Idaho U.S. Rep. Raul Labrador has introduced a bill to reform the Antiquities Act, with a goal to restrain unilateral presidential power.
Labrador’s National Monument Designation Transparency and Accountability Act requires approval by Congress and any state with a proposed national monument before the President can formally designate a monument. The legislation also requires public input.
The bill follows last week’s executive order by President Donald Trump directing Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to review monuments designated since 1996 and recommend any necessary legislative or administrative changes.
In 1906, Congress passed the Antiquities Act out of concern about theft from archeological sites. Since then, 16 presidents have designated 157 monuments that include 840 million acres of land and marine habitat, sometimes without input from local communities, user groups and Congress.
In the early years of the Antiquities Act, the average size of a national monument was 422 acres. Since 1996, 24 monuments have exceeded 100,000 acres.
Labrador’s bill is the House companion to Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo’s measure introduced in the Senate. Identical legislation was introduced by both Congressmen in 2015.
The bill would require congressional approval of any new national monuments after states act – absent approval, presidents would be barred from designating new monuments. Any future monuments also would have to comply with federal environmental laws.
