[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 129, 114th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9297 of July 10, 2015

Establishment of the Basin and Range National Monument

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

The Basin and Range area of southeastern Nevada is an iconic American
landscape. The area is one of the most undisturbed corners of the
broader Great Basin region, which extends from the Sierra Nevada
Mountains in the west to the Colorado Plateau in the east. The pattern
of basin, fault, and range that characterizes this region creates a
dramatic topography that has inspired inhabitants for thousands of
years. The vast, rugged landscape redefines our notions of distance and
space and brings into sharp focus the will and resolve of the people who
have lived here. The unbroken expanse is an invaluable treasure for our
Nation and will continue to serve as an irreplaceable resource for
archaeologists, historians, and ecologists for generations to come.
Over both geologic and historical time, the Basin and Range area has
been a landscape in motion. The area exemplifies the unique topography
and geologic history of the Great Basin region and has long been the
subject of studies of the tectonic and volcanic mechanisms responsible
for this landscape, including crustal extension, deformation, and
rifting. The thrust and fault block formations found here, along with
the area's stratigraphy, have been instrumental in understanding the
nearly 500 million-year history of the region. Among the geologic
features found in the Basin and Range area are natural arches, caves,
and sheer cliffs that offer stunning vistas. Evidence of the Alamo
bolide impact, a high-velocity impact from space about 367 million years
ago, can also be found here.
Volcanism and magmatism in this area during the Tertiary period
contributed to the formation of numerous mountain ranges that interrupt
the area's basins. The Golden Gate Range runs north-south through the
center of the Basin and Range area, separating Garden Valley in the west
from Coal Valley in the east. The range's block-faulted mountains are
split by alluvial gaps carved by water from the valleys' now-dry lake
beds. The Mount Irish Range in the southern portion of the area is
topped by the steep and rugged 8,743-foot Mount Irish. The Worthington
Mountains in the southwest corner of the Basin and Range area are
composed of sheer limestone ridges reaching an elevation of 8,850 feet.
These mountains were formed by thrust faults and contain at least three
known caves, including the Leviathan Cave, which features stalactites,
stalagmites, flow stones, soda straws, a cave shield, and rim pools.
Data collected from these cave formations has contributed to research of
the area's prehistoric climate.
PROCLAMATION 9297--JULY 10, 2015
PROCLAMATION 9297--JULY 10, 2015
The Basin and Range area spans the transition between the Mojave Desert
and the sagebrush steppe of the Great Basin region. The area is one of
the largest ecologically intact landscapes in the Great Basin region,
providing habitat connectivity and migration corridors for a wide
variety of animal species and affording researchers the ability to
conduct studies over broad scales. At lower elevations, alluvial fans
provide a home for sagebrush communities and mixed desert scrublands,
where visitors can see big sagebrush, black sagebrush, little sagebrush,

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yellow rabbitbrush, saltbush, and mormon tea. Among the herbaceous
species here are Indian ricegrass, Sandberg bluegrass, needlegrass, and
needle and thread. Pockets of native grasslands can be found in Coal
Valley, and the Basin and Range area is home to the endemic White River
catseye. A more arid ecosystem can also be found in some of the lowest
elevations, where cholla, spinystar, Engelmann's hedgehog cactus, Mojave
kingcup cactus, tulip pricklypear, grizzlybear pricklypear, Blaine
fishhook cactus, and other cactus species dominate. At middle
elevations, sagebrush gives way to singleleaf pinyon, Utah juniper,
curl-leaf mountain mahogany, quaking aspen, and other conifers, along
with Idaho fescue and bluebunch wheatgrass. At higher elevations,
ponderosa and limber pines become more common. Bristlecone pines over
2,000 years old stand sentinel in the high peaks of the Worthington
Mountains.
The area provides important habitat for game species including desert
bighorn sheep, mule deer, Rocky Mountain elk, and pronghorn. Other
mammal species, including mountain lion, bobcat, kit fox, cottontail
rabbit, pygmy rabbit, black-tailed jackrabbit, pale kangaroo mouse, and
dark kangaroo mouse, also make their homes here. Many bat species reside
in the Basin and Range area's caves and use its lowlands for foraging.
The area provides habitat for lizards such as the greater short-horned
lizard, desert spiny lizard, yellow-backed spiny lizard, Great Basin
collared lizard, common zebra-tailed lizard, long-nosed leopard lizard,
Great Basin fence lizard, northern sagebrush lizard, common side-
blotched lizard, desert horned lizard, Great Basin skink, and Great
Basin whiptail, and likely habitat for gila monsters. Snakes including
the desert nightsnake, Great Basin rattlesnake, long-nosed snake,
Sonoran mountain kingsnake, striped whipsnake, ringneck snake, gopher
snake, and western terrestrial garter snake also make their home in this
area. Great Basin spadefoot toads, western toads, and Baja California
treefrogs can also be found in the area.
A number of bird species grace the landscape. These include game species
such as the chukar, Gambel's quail, and a variety of dove and pigeon
species. The dry basins provide habitat for sage thrasher, Brewer's
sparrow, and western burrowing owl. Numerous bird species inhabit the
Worthington Mountains, including pinyon jay, Clark's nutcracker,
mountain bluebird, loggerhead shrike, and green-tailed towhee, along
with raptors including golden eagles, Cooper's hawks, and ferruginous
hawks.
The land tells the story of a rich cultural tradition. From the earliest
human inhabitants 13,000 years ago, to miners and ranchers in the past
century and a half, to a modern artist in recent decades, the area's
residents have created and maintain notable legacies. The earliest
Paleo-Indian inhabitants of the Basin and Range area exploited food
sources along the shores of now-dry lakes. These nomadic people left
important traces of their presence, including a rare obsidian Clovis
point in the Coal Valley Water Gap and a succession of significant
campsites and artifacts around the prehistoric Coal Valley Lake.
Starting about 8,000 years ago, a drier, warmer climate forced
inhabitants to move beyond the lake beds to take advantage of the rock
shelters, caves, and springs that dot the landscape. These people, from
the Desert Archaic to the Fremont people about 1,500 years ago, to
ancestors of the Western Shoshone and Southern Paiute Tribes about 1,000
years ago, used the land in accordance with seasonal changes in for

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aging and hunting resources. Similar to their Paleo-Indian predecessors,
these cultural groups lacked intensive settlements in this area but left
a rich archaeological record, including the excavated Civa Shelter II in
the Golden Gate Range. Occupied first by the Fremont people about 1,400
years ago, the cave was later intermittently used by the Shoshone, who
left a diverse set of artifacts, including worked bone, shell beads,
seed processing equipment, animal remains, clay stockpiles, and over 100
projectile points, suggesting pronounced and extended use for hunting,
gathering, and pottery making.
In the south and southeastern reaches of the Basin and Range area, early
humans' stories are told at numerous petroglyph sites, including rock
art in the White River Narrows Historic District, Mount Irish
Archaeological Area, and the Shooting Gallery rock art site. Listed in
the National Register of Historic Places, the White River Narrows
Archaeological District represents one of the largest concentrations of
prehistoric rock art in eastern Nevada and includes panels dating back
4,000 years and contains the northernmost known examples of the
Pahranagat style of rock art. Both the Mount Irish Archaeological Site
and the Shooting Gallery area are well known for bighorn sheep motifs,
among other styles of rock art. Additionally, the rock features of the
Shooting Gallery area may have been used by early inhabitants as hunting
blinds. Much of the Basin and Range area has not been comprehensively
studied for archaeological resources, though recent surveys suggest that
additional resources may be found across the area. Protection of the
area will therefore provide important opportunities for archaeologists
and historians to further study and understand the evolving relationship
between this unique landscape and its human inhabitants.
The Basin and Range area was mostly unknown to European-Americans until
the 1820s, when explorers and fur trappers first visited, including
Jedediah Smith, part-owner of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company and
arguably the most famous of the ``Mountain Men.'' Mormon settlers came
to the area in the mid-19th century. About the same time, the explorer,
politician, and military officer John C. Fremont traversed this area
while surveying for a transcontinental railroad. Mining began in the
area in the 1860s when, reportedly, Native Americans escorted
prospectors out to ore veins in outcroppings in the north end of the
Worthington Mountains. Here the miners established what was originally
called the Worthington Mining District, and subsequently renamed the
Freiberg Mining District. The silver, lead, zinc, copper, and tungsten
deposits found there supported modest historical production. Head
frames, mining cabins, and other structures associated with the region's
mining history can be found in the Mount Irish area. Explorer and
conservationist John Muir reported that he holed up in a canyon in the
Golden Gate Range for a week in 1878. During the late 19th century,
Basque and other ranchers brought sheep and cattle ranching into Garden
Valley, and ranching remains to this day.
The location of a recent work of land art in the Basin and Range area
reflects the rugged landscape and confirms its importance as a unique
geologic area. The artist Michael Heizer chose the area for his work
City, begun in 1972 and now nearing completion. Sitting on privately-
held land in Garden Valley, City is one of the most ambitious examples
of the distinctively American land art movement. Built into and out of
the vast undeveloped expanse of Garden Valley, the work combines

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modern abstract architecture and engineering with ancient American
aesthetic influences on a monumental scale, roughly the size of the
National Mall, and evokes the architectural forms of ancient
Mesoamerican ceremonial cities like Teotihuacan and Chichen Itza. The
presence of City in this stark and silent landscape provides the visitor
a distinctive lens through which to experience and interact with Garden
Valley.
The protection of the Basin and Range area will preserve its cultural,
prehistoric, and historic legacy and maintain its diverse array of
natural and scientific resources, ensuring that the prehistoric,
historic, and scientific values of this area remain for the benefit of
all Americans.
WHEREAS, section 320301 of title 54, United States Code (known as the
``Antiquities Act''), authorizes the President, in his discretion, to
declare by public proclamation historic landmarks, historic and
prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific
interest that are situated upon the lands owned or controlled by the
Federal Government to be national monuments, and to reserve as a part
thereof parcels of land, the limits of which in all cases shall be
confined to the smallest area compatible with the proper care and
management of the objects to be protected;
WHEREAS, it is in the public interest to preserve the objects of
scientific and historic interest on the Basin and Range lands;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, by the authority vested in me by section 320301 of title 54,
United States Code, hereby proclaim the objects identified above that
are situated upon lands and interests in lands owned or controlled by
the Federal Government to be the Basin and Range National Monument
(monument) and, for the purpose of protecting those objects, reserve as
part thereof all lands and interests in lands owned or controlled by the
Federal Government within the boundaries described on the accompanying
map, which is attached to and forms a part of this proclamation. These
reserved Federal lands and interests in lands encompass approximately
704,000 acres. The boundaries described on the accompanying map are
confined to the smallest area compatible with the proper care and
management of the objects to be protected.
All Federal lands and interests in lands within the boundaries of the
monument are hereby appropriated and withdrawn from all forms of entry,
location, selection, sale, or other disposition under the public land
laws, from location, entry, and patent under the mining laws, and from
disposition under all laws relating to mineral and geothermal leasing,
other than by exchange that furthers the protective purposes of the
monument.
The establishment of the monument is subject to valid existing rights.
If the Federal Government acquires any lands or interests in lands not
owned or controlled by the Federal Government within the boundaries
described on the accompanying map, such lands and interests in lands
shall be reserved as a part of the monument, and objects identified
above that are situated upon those lands and interests in lands shall be
part of the monument, upon acquisition of ownership or control by the
Federal Government.

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The Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) shall manage the monument
through the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) as a unit of the National
Landscape Conservation System, pursuant to applicable legal authorities
to protect the objects identified above.
For purposes of the care and management of the objects identified above,
the Secretary, through BLM, shall within 3 years of the date of this
proclamation prepare and maintain a management plan for the monument and
shall provide for maximum public involvement in the development of that
plan including, but not limited to, consultation with State, tribal, and
local governments.
Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to limit the authority of
the Secretary, under applicable law other than this proclamation, to
undertake or authorize activities on public land in the vicinity of the
sculpture City for the purpose of preventing harm to the artwork,
including activities to improve drainage and to prevent erosion,
consistent with the care and management of the objects identified above.
The management plan for the monument shall provide for reasonable use of
existing roads within the monument to facilitate public access to City.
Except for emergency or authorized administrative purposes, motorized
vehicle use in the monument shall be permitted only on roads existing as
of the date of this proclamation. Non-motorized mechanized vehicle use
shall be permitted only on roads and trails designated for their use
consistent with the care and management of the objects identified above.
The Secretary shall prepare a transportation plan that designates the
roads and trails where motorized or non-motorized mechanized vehicle use
will be permitted.
Except as necessary for the care and management of the objects
identified above or for the purpose of permitted livestock grazing, no
new rights-of-way for electric transmission or transportation shall be
authorized within the monument. Other rights-of-way may be authorized
only if consistent with the care and management of the objects
identified above.
Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to enlarge or diminish the
rights of any Indian tribe. The Secretary shall, to the maximum extent
permitted by law and in consultation with Indian tribes, ensure the
protection of Indian sacred sites and cultural sites in the monument and
provide access to the sites by members of Indian tribes for traditional
cultural and customary uses, consistent with the American Indian
Religious Freedom Act (42 U.S.C. 1996) and Executive Order 13007 of May
24, 1996 (Indian Sacred Sites).
Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to affect authorizations
for livestock grazing, or administration thereof, on Federal lands
within the monument. Livestock grazing within the monument shall
continue to be governed by laws and regulations other than this
proclamation.
This proclamation does not alter or affect the valid existing water
rights of any party, including the United States. This proclamation does
not reserve water as a matter of Federal law.
Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to enlarge or diminish the
jurisdiction of the State of Nevada, including its jurisdiction and
authority with respect to fish and wildlife management.

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Nothing in this proclamation shall preclude low-level overflights of
military aircraft, the designation of new units of special use airspace,
or the use or establishment of military flight training routes over the
lands reserved by this proclamation. Nothing in this proclamation shall
preclude air or ground access for: (i) emergency response; (ii) existing
or new electronic tracking and communications; (iii) landing and drop
zones; and (iv) readiness training by Air Force, Joint, and Coalition
forces, including training using motorized vehicles both on- and off-
road, in accordance with applicable interagency agreements. Nothing in
this proclamation shall preclude the Secretary of Defense from entering
into new or renewed agreements with the Secretary of the Interior
concerning these uses, consistent with the care and management of the
objects to be protected.
Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to revoke any existing
withdrawal, reservation, or appropriation; however, the monument shall
be the dominant reservation.
Warning is hereby given to all unauthorized persons not to appropriate,
injure, destroy, or remove any feature of the monument and not to locate
or settle upon any of the lands thereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this tenth day of July,
in the year of our Lord two thousand fifteen, and of the Independence of
the United States of America the two hundred and fortieth.
BARACK OBAMA



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