Risch, Crapo seek to rein in monuments
The sheer volume of national monuments being established and expanded by the outgoing Obama Administration adds renewed urgency to pass new federal legislation mandating local input and approval into the process. Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch have reintroduced legislation to limit Presidential power related to the designation of national monuments.
More than a million acres of new monument designations in western states were added in a single day last December 28th and the White House locked up tens of thousands of additional acres just this week. S. 132, the National Monuments Designation Transparency and Accountability Act, seeks to increase localized input regarding monument decisions by requiring legislation authorizing the decision from any state in which a proposed monument is located. The bill would also require congressional approval for new monument designations.
“Regardless of your opinion on this use of presidential power, the outgoing Administration has locked up more acres of public land for monument designation than any in history, Crapo said. “These designations can be made with no input from local residents, elected leaders and those who use the public lands and their representatives in Congress. This recent activity makes this legislation more important than ever.”
“This legislation would allow for greater transparency in the monument designation process and would allow Idahoans to have greater input on monument proposals,” Risch said. “Further, congressional authorization would be required before any national monument can be declared on public land, which would prevent the president from designating a monument based on the administration’s agenda”/ News release from offices of U.S. Sens. Mike Crapo and Jim Risch.
