In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt signed a historic law: The Act for the Preservation of American Antiquities (Antiquities Act)–the first U.S. law to provide general legal protection of cultural and natural resources of historic or scientific interest on federal lands.
The Antiquities Act gives the president the executive power to designate national monuments, safeguarding public lands, oceans, and historic sites from corporate interests and destructive development. It also protects these lands from looting and vandalism, allowing the federal government to lawfully protect against the destruction of these beautiful landscapes.
Since its creation, it’s been used by 18 presidents—nine Republicans and nine Democrats—to protect cherished outdoor spaces, wildlife habitats, and sacred cultural landscapes. Almost 300 national monuments have been set aside through the Antiquities Act, including some of the country’s most iconic parks—like Joshua Tree, the Channel Islands, and Giant Sequoia National Monument in California. In 2025, as a final act of his presidency, President Biden protected Chuckwalla and Sáttítla Highlands National Monuments through this same act.
Monuments for Communities
The Antiquities Act incorporates local voices to get monuments designated, as communities petition and campaign for the designation of culturally significant and irreplaceable lands for protection against corporate interests.
National monuments designated through the Antiquities Act are not just safeguarded public lands, oceans, and historic sites—they’re also huge drivers of economic growth for the communities around them. Polls show that 85% of Western voters, including 71% of Republicans, support national monuments, and for good reason. These monuments create jobs, tourism, and outdoor recreation, creating opportunities for local businesses and communities that help rural economies thrive.
An Act Under Attack
The Antiquities Act is one of the most crucial conservation tools we have in the United States, but the anti-environment federal government is working to enact the Project 2025 Agenda and undo this vital piece of legislation.
President Trump has made it clear that he wants to “drill, baby, drill” on these precious national monuments created by the Antiquities Act. His Secretary of the Interior, Doug Burgum, has already started the process of reviewing and creating ‘action plans’ for public lands to identify which of these precious landscapes he can put up for sale to the fossil fuel and mining industries.
At the same time, Representatives Mark Amodei of Nevada and Celeste Maloy of Utah in the House of Representatives have proposed a new law that would strip away the Antiquities Act entirely. This is nothing more than a handout to corporate interests and a direct assault on the protection of sacred lands, irreplaceable history, and our collective future.
National monuments and public lands are a key part of our identity as Americans, preserving our water, wildlife, and ways of life. From cherished places like Joshua Tree to Chuckwalla, these lands tell the story of our shared cultural, natural, and historic heritage.
And we can thank the Antiquities Act for that. What once was a groundbreaking piece of legislation in 1906 has become a tool to protect the places we love across 124 years, 18 presidents, and 300 national monuments.
Share this blog!
Now you can find out with our 2024 California Environmental Scorecard! Use it to see how California’s leadership scored, how many legislators take dirty oil money, and much more.
