Hardy amendment for national monument transparency, local input adopted

Press Release

An amendment by Congressman Cresent Hardy (NV-4) to mandate transparency and local input for national monument designations under the Antiquities Act, in counties where there is significant local opposition, was adopted today into H.R. 2822, the FY16 Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill.

Following adoption of the amendment, Congressman Hardy issued the following statement:

"This is a big victory for local communities whose concerns are often ignored by politicians eager to leave a legacy or pull favors for their friends by setting aside huge tracts of land," Hardy said. "Nevada's rural county economies are particularly sensitive, and any decisions that restrict ranching, recreation or other types of land use activities should have as much local input as possible. In Nevada, where roughly 85 percent of the land is controlled by the federal government, this is an important step that will give much-needed protection in our state and other Western states that face similar challenges. I strongly support our nation's public lands. As an active hunter and outdoorsman, I marvel at the beauty of our landscapes, the unique flora, and abundant animal species that roam our terrain. But a recent, prominent example demonstrating the need for this amendment is the Administration's draft proclamation to establish the "Basin and Range National Monument' on more than 700,000 acres of land in Lincoln and Nye counties in my district. The sheer size of the proposed monument is staggering -- as large as many Eastern states. This is about empowering local communities and local stakeholders most affected by monument designations, and will increase transparency, allow for local input, and provide for improved management of our public lands. It will also fulfill our responsibility to ensure that these communities have a legitimate voice in the process. I thank my colleagues, Congressmen Rob Bishop (UT-01), Trent Franks (AZ-08), Paul Gosar (AZ-04), Doug LaMalfa (CA-01), Doug Lamborn (CO-05), Steve Pearce (NM-02), Chris Stewart (UT-02), Scott Tipton (CO-03), and Greg Walden (OR-02), for their support of this amendment, which holds promise for their states as it does for Nevada."

In debate on the amendment yesterday evening, prior to adoption, Congressman Bishop, chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, stated his support for the initiative, and emphasized how it brought much-needed clarity to the outdated Antiquities Act.

"The Antiquities Act was passed over a century ago, in 1906, when four states weren't even in the union at that time; they were still territories," Bishop said. "[The Antiquities Act] was not used by every president. […] It was used as a political weapon, and abused as a political weapon. The saddest part is there is absolutely no input that has to be guaranteed by this act. […] The people in the counties that are designated in this amendment need to have the right to have some input in how land decisions are [made] in this area. This is what this amendment does. Give them a chance to be heard, because under the present Antiquities Act, they are not heard."

Congressman Gosar, upon adoption of the amendment, issued the following statement expressing his concerns for how Arizona could be affected by a national monument designation by the president:

"Arizona has experienced significant harm from special land use designations like this in the past. Important economic activities and multiple-use recreation currently takes place on these lands and has for generations. A unilateral declaration of the nearly two million acres in the Grand Canyon Watershed as a National Monument would stifle development, kill jobs and erode the extensive cooperation and success that federal and state agencies in Arizona have achieved to date. The House took bold action today by passing the Hardy-Gosar amendment that will ensure local stakeholder input and prevent executive land grabs in counties throughout the country," Gosar said.

Congressman Stewart also issued a statement upon adoption of the amendment, praising the move to give local communities increased input in the process:

"I applaud the passage of Mr. Hardy's amendment to the Interior Department funding bill. Over the years, the original intent of the Antiquities Act has morphed into huge Presidential land grabs with no input from Congress or the local communities most impacted by the designations. This amendment prevents the use of the Antiquities Act in areas that are more likely to be affected. Any designations on our lands should happen with local input -- not through the Antiquities Act," Stewart said.

The amendment would not defund the Antiquities Act in its entirety. Rather, it is a targeted approach that simply prevents proposed monument designations from proceeding in those jurisdictions where local stakeholders have expressed opposition and their desire for increased intergovernmental collaboration