Our Voice: Hanford Reach National Monument needs no review

President Donald Trump’s decision to review millions of acres of pristine land designated as national monuments has set in motion a process that should never have been started.

Of particular concern is what might happen to the nearby Hanford Reach National Monument, which was granted its esteemed status 17 years ago by former President Bill Clinton.

It covers nearly 200,000 acres of mostly shrub-steppe land that is home to elk, deer and other wildlife, and includes the last free-flowing, nontidal stretch of the Columbia River.

The Hanford Reach National Monument is a popular site for hunters and anglers. But now there is fear its protected status could be eliminated — or the acreage of protected land could be reduced — because of Trump’s unnecessary meddling.

In April, Trump ordered the U.S. Department of Interior to review 27 national monuments established during the past 20 years, and the Hanford Reach is on that list.

While it takes an act of Congress to create a national park, the Antiquities Act of 1906 allows presidents to declare an area a national monument.

Trump called his predecessors’ decisions to protect these areas of natural beauty a “massive federal land grab” and pledged to “give that power back to the states and to the people where it belongs.”

Well, first of all, none of these lands were “grabbed.” They already belonged to the federal government. But by establishing these areas as national monuments, they are preserved and protected.

And such federal protection is needed. That is the purpose of the Antiquities Act.

It is generally recognized that certain areas of our great country are so breathtakingly gorgeous and culturally significant that they should be set aside for all Americans and future generations to experience and enjoy.

We understand the argument for local control. In fact, we bristle every time an outside environmental group interferes with our community’s land use plans.

But messing with national monuments is significantly different.

All it would take is a group of short-sighted politicians to ruin some of our most amazing landscapes because they saw dollar signs for their local community. They should consider that protected lands also bring in recreation and tourism dollars.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the “trigger” for Trump’s executive order was to help out some politicians from Utah who opposed former President Barack Obama’s designation of the Bears Ears National Monument in their state last year. Apparently, certain state officials would prefer some of the land be open to oil and gas drillers, and potash mining companies.

Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson and U.S. Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell have pledged to fight any challenge to the Hanford Reach National Monument.

It is a shame they have to prepare for a fight on this issue at all, but we are grateful for their support.

The public comment period began May 12, and will be accepted until July 10. We would encourage people to weigh in.

Comments can be submitted at regulations.gov by entering “DOI-2017-0002” in the search bar and clicking “search,” or by mail to Monument Review, MS-1530, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street N.W., Washington, D.C., 20240.

This review of the national monuments is needless and a time-waster. There already has been a vetting process for them; we don’t need more.

This story was originally published May 22, 2017 at 10:56 AM with the headline "Our Voice: Hanford Reach National Monument needs no review."