On Wednesday, Donald Trump signed an executive order placing some national monuments under review. The executive order gives Secretary of the Interior, Ryan Zinke, the power to review over 100,000 acres of national monuments established after 1996. Trump reasons that, while the national parks are generating about $32 billion in revenue and supporting about 300,000 jobs across the nation, their lack of contribution to the race to exhaust more natural resources renders them useless.
Teddy Roosevelt’s Antiquities Act both protects the national monuments of the country from destruction and alteration under federal law and allows presidents to establish new ones, but does not say anything about revoking or modifying national monument status. The Antiquities Act has been used by presidents, time and again, to leave a positive mark on the nation. Tourists, year after year, flock to parks like Yosemite, The Grand Canyon, and Yellowstone.
The national monuments are among the most cherished establishments in America; but, if Trump has his way, that may all change.
Trump has concluded that reexamining the parks will end what he believes has been “an egregious use of government power”; he really believes that destroying the national parks will make the people happy. He sees the creation of national monuments as a “land grab”, and intends to free it up to give the people more of a voice regarding the appropriate use of federal lands. In “freeing up” this land, Trump will leave local ecosystems and wildlife at the mercy of corporate oil drillers and commercial construction businesses, both of whom we can be certain will not show mercy.
Though Trump may not revoke every park of its national monument status, we cannot assume he will protect them. He’s already proposed measures that would roll back regulations on water pollution and oil drilling in our parks, indicating his priority of business over environmental protection. The national parks are not only beautiful feats of nature, but educational resources that help schools teach the importance of a green and sustainable future. Our parks are being threatened, and it’s up to us to fight back in whatever ways we can. If you have ever been to a national monument and enjoyed it, be sure to voice your opinion to your representatives. If you would like to further involve yourself with the national monuments, you can donate here or find a local park to volunteer at here.
