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A new post from the Center for Western Priorities makes the case that creating another large national monument before the 2024 election would solidify President Joe Biden's position as the modern president with the greatest first-term conservation achievement. President Biden has designated five new national monuments, protecting nearly 1.5 million acres of public land using the Antiquities Act.
President Biden is closing in on President Bill Clinton's record 1.7 million acres in his first term, which comes entirely from Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. President Biden still needs to protect at least 215,000 more acres in order to set the record among recent presidents.
There is no doubt that President Biden is setting an ambitious pace for conservation in his first term. In terms of the number of monuments, he has accomplished more than any other recent president. He now has an opportunity to fully establish himself as the most successful first-term conservation president by setting an acreage record as well. Fortunately, there are a number of opportunities to protect important public lands in the coming months, including the proposed Owyhee Canyonlands National Monument in Oregon, Chuckwalla National Monument in California, and the Molok Luyuk expansion to Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument in California.
With just over a year left in his first term, President Biden has the opportunity to add to his already impressive conservation record and protect these important landscapes.
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Each of us has a stake in the health of wildlife and wetlands across our country. But protecting them takes collaboration, communication, and a steadfast commitment to the local communities who know and depend on these places.”
