Metate Arch, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument/BLM
Editor's note: The following op-ed piece by Ron Maxwell initially ran on The American Conservative website.
The American people did not vote for Donald Trump because they wanted their forests logged, bounties placed on wolf packs, national monuments reduced in size, and a resumption of the universally outlawed ivory trade.
These odious policies are the direct result of the appointment of a swamp creature positioned by the crony class to further its own narrow financial interests and agenda: Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke. Thankfully the president reversed Zinke’s plans [1] for elephant trophies, calling them a “horror show,” which is what they are. But Trump recently traveled to Utah to announce the opening up of public lands [2] for commercial developers to pillage and plunder to their hearts content.
Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante were first on the chopping block but Mr. Zinke has more in mind. At least eight more of our treasured national monuments, set aside for their beauty and the public’s enjoyment and use, are targeted for reduction. The Antiquities Act of 1906 gives the president the authority to set aside public lands as national monuments, and also to do the reverse. After reviewing these sites, Zinke has recommended that Trump reclassify and reduce the size of these national treasures.
No president has ever shrunk the sizes of monuments, but the Department of the Interior is filled with swamp denizens like Zinke and his deputy David Bernhardt, a former lobbyist for the oil and gas industry and big agribusiness, those most interested in using public land for private gain.
This reclassification means the acreage of the national monuments will be reduced, and the lands—some of the most spectacular scenic areas in the country—can be used for commercial development.
Unlike national parks, national monuments allow local residents and tourists alike to participate in recreational activities such as hunting, fishing, cattle-grazing, and hiking. This is why local businesses, sportsmen, and community groups tend to support keeping the monuments intact, as they provide dependable incomes for local economies, including the additions of jobs.
There is also widespread and bipartisan public support for preserving our national monuments. A new McLaughlin & Associates poll of 1,000 likely voters found that 90 percent of Americans support the creation of more monuments or at least keeping the current ones protected. Maintaining these lands also has the backing of local Native American tribes and chambers of commerce.
Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks in New Mexico is a prime example of how local areas surrounding national monuments can benefit from tourist opportunities. In 2016, tourism hit an all-time high following the monument’s mention in Lonely Planet’s “Top 10 Places to Visit” travel guide, which resulted in a 50 percent increase in visitors over the past year. The monument features petroglyph-line canyons, with thousands of Native American archeological sites, and many historical landmarks and training sites.
If the personal income of those who live near the Organ Mountains can increase by 42 percent, community involvement in supporting national monuments can lead to economic prosperity throughout the country.
Nonetheless, Secretary Zinke has recommended reclassifying Organ Mountains Desert Peaks for oil drilling and mining.
Gold Butte National Monument features significant cultural, historical, and natural treasures: thousands of Native American artifacts, historic mining and pioneering artifacts, rare and threatened wildlife, and dramatic geologic features. Broad and deep local support is a principal reason for its designation, which, in turn, has benefitted the community greatly.
Gold Butte also encourages tourism and increases expenditures for local businesses. An economic study conducted by Applied Analysis found that if only 10 percent of new visitors decided to spend one night in Mesquite, Nevada, the total economic impact for the community would be $2.7 million per year. Think about what that could mean if visitors were to spend the week.
Nevertheless, Secretary Zinke proposes that Gold Butte National Monument should be opened to “traditional uses,” including mining and drilling.
Aside from their captivating scenery and cultural and historical sites, monuments already provide an economic boost for nearby communities without risking damage to their environments. Additionally, their archaeological sites are a link to our prehistoric past and a vital tether to Native American cultural history.
Secretary Zinke’s misguided policies are toxic for local communities and even worse for American economic prosperity. President Trump knows business, but he also understands the need to protect these lands and the local economies they serve. He is wise to question the plans of his swamp creature and should continue to do so.
Ron Maxwell is writer and director of the award-winning film Gettysburg.
Comments
No president has ever shrunk the sizes of monuments...
Really? Can we get a fact check here? I've read of numerous instances where a monument has been reduced. Navaho NM, Bandelier NM, Craters of the Moon NM, Great Sand Dunes and others come to mind. I believe I've even seen an article right here on NPT saying it has happened in the past.
Not that I'm for shrinkage mind you. But misrepresentations bother me more.
Indeed, there have been major shrinkages in the past--the first by Woodrow Wilson in 1915, who, at the request of the U.S. Forest Service reduced the then Mount Olympus National Monument by HALF. In short, he reduced the monument by 300,000 acres--all of it rich in timber. The glaciated half he left untouched.
I love Mr. Maxwell's film, and have watched it dozens of times. But richp's warning here is fair. Just because Mr. Trump is doing something you don't like is no excuse to make up history. And Wilson, by the way, was a Democrat. Now what do you make of that? History makes of it that BOTH political parties are lax when it comes to parks. Were it not for Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Mount Olympus (later Olympic National Park) would never have recovered from what was called the "rape of 1915."
When an author succumbs to name calling to try to make his point you know it is because he is coming up short on a substanative argument. And shrinkage is not his only factual shortfall. He cites "universally outlawed ivory trade", yet the ivory in question came from local government sanctioned hunts determined to be beneficial to the herd. I suppose next he will be decrying the "deforestation" of the Jackson magnolia in the fashion of CNN.
You are correct. There is seldom bipartisn support for fiscal responisibilty. Frequently this site has discussed the backlog of maintenance at the NPs as a result of the lack of funds. Yet you advocate maintaining more property than can be adequately managed. I have asked at this site before and I will ask again. Would you personally buy a beachfront cottage if your home has a roof you can't afford to repair? I hope not. You may think that the U.S. budget is a bottemless bucket, but it's not and that is why there isn't bipartisan support.
This is piece is a perfect example of why I can't support NPT. I do enjoy some of your content, it's this garbage and the climate scare crap that stops me.
Anon, this is garbage but not a reason to refuse support for NPT. We need all views in public display to be scrutinized.
And during a destructive administeration we need as much bright daylight shone on their activities as possible.
Remember, Anonymous. Journalism is an equal opportunity offender. Kurt has never rejected one of my articles because it happened to disagree with the "party line" on climate change--or anything else, for that matter. If I could support my views, he published it. And he was right to publish Mr. Maxwell's piece, because yes, we need strong opinions as the basis for thought and judgment. As for the facts, no one always gets them right. With all the falsehoods being published on the national monuments (and national parks) by the so-called mainstream press, we can forgive Mr. Maxwell for believing a few of those articles. Every writer has to start somewhere.
I would simply remind Mr. Maxwell why "Gettysburg" is one of the finest historical films ever made. He had a great book from which to work--KILLER ANGELS, by the late Michael Shaara. It won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1975. But it is not just fiction--it is superb history, reflecting years of mastering the battle and the Civil War. Every July 1, I reread the book and watch the movie as reminders of what the country sacrificed to end slavery and save the Union.
Unfortunately, Donald Trump added little to the national conversation by kowtowing to the state of Utah. But will it come back to haunt him? It didn't for Woodrow Wilson in 1915, or 1913, for that matter, when he signed the Raker Act awarding the Hetch Hetchy Valley to San Francisco. The best we can do is avoid any temptation to lash out rather than educate the American public. They'll get it right if first we get it right--and believe in getting it right.
Now, if you haven't seen Mr. Maxwell's movie--and it's wonderful sequel, "Gods and Generals," you're in for a treat. Go rent or buy them both. Just watch them in the proper sequence, starting with "Gods and Generals" first. That's move-making, folks, the good old-fashioned way. Again, there are no finer historical dramas around.