Devils Tower, the first National Monument

The Antiquities Act of 1906, officially An Act for the Preservation of American Antiquities (16 USC 431-433), is an act passed by the United States Congress and signed into law by Theodore Roosevelt on June 8, 1906 giving the President of the United States authority to restrict the use of particular public land owned by the federal government by executive order, bypassing Congressional oversight. The United States Code ( USC) is a compilation and Codification of the general and permanent federal Law of the United States. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses Theodore Roosevelt (ˈroʊzəvɛlt October 27 1858 January 6 1919 also known as T Events 68 - The Roman Senate accepts emperor Galba. 536 - St Silverius becomes Pope (probable Year 1906 ( MCMVI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by In all modern States some land is held by central or local Governments This is called public land. executive order in the United States is a Directive issued by the President, the head of the executive branch of the federal government The Act has been used over a hundred times since its passage. Its use frequently creates significant controversy.

History

The Antiquities Act resulted from concerns about protecting mostly prehistoric Indian ruins and artifacts — collectively termed "antiquities" — on federal lands in the West, such as at Chaco Canyon, New Mexico. Antiquities, nearly always used in the plural in this sense is a term for objects from Antiquity, especially the civilizations of the Mediterranean: the Classical Chaco Culture National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park and it is a portion of a UNESCO World Heritage Site hosting the densest Removal of artifacts from these lands by private collectors — "pot hunters," in the language of the time — had become a serious problem by the end of the 19th century. In 1902, Iowa Congressman John F. Lacey, who chaired the House Committee on the Public Lands, traveled to the Southwest with the rising anthropologist Edgar Lee Hewett, to see for himself the extent of the pot hunters' impact. Year 1902 ( MCMII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting The State of Iowa ( is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States of America. A Member of Congress is a Politician who is a member of a Congress. John Fletcher Lacey ( 30 May 1841, New Martinsville, Virginia - 29 September 1913) was a United States Anthropology (/ˌænθɹəˈpɒlədʒi/ from Greek grc ἄνθρωπος anthrōpos, "human" -λογία -logia) is the study of Edgar Lee Hewett, DSc ( 23 November 1865 - 31 December 1946) was an Archaeologist / Anthropologist active in work His findings, supported by an exhaustive report by Hewett to Congress detailing the archaeological resources of the region, provided the necessary impetus for the passage of the legislation.

Intended use

The Act was intended to allow the President to set aside certain valuable public natural areas as park and conservation land. These areas are given the title of "National Monuments. A National Monument in the United States is a Protected area that is similar to a National Park except that the President of the United States " It also allows him to reserve or accept private lands for that purpose. The aim is to protect all historic and prehistoric sites on United States federal lands and to prohibit excavation or destruction of these antiquities. With this act, this can be done much more quickly than going though the Congressional process of creating a National Park. A national park is a reserve of land usually declared and owned by a national Government, protected from most Human development and pollution The Act states that areas of the monuments are to be confined to the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected.

Some areas designated as National Monuments have later been converted into National Parks, or incorporated into existing National Parks.

First use

Although the intended use was for small historic sites, the first use of the Act actually protected a large geographic feature — President Roosevelt proclaimed Devils Tower National Monument on September 24, 1906. Devils Tower ( Lakota: Mato Tipila, which means “Bear Tower” is a Monolithic igneous Intrusion or Volcanic Events 622 - Prophet Muhammad completes his hegira from Mecca to Medina. Year 1906 ( MCMVI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting The most recent proclamation was Northwestern Hawaiian Islands National Monument by George W. Bush on June 15, 2006. The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument is a US National Monument encompassing of ocean waters and ten islands and atolls of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. Events 763 BC - Assyrians record a Solar eclipse that will be used to fix the Chronology of Mesopotamian history Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.

For any excavation, the Act requires that a permit (Antiquities Permit) be obtained from the Secretary of the department which has jurisdiction over those lands.

Reduction of powers

Presidential powers under the Act have been reduced twice. The first time followed the unpopular proclamation of Jackson Hole National Monument in 1943. Jackson Hole National Monument was a wildlife reserve in Jackson Hole, the majority of which is now a part of Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, The 1950 law that incorporated Jackson Hole into an enlarged Grand Teton National Park also amended the Antiquities Act, requiring Congressional consent for any future creation or enlargement of National Monuments in Wyoming. Grand Teton National Park is a United States National Park located in northwestern Wyoming, south of Yellowstone National Park. The State of Wyoming ( is a sparsely populated state in the western region of the United States. ^[1] The second time followed Jimmy Carter's use of the Act to create fifty-six million acres (230,000 km²) of National Monuments in Alaska. James Earl "Jimmy" Carter Jr (born October 1 1924 was the thirty-ninth President of the United States, serving from 1977 to 1981 and the recipient of the 2002 Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act requires Congressional ratification of the use of the Antiquities Act in Alaska for withdrawals of greater than 5,000 acres (20. The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (or ANILCA) was a United States federal law passed in 1980 by the U 2 km²). ^[2]

Codification

The Antiquities Act is codified at 16 U.S.C. § 431 to § 433. Title 16 of the United States Code outlines the role of conservation in the United States Code.

References

1. ^ Robert W. Righter. National Monuments to National Parks: The Use of the Antiquities Act of 1906. Retrieved on May 16, 2006.
2. ^ U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Digest of Federal Resource Laws of Interest to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980. Retrieved on May 16, 2006.

• The Story of the Antiquities Act, by Ronald F. Lee
• National Monument Proclamations under the Antiquities Act

See also

• Timeline of environmental events
• Theodore Roosevelt

External links

• Antiquities Act 1906–2006
• Archeology.org
• The National Park Service
• Almanac of Theodore Roosevelt