BEND, OR -- President Trump has signed an Executive Order that calls for a review of National Monument designations, dating back to 1996. The Cascades-Siskiyou National Monument (pictured) falls within the review; it was designated by President Clinton in 2000 and expanded by President Obama in January. Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Governor Kate Brown, are calling on the Administration to protect the full monument for future generations. They say it helps the state's economy by drawing tourists to the region.
Congressman Greg Walden (R-OR) applauds the decision, saying the monuments lock up land without public input. He's the sponsor of a bill that would require the designations to go through the same process the National Environmental Policy Act requires.
Gena Goodman-Campbell is the Public Lands Coordinator for the Oregon Natural Desert Association (ONDA). She tells KBND News most people don't support a reduction in federal lands. "It is not true that it's a 'land grab.' The Antiquities Act is a law that's been used by Presidents from both parties since it was passed in 1906 to protect these critical resources. And, 90% of Americans actually support the President's ability to protect national monuments." She adds, "The American people already own millions of acres of land. Our public lands are a huge asset for local communities and the vast majority of Americans support keeping our public lands in public hands. This is really a distraction."
The Executive Order asks Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to look at all monuments larger than 100,000 acres and offer recommendations by mid-June. Goodman-Campbell says, "The wonderful thing about public lands is that this is a bipartisan issue. The majority of Americans believe that public lands should stay public because, whether we agree or not on exactly how public lands should be managed, we can agree that we want to have access to our public lands. We want future generations to be able to enjoy public lands in the way we do today."
