Federal Land Management:
Information on Usage of the Antiquities Act
RCED-99-244R: Published: Jul 9, 1999. Publicly Released: Aug 10, 1999.
Additional Materials:
- Full Report:
Contact:
(202) 512-6082
contact@gao.gov
Office of Public Affairs
(202) 512-4800
youngc1@gao.gov
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on how the Antiquities Act of 1906 has been used since its passage, focusing on: (1) the monuments that have been established under the act; and (2) a comparison of the requirements, if any, for environmental documentation and public participation, and of the processes, if any, for facilitating congressional oversight found in the act and in three other pieces of legislation--the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), and the National Forest Management Act of 1976 (NFMA).
GAO noted that: (1) since 1906, 105 national monuments have been established by presidential proclamation; (2) when established, these monuments comprised almost 63 million acres; (3) of the 105 monuments, 89 were established before NEPA was passed in 1969 and covered almost 7 million acres; (4) in December 1978, 15 additional national monuments, covering over 54 million acres, were established in Alaska; (5) the next, and most recent, use of the Antiquities Act occurred in September 1996, when almost 2 million acres in southern Utah were designated as the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument; (6) the Antiquities Act confers presidential authority; it contains no requirements for environmental documentation or public participation and includes no processes for facilitating congressional oversight; (7) however, the act does not preclude the President from requiring that environmental effects be documented or from soliciting public participation or congressional involvement; (8) NEPA, whose purpose is, in part, to prevent or eliminate damage to the environment, requires federal agencies to prepare statements for major federal actions significantly affecting the quality of the human environment; (9) although the act does not require agencies to report directly to Congress on proposed or actual major federal actions, it does facilitate congressional oversight by requiring public disclosure of agencies' analyses of proposed major federal actions; (10) it also requires the President to report annually to Congress on the condition of the environment and on trends in the quality, management, and use of the nation's natural resources; (11) FLPMA, which established planning guidelines for public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, requires that the Secretary of the Interior develop plans for the lands' use and management; (12) FLPMA further requires that the Secretary, in preparing these plans, give priority to protecting areas of critical environmental concern, taking into account present and potential uses of the land, and weighing long-term and short-term benefits; (13) NFMA, which established a land-use planning process for the Forest Service, specifically requires that the Secretary of Agriculture prepare plans for managing the national forests in accordance with the requirements of NEPA; and (14) NFMA directed the Secretary to issue regulations specifying when and for what plans an environmental impact statement shall be prepared.
Jan 15, 2021
-
Environmental Liabilities:
NASA's Reported Financial Liabilities Have Grown, and Several Factors Contribute to Future UncertaintiesGAO-21-205: Published: Jan 15, 2021. Publicly Released: Jan 15, 2021.
Jan 13, 2021
-
Nuclear Waste:
Congressional Action Needed to Clarify a Disposal Option at West Valley Site in New YorkGAO-21-115: Published: Jan 13, 2021. Publicly Released: Jan 13, 2021.
Jan 7, 2021
-
Hanford Cleanup:
DOE's Efforts to Close Tank Farms Would Benefit from Clearer Legal Authorities and CommunicationGAO-21-73: Published: Jan 7, 2021. Publicly Released: Jan 7, 2021.
Dec 18, 2020
-
Drinking Water:
EPA Could Use Available Data to Better Identify Neighborhoods at Risk of Lead ExposureGAO-21-78: Published: Dec 18, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 18, 2020. -
Recycling:
Building on Existing Federal Efforts Could Help Address Cross-Cutting ChallengesGAO-21-87: Published: Dec 18, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 18, 2020.
Dec 9, 2020
-
Environmental Protection:
Action Needed to Ensure EPA's Enforcement and Compliance Activities Support Its Strategic GoalsGAO-21-82: Published: Dec 9, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 9, 2020. -
Oil and Gas:
Onshore Competitive and Noncompetitive Lease RevenuesGAO-21-138: Published: Nov 19, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 9, 2020.
Dec 7, 2020
-
Air Pollution:
Opportunities to Better Sustain and Modernize the National Air Quality Monitoring SystemGAO-21-38: Published: Nov 12, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 7, 2020.
Nov 20, 2020
-
Crude Oil Markets:
Effects of the Repeal of the Crude Oil Export BanGAO-21-118: Published: Oct 21, 2020. Publicly Released: Nov 20, 2020.
Nov 19, 2020
-
EPA Grants to Tribes:
Additional Actions Needed to Effectively Address Tribal Environmental ConcernsGAO-21-150: Published: Oct 20, 2020. Publicly Released: Nov 19, 2020.
Looking for more? Browse all our products here