The issue of National Monument designation and the Antiquities Act could be an issue of major contention in the House Natural Resources Committee this Congress. During President Obama’s final days in office, he announced three new monument designations and the expansion of two existing monuments, including the expansion of the California Coastal National Monument.
As a result, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop (R-Utah) stated that his Committee is planning to look at options to roll back any monument designations that were done without local support. In contrast, the House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raul Grijalva (D-Arizona) traveled this week to New Mexico to tour newly-designated monuments in the state and indicated that he will be looking for ways to protect the Antiquities Act. In addition, legislation has been introduced in the Senate by Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) that would require Congressional approval of national monuments and restrictions on the use of national monuments, to establish requirements for the declaration of marine national monuments.