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President Obama on Tuesday created new national monuments in a sacred tribal site in southeastern Utah and in a swath of Nevada desert, after years of political fights over the fate of the sites. The designations further cement Obama’s environmental legacy as one of the most consequential — and contentious — in presidential history. He now has invoked his executive power to create national monuments 29 times during his tenure, establishing or expanding protections for more than 550 million acres of federal lands and waters. Environmental groups have praised the conservation efforts, but critics say they amount to a federal...

Western lands activists are urging Donald Trump to test the limits of executive power by revoking millions of acres that President Obama set aside as national monuments, setting up a landmark legal battle over one of the nation’s most frequently used environmental protections. Such a step would be historic. No president has undesignated a national monument created by his predecessor, and it’s unclear whether he has the authority to do so. But Obama administration critics say now is the time to try to establish a precedent. They say Mr. Obama has wildly abused presidential power in using the 1906 Antiquities...

This past Monday marked the 20th anniversary of President Bill Clinton using the Antiquities Act to create the 1.5 million-acre Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in southern Utah. For most Utahns, this date is not a cause for celebration. It’s a source of anger toward what many see as an out-of-touch and overbearing federal government Infamously, the Clinton administration failed to notify the people of Utah prior to announcing the monument designation—probably because the administration knew that nearly everyone in the state was opposed to the idea. Utah’s congressional delegation, state and county leaders, and local residents all warned that a...

President Barack Obama has designated five new national monuments, using executive authority to protect historic or ecologically significant sites. Vice President Joe Biden and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar joined Obama Monday in the Oval Office as he signed five proclamations designating the sites under the Antiquities Act. The ceremony was closed to reporters. The sites are Rio Grande del Norte National Monument in New Mexico; First State National Monument in Delaware; Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument in Maryland; Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument in Ohio; and San Juan Islands National Monument in Washington state.

Per Fox... United Nations "diplomats" have concluded a tour of the U.S., speaking to Indian tribes in six states. According to Fox, many of the tribes involved told the UN they need the UN's help in reclaiming "ancestral sacred land," included in which would be the Mt. Rushmore monument and surrounding national park. One is left to wonder just what changes to Mt. Rushmore would then be made. The Obama Administration was reportedly responsible for arranging the UN tour. Just in time for the 2012 elections. Your $3B/year UN dues at work.

This week marks the beginning of the end of the long national nightmare known as the 111th Congress.  Republicans were given a second chance—by default—through a national effort to stop the destructive Obama/Pelosi/Reid agenda. House Republicans are poised to begin making the same kind of business-as-usual mistakes that relegated the party to minority status in 2006.  The most glaring example is the looming threat of having Rep. Fred Upton (RINO-Mich.) become chairman of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee, despite his liberal voting record, simply because he’s next in line.  If there is one thing voters made absolutely clear...

Don't you wonder what ELSE McCain has been up to since he bought his Arizona senate seat AGAIN????? Time will tell! (Yes..I said bought...about $75.00 per vote!) Sept. 7, 2010 - Twenty-three Senators gave their support to a deceptive bill S.B. 1689 that will, among other things, create an illegal immigration superhighway, remove access to natural resources, and strip ranchers of their grazing rights, all under the excuse of “preserving” wilderness. 23 voted to move S.B. 1689 to the floor including, McCain, Alexander, Landrieu, and Lincoln. Headline: Senators support illegal immigration super highway SB 1689 [snip]When New Mexico's Senators Jeff...

... But the word “secret,” especially when applied to the possible doings of far-away federal bureaucrats, is right up there with “monument” in its ability to unleash vitriol among Western conservatives. In 1996, President Bill Clinton created the 1.7 million-acre Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in southern Utah with a surprise announcement that still resonates across the region as a symbol of government powers, or what critics call the abuse of those powers. The new Interior Department memorandum, people in both parties said, has reopened a wound from those days that never quite healed. “Given the lingering frustration felt by many...

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel received an earful from Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch on Friday, one day after a leaked administration memo indicated the president was considering naming two new national monuments in the state. Hatch's office said the senator called Emanuel to complain about the potential unilateral action and Emanuel promised to provide an official response after consulting with Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. "I made very clear to him that if the Administration goes down this road, it will meet absolute outrage and opposition from across the state and from me representing Utah in the United States...

PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) has formally objected to a process being developed by the Obama Administration to potentially designate as many as 13 million acres of public and private land as National Monument. The designation, currently being considered by the Department of Interior (DOI), would occur with no public debate. "As the nation's largest organization advocating for the rights of America's estimated 20 million motorcyclists, the AMA is delivering the message that any measure to restrict our right to recreate responsibly on public land must be considered in the light of day," said AMA Vice President...

So you thought the creation of the NLCS was just so BLM could do a better job of managing special lands already under their control. That's how the program was sold. To better manage 27 million acres. Well we all better think again. The document I'm about to describe provides for the BLM to have 14 new monuments on existing BLM land and acquire at the very least 2.6 million acres to add to the NLCS. I am in possession of part of a DOI document marked "Internal Draft - NOT FOR RELEASE". The part I have is pgs. 15-21,...

Link post: provided to Free Republic News/Activism section to draw the attention of interested readers; discussion of these images should take place in the FR "chat" section at the link below. Geology Pictures of the Week, November 2-8, 2003

Earthjustice: National Monuments Upheld by Supreme Court; Court Refuses to Hear Case Seeking to Strip Monuments Designation 10/6/03 7:01:00 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To: National Desk, Environment Reporter Contact: Earthjustice attorney Jim Angell, 303-996-9621 or Earthjustice attorney Michael Sherwood, 510-550-6700 WASHINGTON, Oct. 6 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The U.S. Supreme Court today turned down a request by a county government and extreme right wing groups asking it to strip protection from seven national monuments. The high court let stand two separate appeals court rulings finding the creation of the monuments by the Clinton administration was a legal use of the Antiquities Act....

<p>WASHINGTON (AP) --  The Supreme Court refused Monday to consider overturning former President Clinton's orders protecting more than 2 million acres of federal land in five Western states.</p> <p>Clinton used a century-old law to create national monuments in places like California's Sequoia National Forest. Timber interests, recreation groups and Tulare County, Calif. argued at the Supreme Court that the restrictions on timbering there have been harmful.</p>

WASHINGTON — Land rights advocates (search) are scratching their heads as to why the White House has asked the Supreme Court not to hear two cases challenging seven controversial national monuments named by President Clinton in the waning days of his administration. During his race for president in 2000, then-Gov. George W. Bush campaigned against the monuments, giving hope to many western landowners who found their private property subject to strict federal protections. Three years later, the monuments remain, encompassing millions of acres of land in places like Montana, Oregon, Nevada and Idaho, where the government already owns huge chunks...

Why Do Conservatives Continue To Support The Republican Party? By Chuck Baldwin August 1, 2003 It should be obvious to every rational person that the Republican Party has totally lost whatever conservative moorings it had. Since seizing control of the federal government and many state governments, Republicans have consistently promoted bigger and bigger government, have betrayed virtually every conservative cause, and have broken virtually every conservative promise. Even columnist George Will observed that under President Bush, conservatism has developed "an identity crisis." However, the greater crisis is the willingness of grassroots conservatives to continue to support such a party. Since...

U.S. Newswire 24 Apr 16:26 To: National Desk Contact: Mark Pfeifle or John Wright, 202-208-6416, both of the Department of the Interior WASHINGTON, April 24 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton announced today her intention to develop plans managing the national monuments established under the department's jurisdiction in 2000 and 2001. "It's important that we begin the process of developing plans for managing these national treasures," Norton said. "While I share concerns about the way in which these monuments were created, it's our job now to see that we develop land use plans in an open, inclusive...