[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Page 6141]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            ANTIQUITIES ACT

  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, apparently the Trump administration 
couldn't let its first 100 days go by without going after America's 
National Monuments. Anybody who cares about protecting some of the 
greatest treasures in Oregon and across the country ought to be 
worried.
  The President is lining up an Executive order requiring a review of 
the boundaries of all National Monuments designated since 1996. It 
might sound bureaucratic, but it is more than that. The President's 
Executive order is a short-sighted attempt to roll back protections for 
some of America's most cherished landscapes.
  The Executive order flies in the face of a century-old tradition that 
has ensured generations of Americans can enjoy natural treasures like 
the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument in my home State.
  Colleagues, for over 100 years, Presidents from both parties have 
used authority granted by the Antiquities Act to permanently protect 
special Federal lands as National Monuments, to preserve natural, 
cultural, and historic values for the benefit of everyone. Two of 
Oregon's most cherished areas were established as National Monuments 
through the Antiquities Act: Oregon Caves and Cascade-Siskiyou. Both of 
these areas have a remarkable diverse range of biological, geological, 
and historic objects.
  I am proud to have worked with President Clinton to establish the 
original boundaries of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument in 2000. 
I am proud to have worked with Senator Merkley to expand the monument 
earlier this year and to expand the boundary of the Oregon Caves 
National Monument in 2014.
  There are two important points to make about this debate.
  First, it is important that the individuals who live near and 
recreate on these lands have an opportunity to make their voices heard. 
As public lands everywhere, they ultimately belong to all of the 
people.
  Some people, the President included, say these monuments are an 
example of overreach and designated without the right process.
  On this issue, the President is wrong. These monuments are not the 
result of administrative overreach. The boundaries of these monuments 
are based on years of collaboration between the administration, States, 
and local stakeholders.
  The second point to make is about rural economies. National 
Monuments, National Parks, and public lands across the United States 
are important economic generators for rural communities.
  According to a report released just this week, public lands generate 
billions of dollars in consumer spending and millions of jobs every 
year. In Oregon, the outdoor recreation economy generated $12.8 billion 
in consumer spending in 2012 and over 140,000 direct jobs. Nationally, 
the numbers are even bigger; in 2012, the outdoor rec economy generated 
$889 billion nationwide and over 7 and a half million jobs.
  Colleagues, there is an agenda behind this Executive order, and it 
puts some of our greatest outdoor treasures and a lot of jobs in 
danger.
  Some members of this administration--including the Secretary of the 
Interior--have said the right things about public lands, and that was 
reassuring to millions of people who care about recreation. I hope it 
wasn't just talk, and I certainly hope the President's Executive order 
is not the first step in dismantling America's National Monuments and 
public lands.

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