Antiquities Act Under Attack

Antiquities Act Under Attack
May/June 2017
By Ann Jarmusch

Soon after an April 26 executive order directed the reevaluation of the Antiquities Act, including National Monuments such as the controversial Bears Ears sacred lands in Utah, Milford Wayne Donaldson, SOHO board member and president of the national Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), sent a letter to Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke. The letter emphasizes the legislation's importance, stating, "The Antiquities Act has served the nation well in the 111 years since its enactment, ensuring the conservation legacy of Theodore Roosevelt lives on and enriches the lives of Americans today and in the future. It is important that the administration continue the stewardship of this essential law as a viable tool for conserving the nation's patrimony."

SOHO is grateful to Donaldson for sharing his April 28 letter with Our Heritage News readers. He went on to offer Zinke expert assistance in the evaluation process based on the five decades that ACHP has developed strong partnerships with State and Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, local government, businesses, community groups, and citizens. Read the entire letter.

What can you do? It's no secret that most national monuments are located in western states and that Californians have a large stake in preserving and protecting them and the 1906 Act. Please call or write Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris and your Congressional representative in support of the Antiquities Act and the retention of all designated national monuments. You can find contact information for your representative on SOHO's website.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation also has an Antiquities Act fact sheet and tips for citizens HERE.

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