Congress to Hold Hearings on National Monuments

On September 13, 2011, the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands, chaired by Representative Rob Bishop (R-UT), will hold a hearing on several bills, including H.R. 302, H.R. 758, H.R. 817, H.R. 845, H.R. 846 and H.R. 2147, related to National Monuments. These bills would allow greater transparency and more input from states and Congress before the disposition of any proclamations pursuant to the Antiquities Act of 1906. National Monument areas could potentially prohibit off-highway riding in the affected areas.
To view a live webcast of the hearing scheduled for September 13 at 10 a.m. EDT, click here.

Last year, there was an internal document from the U.S. Department of the Interior that showed the Administration is possibly considering a recommendation to unilaterally designate over 13 million acres of public and private lands in 11 western states as National Monument areas without any public debate. The western states are Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

In addition to possibly restricting access with National Monument areas, the Administration continues to advocate the need for additional Wilderness areas. As recently as September 7, the President proclaimed the month of September as National Wilderness Month. To view the proclamation, click here.

The AMA opposes any unilateral executive declarations that do not allow full public debate on the disposition of public lands. Indeed, each of these designations deserves to be considered individually to allow time for thoughtful deliberation and input from affected user groups, local and state elected officials and Congress before any proclamations are made pursuant to the Antiquities Act. The AMA urges its members to contact their Representative and request that they oppose the Administration's efforts to designate areas as National Monuments without congressional input.

The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) and All-Terrain Vehicle Association (ATVA) support these bills and applaud Rep. Bishop for holding this hearing that promotes greater access to our public lands.

The AMA and ATVA need you to contact your Representative now to urge them to become a cosponsor to H.R. 302, H.R. 758, H.R. 817, H.R. 845, H.R. 846 and H.R. 2147. Just follow the "Take Action" option to send a pre-written e-mail directly to your Representative.