From a Web site: Fifteen Presidents have designated National Monuments. President Bill Clinton designated 19 National Monuments, followed by Theodore Roosevelt with 17, then Jimmy Carter with 15. Presidents Nixon, Reagan, and George H.W. Bush are the only Presidents who have not created National Monuments.
My error, looking further, the White House Historical Association lists monuments and parks creating by virtually every president, including Reagan. This is bipartisan. Presidents love creating and visiting parks and monuments.
With all the “prime” sites (National Parks etc.) long ago protected, the new National Monuments (post-1980s let’s say) have less and less rationale, even as Clinton and Obama scooped up absolutely vast amounts of acreage.
Just for example, in addition to the 1.6 million acres that Obozo just locked away, when Clinton created the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument in Utah he locked away nearly TWO MILLION acres from energy development (e.g. coal), etc., just for an example. This is an area larger than the state of Delaware, with major energy resources.
This is no distinct “monument” or specific historic site under the original intention of the Act — it is a vast acreage which the federal govt has locked away. I’m all for the National Parks in the most scenic sites of the continent, but to continue to lock up ever vaster acreage of (generally) far less significant terrain is simply unreasonable.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Staircase-Escalante_National_Monument
With all the “prime” sites (National Parks etc.) long ago protected, the new National Monuments (post-1980s let’s say) have less and less rationale, even as Clinton and Obama scooped up absolutely vast amounts of acreage.
Just for example, in addition to the 1.6 million acres that Obozo just locked away, when Clinton created the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument in Utah he locked away nearly TWO MILLION acres from energy development (e.g. coal), etc., just for an example. This is an area larger than the state of Delaware, with major energy resources.
This is no distinct “monument” or specific historic site under the original intention of the Act — it is a vast acreage which the federal govt has locked away. I’m all for the National Parks in the most scenic sites of the continent, but to continue to lock up ever vaster acreage of (generally) far less significant terrain is simply unreasonable.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Staircase-Escalante_National_Monument