New Senate Bills to Address Continued Abuse of the Antiquities Act

Yesterday two bills were introduced in the U.S. Senate that would address the deficiencies in the Antiquities Act of 1906 that has been used by President Obama to lock away millions of acres across the country. Senator Murkowski introduced S. 437 Improved National Monument Designation Process Act and Senator Flake introduced S.1415 that would limit the authority to reserve water rights in designating a national monument. Public Lands Council Executive Director Ethan Lane says
Lane: We’ve been working with Congress on a solution for the administration’s abuse of the Antiquities Act all of this year. So we’re really glad to see some substantive legislative action finally start to move on this issue.”
Lane says ranchers need to call their senators in support of these two bills.
Lane: “I think it is critically important particularly we know that Congress doesn’t always function the way it is suppose to — so as we head into the end of the year here — it is critically important that ranchers call their congressional representatives and their senators. Be a nuisance. Let them know what you think. Let them know how important these issues are. Make sure that they have these at the top of their priority list.”
Recently there have been several large national monument designations I asked Lane what the total acres of designation has been for President Obama since he has been in office. He says
Lane: “We pay attention to this and he has made so many lately, we’re losing track. What I heard this morning from Senator Murkowski was 535 million acres of land and water locked off so far.”