Congress has introduced S 33 which states "To provide for congressional approval of national monuments and restrictions on the use of national monuments, to establish requirements for the declaration of marine national monuments, and for other purposes."

Congress wants to have the final say in what areas are to be designated National Moments. They are taking a big step backwards to the way it was when the Antiquities Act was signed by Teddy Roosevelt in 1906. We do not want to see that happen! Congress will keep these lands tied up in red tape instead of preserving them. Also, what do they mean "for other purposes".? We know that they want to open the parks for oil exploration and or production, which destroys land and can pollute ground water. Could there be fracking, mining, strip mining, who knows?

Click this link to read the current bill: https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senat...

Currently Section 2 of the Antiquities Act Reads:

Section 2 of the statute gives the President the authority to set aside for protection "...historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest that are situated upon the lands owned or controlled by the Government of the United States..." These protected areas were then designated as "national monuments" and the federal agencies assigned to oversee them were required to afford proper care and management of the resources. This section of the statute provided an additional tool for Progressive politicians and their supporters to determine the uses of public lands and resources in the rational, conservation-oriented manner they favored (see Rothman 1989:52-71).

Please sign this Petition to tell Congress that we want the President to still have this authority and for this not be the first step in trying to take back the National Monuments that President Obama signed while in office and/or any other Presidents for that matter. We don't want Congress to take these land back only to give it to private organizations and/or oil companies that will not protect these places. Let's PROTECT our National Treasures!

A letter will be forwarded to Congress expressing our concern and to vote NO on this measure.