To quote Bud,
Just got this letter from Congresswoman Lummis in my email today. I think I just might support this politician...
Dear Ron:
Thank you for sharing with me your thoughts on a recently uncovered proposal by the Obama Administration to designate numerous federal monuments in the west without Congressional oversight or approval. I appreciate hearing from you on this controversial and important topic.
As you are aware, several Members of Congress obtained a leaked internal document from the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) that revealed the Obama Administration was considering at least 14 sites in the West for potential national monument designation. The areas listed in the document could encompass 13 million acres of federally owned land in 11 western States. The document also alludes to millions of acres the DOI is considering for new federal land acquisition. Two areas in Wyoming were mentioned within the document: the Red Desert and the Upper Green River Valley.
The authority the Administration suggests it would call upon for these designations - in fact the only authority it can call upon without Congressional approval - is the 1906 Antiquities Act. Unlike most land preservation set-asides, the 1906 Antiquities Act authorizes the President to create national monuments on federal lands that contain historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, or other objects of historic or scientific interest without Congressional approval. The Act was designed to protect small areas of land and specific items of archeological, scientific, or historic importance that were in imminent danger of destruction. Unfortunately, the Antiquities Act has been abused in recent memory - the 22 uses of the Act by the Clinton Administration to designate nearly 5.9 million acres of federal land as national monuments being the most often cited. These designations occurred with no formal public input.
Thanks to the foresight of Wyoming's past elected leaders, our State is the only one in the nation exempt from the Antiquities Act. When the Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) was created in1950, Wyoming's lawmakers secured a provision within the bill stating that "no further extension or establishment of national parks or monuments in Wyoming may be undertaken except by express authorization of the Congress." While this provision will protect Wyoming from the potential impacts of the DOI's leaked monument proposal, it does not mean Congress should fail to hold the Administration's feet to the fire on how, why, and with whom they are developing such a sweeping plan to lock-up from public use more than 10 million acres of public lands.
For that reason, I have joined the efforts of Representatives Doc Hastings (R-WA), Rob Bishop (R-UT) and others in demanding that DOI come clean on how this proposal was developed, which outside groups took part in its development, and the status of the each potential designation listed in the draft document. I believe that public input, particularly from the area most directly affected, is an absolutely vital step in public land management decisions. The Administration's latest proposal stands in direct contrast to that time-tested philosophy.
Be assured I will continue to work to protect the multiple-use approach to public lands in the West to which Wyoming and its people have become, as well as halt the progress of this misguided proposal in particular. Again, thank you for your comments.
Sincerely,
z
Cynthia M. Lummis
Member of Congress
