# National monuments - the president giveth, can he taketh away?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-monuments-the-president-giveth-can-he-taketh-away/250700>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [June 16, 2004, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-monuments-the-president-giveth-can-he-taketh-away/250700 "2004-06-16T17:49:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-monuments-the-president-giveth-can-he-taketh-away/250700/1 "2004-06-16T17:49:44Z")

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In the column regarding [Death Valley National Monument](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_386.html) , it is stated that National Parks are created by an act of Congress, and national monuments by order of the President via the Antiquities Act of 1906. So, with the stroke of a pen the President can create a National Monument – is it that easy to make a National Monument (or National Park for that matter) not one anymore? What hoops need to be jumped through to reverse National Monument or Park status?

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**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-monuments-the-president-giveth-can-he-taketh-away/250700/2 "2004-06-16T21:46:50Z")

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It depends. If it’s been a national park for more than a trimester, it takes a declaration by the Supreme Court, but then a partial park reversal can be negotiated… if it’s covered by your HMO.

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**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-monuments-the-president-giveth-can-he-taketh-away/250700/3 "2004-06-16T23:06:39Z")

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Cecil is able to see at least 12 years into the future. In the Death Valley column, written in “27-Aug-1982” he says:

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> Death Valley…has been a national park since 1994.

I bow to you, omniscient one. 🙂

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**Author:** ![paperbackwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@paperbackwriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paperbackwriter)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-monuments-the-president-giveth-can-he-taketh-away/250700/4 "2004-06-17T16:17:14Z")

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The Antiquities Act is included in the United Stated Code as [Title 16, Section 431](http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/ts_search.pl?title=16&sec=431). This section appears to be a one-way mechanism for creating National Monuments:

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> The President of the United States is authorized, in his discretion, to declare by public proclamation historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest that are situated upon the lands owned or controlled by the Government of the United States to be national monuments…

It is also apparent that the Congress can modify or possibly even overturn these declarations. For instance, [Section 431a](http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/casecode/uscodes/16/chapters/1/subchapters/lxi/sections/section_431a.html) forbids creation or expansion of National Monuments in Wyoming without Congressional authorization.