Blumenthal, Senators Introduce ANTIQUITIES Act to Protect National Monuments from Trump Administration's Attempts to Roll Back Protections

[WASHINGTON, DC] — Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) joined a group of 18 Democratic senators, led by Senator Tom Udall (D-NM), in introducing legislation to enhance protections for national monuments against the Trump administration’s unprecedented attacks on public lands. The America’s Natural Treasures of Immeasurable Quality Unite, Inspire, and Together Improve the Economies of States (ANTIQUITIES) Act of 2018 reinforces Congress’ intent in the Antiquities Act of 1906: only Congress has the authority to modify a national monument designation. 

“This critically urgent bill ensures that public lands and waters, from the Marine National Monument off the coast of New England, to Utah’s Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, are protected for generations to come,” said Blumenthal. “President Trump’s reckless reduction of national monuments exposes our protected lands to environmental and economic destruction. This legislation will safeguard New England’s pristine marine monument from actions that would jeopardize scientific research, the health of our oceans, and Connecticut’s economy. It will also thwart the Trump Administration’s attempted sellout to industries that prioritize profit over environmental wellbeing.”

“President Trump’s unprecedented attack on public lands is not just an affront to the overwhelming majority of Americans who cherish these precious places — it’s also illegal. This legislation makes it crystal clear that monuments designated through the Antiquities Act of 1906 may not be altered by future presidents because only Congress has the authority to change a national monument designation,” Udall said. "From Rio Grande del Norte, to Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks, to Bears Ears and Grand Staircase, our national monuments enjoy broad support and provide unmatched economic, recreational, and cultural value to New Mexico and the nation. The ANTIQUITIES Act builds upon these existing protections, ensuring that we keep our public lands in public hands and stop the president’s politically motivated attempts to sell off our public lands to the highest-bidding special interests.”

S. 2354, the ANTIQUITIES Act of 2018, protects and enhances national monuments in three main provisions:

• It officially declares Congress’ support for the 51 national monuments established by presidents in both parties between January 1996 and April 2017 under their authority established by the Antiquities Act of 1906.
• It reinforces that existing law clearly states that presidential proclamations designating national monuments are valid and cannot be reduced or diminished, except by an act of Congress.
• It further enhances protections for the presidentially designated national monuments by 1) requiring that they be surveyed, mapped and that management plans be completed in two years—in the same manner as congressionally designated national monuments—and 2) that they receive additional resources to ensure that they will continue to meet their full potential of providing unmatched economic, recreational, and cultural benefits to their states and to the nation.

A summary of the ANTIQUITIES Act of 2018 can be found here. 

The ANTIQUITIES Act comes in response to President Trump’s announcement that he will eliminate 2 million acres of protections for Utah’s Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments — the largest rollback of federally protected lands in American history. Trump took this action despite the fact that Americans across the country overwhelmingly voiced support for keeping the monuments intact. During the administration’s public comment process, over 99 percent of the 2.8 million comments received were in favor of maintaining existing protections for our national monuments.

National monuments and America’s protected public lands help fuel an $887 billion outdoor recreation industry, which sustains 7.6 million jobs and creates $65.3 billion in federal tax revenue and $59.2 billion in local and state tax revenue.

In addition to Blumenthal and Udall, the ANTIQUITIES Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Michael Bennet (D-CO). 

In addition, the five Bears Ears Coalition Tribes (Hopi, Navajo, Ute, Ute Mountain Ute, and Zuni) support the ANTIQUITIES Act of 2018.