Exploring America's National Monuments

Of the many powers granted to the President of the United States, one of the most impactful is the ability to designate an area a national monument. The Antiquities Act of 1906 gave the president this power, and it has been used 121 times since then, averaging over one new national monument dedicated for every year the act has been in place. Whereas wilderness designation requires congressional approval, the president can unilaterally create a national monument, and conservationists are increasingly seeing this as a stepping stone to eventual wilderness protection, the most stringent of our land use protections.

Notably, President Barack Obama has made extensive use of the Antiquities Act, more so than any previous president. In all, he has created or expanded 23 national monuments during his two terms, protecting over 2 million acres of public land. Most recently, on February 12, 2016, President Obama designated three new national monuments in the deserts of southwestern United States, Sand to Snow, Mojave Trails, and Castle Mountains. 

National monuments can be historical sites, large tracts of open land, and even old military installations. They are managed by different government agencies, but the majority are managed by the National Park Service.

Washington

• Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. Southwestern Washington. Designated in 1982.
• San Juan Islands National Monument. Near Bellingham. Designated in 2013.

Oregon

• John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. Near Prineville. Designated in 1974. 
• Newberry Volcanic National Monument. Near Bend. Designated in 1990.

California

• Cabrillo National Monument. Near San Diego. Designated in 1913.
• Devils Postpile National Monument. Near Mammoth Lakes. Designated in 1911.
• Fort Ord National Monument. Near Monterey. Designated in 2012.
• Lava Beds National Monument. Northern California. Designated in 1925.
• Muir Woods National Monument. Near San Francisco. Designated in 1908.
• San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. Near Pasadena. Designated in 2014.

Idaho

• Craters of the Moon National Monument. Near Idaho Falls and Twin Falls. Designated in 1924.

Arizona

• Canyon de Chelly National Monument. In Navajo Nation. Designated in 1931.
• Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. Near Phoenix. Designated in 1918.
• Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. In Southern Utah and Northern Arizona. Designated in 2000. 

New Mexico

• White Sands National Monument. Near Las Cruces. Designated in 1933.

Utah

• Cedar Breaks National Monument. Near Cedar City. Designated in 1933.
• Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Southern Utah. Designated in 1996.
• Timpanogos Cave National Monument. Near Salt Lake City. Designated in 1922.

Colorado

• Colorado National Monument. Near Grand Junction. Designated in 1911.