From the north woods of Maine to the cactus-filled deserts of Arizona, America's national monuments include vast lands rivaling the national parks in beauty, diversity, and historical heritage. These critically important landscapes, mostly under the Bureau of Land Management supervision, are often under the radar with limited visitor information available yet offer considerable opportunities for solitude and adventure compared to bustling national parks. The Antiquities Act of 1906 gave Presidents the authority to proclaim national monuments as an expedited way to protect areas of natural or cultural significance. Since then, 16 Presidents have used the Antiquities Act to preserve some of America's most treasured public lands and waters. In 2017, an unprecedented Executive Order was issued questioning these designations by calling for the review of 27 national monuments across 11 states and two oceans, opening the threat of development to vulnerable and irreplaceable natural resources. Our National Monuments introduces these spectacular and unique landscapes, in the first book of its kind. Accompanying the collection of scenic photographs is an invaluable guide including maps of each national monument with carefully selected attractions identified and described based on the author's wide-ranging explorations. Our National Monuments invites readers to experience for themselves these lands and learn about the people and cultures who came before, and to whom these lands are still sacred places. QT Luong is one of the most prolific photographers working in America's public lands and the author of Treasured Lands, the best-selling and acclaimed photography book about the national parks. Combining hundreds of his sumptuously printed photographs with essays from citizen conservation associations caring for these national treasures; including a foreword by former Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and photographs of marine national monuments from Ansel Adams award-winning photographer Ian Shive, the comprehensive portrayals of Our National Monuments help readers understand how these essential landscapes are preserving America's past and shaping its future.

Various issues regarding monuments have generated both controversy and lawsuits. Issues include the size of the areas and types of resources protected, the inclusion of non-federal lands within monument boundaries, restrictions on land uses that may result, the manner in which the monuments were created, the selection of the managing agency, and other legal issues. Courts have upheld both particular monuments and the President's authority to create them. This book addresses the authority of the President to create national monuments on federal lands under the Antiquities Act of 1906. It discusses the benefits of the Act and those aspects of the Act that have been controversial, including the size and types of resources protected; the level of and types of threat to designated areas; effects of proclamations on land uses; consistency of the Act with the withdrawal, public participation, and environmental review aspects of other laws; monument management by agencies other than the National Park Service (NPS); and the constitutionality of the Act. Contents: Preface; National Monuments and the Antiquities Act; Recent Designations and Issues; Authority of a President to Modify or Elimin

• The top attractions in 76 National Monuments in 11 states (AZ, CA, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY) • Includes 17 national monuments currently under administration review • Features spectacular color photos, maps, trailhead directions, and details about each monument The Guide to Western National Monuments showcases 76 of the nation’s 122 public lands protected by a Presidential decree. These are the best places to visit if you want to hike and camp in spectacular scenery with relatively few people (compared to National Parks). Many of the Monuments contain ancient ruins, pictographs, and petroglyphs that are still in good condition. The Antiquities Act of 1906 gave the President authority to establish National Monuments as an expedient method for protecting natural and historically significant areas in the United States. Theodore Roosevelt designated the first Monument, Devils Tower, and established the long-standing tradition. Many previously-designated Monuments have changed to National Parks or another federal status, while others have been transferred to state control. Nearly half of our current National Parks began as a National Monument. Currently, 23 of the National Monuments--including Bears Ears, Golden Butte, and Giant Sequoia--are under review and may be stripped of their protected status. This guide will help readers understand what may be lost to development.