House passes monument reform bill

The House Natural Resources Committee passed H.R. 3990—the National Monument Creation and Protection Act—out of committee last Wednesday. The bill effectively seeks to reform the Antiquities Act. Currently, the Antiquities Act states that a national monument should be “confined to the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected.” The new bill puts specific size limits on potential monuments, though those limits come in tiers. At the lowest level, the bill seeks to cap most monuments at no more than 640 acres. Above that is a proposed monument that is less than 5,000 acres, which would have to be considered under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Proposed monuments between 5,000-10,000 acres would require an environmental impact statement. And a proposed monument between 10,000-85,000 acres would additionally require the approval of the legislatures and governors of the affected states.