What You Need to Know about the National Monument ‘Rethink’

POLITICS

President Trump on Wednesday ordered the Interior Department to review the size and scope of some national monuments larger than 100,000 acres created since 1996. (Nat Geo News)

Use today’s MapMaker Interactive map to explore your public lands under review.

Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit, including today’s MapMaker Interactive map.

What national monuments are under review?

Discussion Ideas

  • President Donald Trump has asked Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to review the status of at least 20 national monuments. What are national monuments?

 

  • Who supports a reconsideration of these national monuments?
    • President Trump, obviously, who calls their designation a “massive federal land grab.”
    • Conservative lawmakers have long argued that the federal government, which owns almost half the land in 11 western states in the continental United States, should turn control of much of it over to the states—or sell off parcels for commercial development and the allure of new jobs.”
    • Many businesses may pursue leases to federal land for extractive activities: logging, drilling, mining, fishing. Ranchers may pursue leases to use the land for cattle grazing.

 

 

 

TEACHERS TOOLKIT

Nat Geo: What You Need to Know About Trump’s National Monument Rethink

Nat Geo: What National Monuments Are Being Reviewed? map

New York Times: What Is the Antiquities Act and Why Does President Trump Want to Change It?

Los Angeles Times: Here are the national monuments being reconsidered under Trump

 

2 thoughts on “What You Need to Know about the National Monument ‘Rethink’

Leave a Reply