VISITING OBAMA’S NEW NATIONAL MONUMENTS NOT ALWAYS A WALK IN THE PARK.
Depending on who’s talking, the president’s move to create a national monument was either a “big-government land grab” or “protecting nature against money-grubbing corporations.” Fortunately, with the power of the Antiquities Act, presidents don’t have to consider politics.
So with a squiggle of his pen, Teddy Roosevelt protected the Grand Canyon.
Nearly every U.S. president from Roosevelt on has used the Antiquities Act of 1906 to preserve sites of historical and cultural significance, and, politics aside, President Obama has used it more than any of his predecessors. (Already, however, there are rumblings about the next administration “undoing” one or more of the latest national monuments — which has never been done.)
Depending on how you count it, Obama in eight years has designated or expanded U.S. national monuments on land and sea to the tune of 757,578 square miles, Politico reported, an area about 4.6 times the size of California. Recognizing that not all national monuments (as opposed to national parks) are easily accessible, nor do they usually have a ranger station and picnic grounds, here’s a partial list of Obama’s monuments — large and small — that you can visit.
Bears Ears National Monument, Utah
The site: Along with Gold Butte in Nevada, this is President Obama’s newest national monument, an area that he said in his statement includes “abundant rock art, archaeological sites, and lands considered sacred by Native American tribes.” The site, some of which features landscapes similar to neighboring Canyonlands National Park, will be managed by the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and a coalition of tribes including Navajo, Hopi, Uintah and Ouray Ute, Ute Mountain Ute and Zuni tribes. It is said to include tens of thousands of archaeological sites.
Designated: Dec. 28, 2016; 1.35 million acres.
To do: The newly protected site has been open to public use for decades — too much so, probably, considering the damage to archaeological sites and theft of ancient cultural artifacts. While the area will continue to be open for public use, the priority will be protection and use by tribal members, so it might be a while (based on the size of the monument and number of important sites) before there is staffing and infrastructure for tours, campgrounds or hiking trails. In the meantime, the Bears Ears Coalition (www.bearsears coalition.org) and the Friends of Cedar Mesa (www.friends ofcedarmesa.org) have resources and maps, as well as tips for respectful exploration of the cultural sites.
Vitals: The monument borders Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Canyonlands National Park on the west; the northern tip is a few miles from Moab. The National Park Service doesn’t have info online yet for Bears Ears, but look up Natural Bridges National Monument (www.nps. gov/nabr/), which is inside the newly designated Bears Ears.
Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument, Washington, D.C.
The site: A 200-year-old federal-style brick house that in 1929 the National Women’s Party purchased and used for most of the 20th century as a headquarters for the women’s suffrage movement, the effort to pass the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution, and other women’s rights issues.
Designated: April 12, 2016;
0.34 acres.
To do: Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday, with guided tours typically at 9:30 and 11 a.m., 2 and 3:30 p.m.
Vitals: 144 Constitution Ave. NE (next to the Hart Senate Office Building — the entrance for the museum and gift shop are on Second Street), www.nps.gov/bepa/. Note: It’s not far from the Capitol South and Union stations on Metro. Admission: free.
San Juan Islands National Monument, Washington
The site: Nearly 1,000 acres of land on more than 450 islands and islets of the San Juan Islands archipelago. The monument is “a trove of scientific and historic treasures,” according to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, “a refuge for an array of wildlife, and a classroom for generations of Americans.”
Designated: March 25, 2013; 970 acres.
To do: From the Anacortes Ferry Terminal, take a ferry to specific islands, including Lopez Island and its forests, grasslands, wetlands and secluded beach; or to Patos Island, a remote 200-acre island where the 1893 lighthouse still stands near the northwesternmost point in the lower 48 states.
Vitals: The office is at 37 Washburn Place on Lopez Island; tourism information at www.visitsanjuans.com. Admission: free.
Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument, New Mexico
The site: A set of four protected areas around Las Cruces, N.M. — Organ Mountains, Desert Peaks, Potrillo Mountains and Doña Ana Mountains — that include “significant prehistoric, historic, geologic, and biologic resources of scientific interest,” according to the Bureau of Land Management. The landscape includes 9,000-foot peaks, slot canyons, wildlife, and a volcanic cluster of cinder cones and lava flows.
Designated: May 21, 2014; 496,330 acres.
To do: There are trails and roads that access portions of the four areas, including the Kilbourne Hole Volcanic Crater National Natural Landmark, Soledad Canyon and the adjacent Prehistoric Trackways National Monument.
Vitals: Las Cruces District Office of the BLM, 1800 Marquess St., Las Cruces, (575) 525-4300. Dripping Springs Natural Area is open yearround for day use; the visitors center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aguirre Spring Campground is open for overnight stays year-round, although the entrance gate is closed at night and noncamping visitors must leave by 10 p.m.
Chimney Rock National Monument, Colorado
The site: The remnants of Chacoan pueblo settlements dating to the Pueblo II period (A.D. 900-1150), including pit houses, great kivas and great houses. The site, originally designed based on astronomical alignments, is littered with ruins that have survived in large part because of the remote location in San Juan National Forest. Designated: Sept. 21, 2012; 4,726 acres.
To do: To protect the ruins, the only access is through guided walking tours, held from May 15 to Sept. 30. The tours — a guided tour and a Kiva audio tour — involve driving up steep, winding gravel roads and walking with modest elevation gain to 7,600 feet. Tours cost $12 ($5 for children ages 5-12) and are first come, first served; no reservations are required.
Vitals: The monument is in southern Colorado, about 40 miles east of Durango. The entrance gate is at 3179 State Highway 151, Chimney Rock, Colo., (970) 883-5359, www.chimneyrockco.org.