Press Releases

Washington, D.C. (February 18, 2014) – This week, President Obama plans to unilaterally designate 21,000 acres around the Arkansas River in Colorado as the Browns Canyon National Monument. Western Caucus Chairman Cynthia Lummis (WY-At Large) and Western Caucus Member Doug Lamborn (CO-05) released the following statements in response to the announcement:

“Once again, the President is denying Western citizens a voice in the designation of a national monument in their own backyard,” said Chairman Lummis. “This designation might be a nice press release and talking point for the Administration, but on the ground in Colorado it will have real impacts on the livelihoods of the citizens who actually live near and work on the land. But the wishes of the people who are affected most by these designations, who most deserve a say in the process, have been ignored once again.  I am disappointed in the President’s continued inability to use the Antiquities Act in a transparent and responsible fashion. This designation serves as the latest example of why the Antiquities Act, first passed in 1906, is in serious need of updating.”

“I am outraged, this is the type of executive order that upsets Americans,” said Lamborn. “This is a top-down, big government land grab by the President that disenfranchises the concerned citizens in the Browns Canyon region. I’ve heard from multitudes of local citizens whose concerns about grazing rights, water rights, outdoor recreation, and the inability of first responders to manage and fight wildfires in the area have never been addressed. It is also important for people to note that national monuments created by Presidential executive order under the Antiquities Act almost always become underfunded, neglected properties. This is because they are created without normal Congressional and local consensus, robbing the people of a fair and open process that stifles the input of the community. And they become orphans once the Administration changes. Does Browns Canyon really deserve this kind of second-class status?”