[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 54 (Tuesday, April 20, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E712]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 NATIONAL MONUMENT NEPA COMPLIANCE ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES V. HANSEN

                                of utah

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 20, 1999

  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, today I have introduced `The National 
Monument NEPA Compliance Act.'' This Act would enhance public 
participation in the creation of national monuments.
  Two and a half years ago President Clinton created the 1.8 million 
acre Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in the State of Utah. 
This national monument was created in the dark of night. No one from 
Utah knew about it until just before it happened. The public was 
completely excluded from the process.
  This is not the way that public land decisions should be made. The 
public should be allowed to participate in public land decisions.
  This bill would do just that, it would allow the public to 
participate in the national monument designation process. It would 
require the President, through the Secretary of the Interior, to follow 
the National Environmental Policy Act when formulating a national 
monument proposal. Since the preparation of an environmental impact 
statement takes some time, it would call for a 2-year emergency 
withdrawal of the lands in question during deliberations on the 
monument proposal to ensure protection of the resources.
  This bill would not affect the power of the President to create 
national monuments. It would just require him to involve the public in 
the decision process. It would eliminate the clandestine creation of 
national monuments in smoke-filled back rooms. I believe this is a very 
good bill and I hope it will garner bipartisan support.
  I urge my colleagues to cosponsor and support ``The National Monument 
NEPA Compliance Act.'' We need to return public participation to public 
lands management.

                          ____________________