Monumental Misdeeds

The Trump administration seeks to revoke protections for millions of acres of cherished public lands and marine habitat.

On April 26, the Trump administration launched an unprecedented attack against our nation’s wildlife, wild lands, and national heritage.

In one of his many disastrous executive orders for the environment, President Trump directed Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke to “review” twenty-seven national monuments that were designated under the Antiquities Act since 1996.

Trump’s No Teddy

President Trump’s directive has truly set his presidency apart—he has made himself the antithesis to one of our nation’s most revered presidents, Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt. President Roosevelt was the first president to proclaim a national monument under the Antiquities Act, which he signed in 1906. Conversely, President Trump is disregarding decades of presidential precedent and legal constraints in attempting to resize, rescind or reduce protections for national monuments.

Teddy, and fifteen presidents of both parties that followed, saw the value and dignity in protecting our nation’s most special and beloved public lands and waters for current and future generations of Americans. President Trump seems hellbent on selling out these treasures for the profit of the few——opening them to mining, drilling and looting of artifacts, with no concern for the precious wildlife, fragile habitats and sacred sites that these national monuments protect.

President Trump’s brazen challenge to the time-honored, bipartisan use of the Antiquities Act to preserve places of natural, cultural, and historical significance is not only alarming, it defies overwhelming public support for conserving these lands and waters.

In fact, the administration’s “review” process is part of a broader effort to divest of our public lands and waters, and corporatize our natural heritage—cutting out the American public who owns these resources. Defenders is committed to fighting for our public domain and the special places that preserve our history, culture and vital natural resources.

Monuments Under Threat

Take a look at the map to find out more information about each of the twenty-seven monuments under threat.  Zoom in and click on each marker for specific information about the unique habitat and wildlife that make up these truly priceless public lands.

Help us speak up for our wildlife and wild places. Tell Secretary Zinke that America’s national monuments belong to all of us and should be preserved as designated under the Antiquities Act!

Download our 27 monuments print-out to help us spread the word about this potentially disastrous attack on our cherished wild places and the wildlife that call these places home.

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