On Aug. 8, President Joe Biden established a national monument in northern Arizona, designating nearly 1 million acres of land under the Antiquities Act. The move marks the fifth national monument created by Biden.
Cattle groups have denounced the designation, calling it a presidential land grab. “This kind of use of the Antiquities Act is one of the most appallingly political moves to lock up millions of acres of land across the country,” said National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Todd Wilkinson in a statement. “Today’s latest designation follows a concerning trend of Washington politicians trampling local communities, land managers, farmers, and ranchers with the stroke of a pen.”
The monument, now coined the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument, comprises three areas to the north and south of the Grand Canyon National Park, totaling about 917,618 acres of federal lands. Land will continue to be managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management.
The feds say the national monument is in an area considered sacred by many Tribes in the Southwest, and the designation builds on decades of efforts to recognize and conserve the lands.
“President Biden’s action honors the commitment of the Indigenous peoples that have long held this place sacred and preserves the area’s important historic, scientific, natural and recreational benefits for all Americans,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said.
The Public Lands Council said it has long opposed “overreach” under the Antiquities Act, and that they urge monument designations to be supported by local stakeholders and evaluated by Congress. The Antiquities Act authorizes the president to create national monuments on public lands through a presidential proclamation, with no review or public input required.
“While this designation may appear to be a ‘win’ on paper, the new monument comes with no outreach to the public lands ranchers who have stewarded the lands for generations,” said PLC President Mark Roeber. “Decisions like these set land management in the West back by 50 years or more all so President Biden could score a few cheap political points.” — Anna Miller, WLJ managing editor
