On Oct. 11, Utah Rep. Rob Bishop’s bill, ironically entitled “National Monument Creation and Protection Act,” passed the House Natural Resources Committee with Rep. Scott Tipton voting in favor.
The bill, HR 3990, guts the Antiquities Act of 1906 and undermines its intent and purpose. Among other egregious changes, HR 3990 would alter the Antiquities Act in the following ways:
Remove oceans from potential designation as monuments (at a time when coral reefs are dying at an unprecedented rate and our fisheries are depleted); Limit eligibility to protection of “objects of antiquity” (thereby discounting geologic features, natural values, sensitive species and wildlife);Require approval of the state legislature, governor, and county commissions before monuments of a certain size can be designated; Exclude any new monument from consideration that is located within 50 miles of an existing monument’s border; Place arbitrary restrictions on the size of monuments that ignore cultural, historic, ecological and scientific resources; Allow for the reduction in size or elimination of existing monuments (thereby acknowledging that the president currently lacks the authority to reduce or revoke national monuments). Rep. Tipton claims he is an advocate for public lands protection, however his voting record does not reflect that fact. If you value the Antiquities Act and our country’s national monuments and parks, please express your opinion to Rep. Tipton. His offices can be reached at (202) 225-4761 (D.C. office), (970) 241-2499 (Grand Junction), (970) 259-1490 (Durango) or email him at https://tipton.house.gov/contact.
Robyn Cascade
Ridgway
