designation of Wilderness areas as defined by the 1964 Wilderness Act, the Association opposes any process that does not allow full public debate on the disposition of public land.
"Any designation that restricts the public's right to enjoy public lands must be debated publicly," Moreland said. "We owe it to ourselves and future generations to individually deliberate the designation of each tract and collect input from all affected user groups, local and state elected officials and Congress before any designations are made."
The AMA urges its members, and all motorcycle and ATV (all-terrain vehicle) riders, to contact their elected representatives and voice support for the public debate on the disposition of public land. Contact information for all federal elected officials can be found at AmericanMotorcyclist.com > Rights > Issues & Legislation.
February 24, 2010
Bipartisan reaction was swift following the publication by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) and others of an internal Department of Interior (DOI) document that revealed the agency's plan to designate without public debate as many as 13 million acres of public and private land in the West as National Monument areas.
According to DOI documents obtained by the AMA, the administration is considering new National Monument designations totaling 13 million acres in 11 states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
"The Obama administration continues to put the needs of environmentalists who want to keep the public away from public lands above the needs and desires of Utahns," Sen. Robert Bennett (R-Utah) said.
Rep. Doc Hastings (R-Wash.), ranking member of the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee, echoed Bennett's thoughts that the administration is bowing to anti-access groups.
"There are special interest groups whose sole purpose is to lock up land without any consideration given to the importance of wholesome outside family recreation," Hastings said. "While they are entitled to that view, it's deeply troubling that the President's administration is seemingly eager to help turn that view into reality by unilaterally imposing new monument designations without the consent of the people and communities who will be directly impacted."
Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah), chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus, and ranking member of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands, noted that people from around the world visit the West to take advantage of broad-ranging recreational opportunities.
"Unfortunately, the current administration seems intent upon locking up much of the public lands throughout the West from recreational use, as witnessed in the documents that recently surfaced from the Department of Interior outlining new areas for potential national monument designations," Bishop said. "I commend the American Motorcyclist Association for its continued advocacy on behalf of not only motorcycle enthusiasts but all outdoor recreators, who are an important component of the West's tourism industry."
Interior Department spokeswoman Kendra Barkoff told the Salt Lake (Utah) Tribune that the documents that created the uproar were simply the result of a "brainstorming session" at the department.
But Rep. Jim Matheson (D-Utah) remained concerned: "Given the lingering frustration felt by many Utahns following the 1996 'stroke of the pen' monument designation (of the Clinton administration's 1.9 million-acre Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument), it is totally inappropriate for this federal agency to even have preliminary discussions without involving the stakeholders on the ground."
"It remains incumbent upon the government to responsibly protect our lands for the people, not from the people," said Ed Moreland, AMA vice president for government relations. "And that means proposals for land-use designations must be fairly debated. This proposal is not only an end-run around Congress, but also around the individuals and communities who would be directly impacted by this type of administrative maneuver.
"We are pleased to hear that there is bipartisan, bi-cameral support for an open dialogue on the long-contentious issue of public-land designations," Moreland said. "We hope that this issue will serve as a catalyst for bringing together both sides of the debate to work out any differences and preserve opportunities for responsible recreation on America's public lands for all Americans."
To take action on this issue, go to AmericanMotorcyclist.com > Rights > Issues and Legislation. To receive e-mail alerts, sign up in the "Get Involved" section of the Rights page.
