Editor's note: Maureen Finnerty, chair of the Coalition to Protect America's Parks, maintains that it would be a mistake to prevent presidents from using the Antiquities Act as they see fit.
We have dedicated ourselves to this cause because we know that our parks and public lands represent the very best of America; they are the places that preserve our wondrous natural and cultural heritage and truly allow us to know and appreciate our nation's unique and diverse story.
For example, a provision in the pending House Interior appropriations legislation would bar any president from using the Antiquities Act for all time, in large swaths of the scenic West. Also in the House of Representatives, the chairman of the Natural Resources Committee, Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah), has declared the Antiquities Act evil in the flesh, and promises to enact legislation soon to cripple this key tool we rely on to protect our nation's natural and cultural heritage.
Through exaggerated rhetoric and short-sighted proposals, some members of Congress like Bishop are trying to convince Americans that we need solutions for problems that don't exist. The truth is that the Antiquities Act has been instrumental in protecting many of our country's most important places and is one of our very best tools for preserving our outdoor heritage for future generations. Lets keep it that way.
Since 1906, almost every president has used the Antiquities Act to protect nationally significant areas on federal lands, places already owned by the people of this country. This Act, which was signed by Republican President Theodore Roosevelt, has been used by Republican and Democratic presidents. Seven Republican presidents have established 63 national monuments, and eight Democratic presidents have established 73 national monuments.
The Antiquities Act has been of fundamental importance in the creation of the National Park system. It has provided for immediate action to preserve such iconic landscapes as Grand Canyon National Park, Zion National Park, Death Valley National Park, and millions of acres in Alaska until Congress could act. The Act has also provided for preservation of historically significant landmarks, such as the Statue of Liberty National Monument.
As a result, we now have a National Park System enjoyed by almost 300 million visitors every year. Our national parks and monuments are the economic engine that contributes more than $27 billion annually to local economies. That's a ratio of almost a $10 return for every $1 spent to operate the National Park System. These jobs and economic benefits created are sustainable and help local communities grow and prosper.
As we begin celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service in 2016, we urge Congress to focus its attention and efforts on providing the funds so critically needed to meet the true needs of the National Park System, so that it may continue to provide inspiration and enjoyment for the next 100 years.
Comments
What "ignoble system" am I proposing. I am merely pointing out that there is no law that would prevent a NPS employee from discussing the Organic Act, or any other public policy issue. You, d-2, and Rick B have let your desires to attack to cloud your comprehension. You are doing exactly what you are (falsely) accusing me of - trying to play "gotcha" and you are the one that was "got"
Thank you, d-2 for helping explain what I have been trying with limited success to say. I know what I want to say, but am having trouble finding ways to fully articulate the idea. Gotta think about it some more.
What a delight to concede to ecbuck in this case ! He didn't intend to put the Secretary of the Interior (or Alexander Hamilton) in jail for articulating the Program of the President !
Deepest apologies to ecbuck.
Although, Lee Dalton, i do not think didactic lectures of any kind work for park interpretation, i am not trying to say it is not possible to bring the Meaning of a place and what the people of the United States can achieve when working together. There are some people who learn by absorbing straight information, by being told. But they are, even among intelligent and educated people, a small minority. Most people learn by doing, if they learn at all, meaning if they are able to unlearn something they thought was true but is not. So experience, combined with some means of analysis, is generally the best way. The reason parks are such a great place for interpretation is because either you get to experience something yourself, directly, OR you get a story. And, a story is the next best thing to experience.
Community workingshops, trying to find common ground among people of different interests around parks is another great way to experience and share stories, and can come up with new awareness. Like, understanding the significance of laws like the Antiquities Act or the Land and Water Conservation Act, both in the crosshairs now. My experience is that many people see the future as 'more of the same' while in fact the future is almost never more of the same, AND people have choices of mutiple ways the future can go. But do not realize it.
so, my experience has been doublingly rewarding to see in working in communities in partnership around parks that if all parties, including the NPS people involved, are open to working to achieve a win-win vision for the future, astonishing things can happen in the sense of Ownership people can have as they realize they can be part of the solution, that government can respond to the needs of the people.
In addition to appropriate interpretation, parks working in partnership with stakeholders is another way to give meaning to things normally taken for granted. But it tends to work best if people find their own way there, and not told "vote for this." The frustration is, it is slower, and with parks slashing jobs of the interpreters and available staff who could try to find common ground with adjacent communities, parks are often not able to step up at all.
I think Lee Dalton is absolutely right that the parks -- just by being there -- provide an enormous education opportunity. But getting to the point of 'what does it all mean' is becoming harder with the crisis-a-minute form of government fostered by the Congress these days. It seems designed to eliminate understanding or meaning.
The public deserves to know what has been learned by its public servants about the work the people have asked them to do. With recent problems, the police, the military, and teachers are learning they must communicate in real ways better to stakeholders than in the past, so the citizens understand what matters and what it all means.
Thank you for the most welcome correction, ecbuck.
I agree with much of your comment, d-2. But I certainly wasn't suggesting didactic lectures by interpreters. Instead, what I think we somehow need to do is to find a narrative of some kind that be included as part of at least some interpretive activities. Something that will introduce visitors to the concepts of the Organic Act, Antiquities Act, and the challenges involved in managing any park area in such manner as to simultaneously protect and provide enjoyment.
In my experience, most park visitors have never been given even an opportuinity to hear of or consider such concepts. Many seem to think that parks just sort of happen and will continue forever without much thought from anyone who doesn't wear a uniform. They see interpreters who tell wonderful stories about wonderful things -- but they don't have any idea what goes on backstage as others in the parks struggle to keep the show going.
I'm not sure just HOW this can be done, but I do believe it MUST be done somehow. Goodness knows there is enough great talent in the service to make it possible if people in position to make it happen will just find a way to do it.
And I have to admit that it warms my little heart to read the many references to problems heaped upon our parks by that body called Congress. Their tentacles are everywhere.
I have to say that I'm enjoying the maturity and experienced insight of some of the recent discussions here.