    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (2000, Book I)]
    [May 31, 2000]
    [Page 1059]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on the Secretary of the Interior's Recommendation for the
    Creation of New National Monuments
    May 31, 2000

        I am pleased to receive Secretary Babbitt's recommendations today for the creation of new national
    monuments to protect unique Federal lands in Arizona, Colorado, Oregon,
    and Washington.
        As trustee of much of our Nation's natural endowment, the Federal
    Government must do its utmost to ensure lasting protection of our most
    precious lands. That is why I asked the Secretary to identify Federal
    lands most in need of additional protection and why I have exercised my
    authority under the Antiquities Act to grant such protection to some of
    our most cherished landscapes--from California's ancient sequoias to the
    North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
        Each of the areas recommended today represents an exceptional,
    irreplaceable piece of America's natural and cultural heritage. I will
    carefully consider the recommendations and hope to reach a decision on
    them in the near future.