Hastings calls Obama's Calif. designation an overreach

E&E News
By Phil Taylor
March 11, 2014

If President Obama wanted to permanently protect a scenic swath of Northern California coastline, he should have pushed his Democratic colleagues in the Senate to do so rather than act unilaterally, a top House Republican said today.

Natural Resources Chairman Doc Hastings (R-Wash.) today criticized Obama's decision to add 1,665 acres of public lands to the California Coastal National Monument using his powers under the Antiquities Act.

Obama signed the proclamation this morning during a ceremony in the Oval Office, arguing that expanding the Clinton-era monument would support scientific research while boosting the Mendocino County economy (Greenwire, March 10).

"We are talking about over 1,600 acres of incredible coastline in California that reflects the incredible diversity of flora and fauna," Obama said.

But Hastings called the designation an abuse of executive privilege, noting that the House last summer passed a bill by Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) to add 1,255 acres of public lands to the coastal monument but that its companion bill, S. 61 by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), had stalled in the Senate.

"Instead of using imperial powers, the president should pick up the phone and call upon Senate Democrats to take action," Hastings said today in a statement. "There is no inherent danger to this area or compelling reason for the president to take unilateral action now. The Senate simply needs to do their job and pass the bill."

In a similar vein, Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah), chairman of the committee’s public lands subpanel, said the House got “punked” by Obama, referencing the MTV practical joke series "Punk'd."

"It is also purely political and undermines sincere efforts to reach consensus on questions of conservation," he said.

Their criticism reflects a broader Republican frustration that presidents have exceeded the intent of the Antiquities Act, which was historically used to protect archaeological resources at imminent risk by designating monuments with the smallest footprint necessary.

Congress' ability to pass conservation bills -- while historically slow, according to most observers -- is working, Hastings said.

With the House's passage of S. 23 last week, Congress approved its first wilderness bill in nearly five years, breaking its longest streak without protecting new public lands in decades.

But monument backers say the congressional spigot on conservation bills will only tighten as the November elections grow closer. Obama can, and should, act to protect public lands where there's robust local and bipartisan support, they said.

"Chairman Hastings hasn't met a park proposal he hasn't wanted to kill or a conservation investment he hasn't slashed," said Matt Lee-Ashley, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress. "He can point fingers all he likes, but nobody is more responsible than Chairman Hastings for the fact that Congress didn't protect a single new acre of public land as a wilderness, park or monument in more than five years -- the largest drought since World War II."

Today's monument designation, Obama's 10th, was roundly praised by bill sponsors, conservation groups and local business leaders.

"The local business community is thrilled," said Scott Schneider, CEO of Visit Mendocino. "Our thanks go out to President Obama and Interior Secretary [Sally] Jewell for listening to small businesses and our community, which overwhelmingly supported and advocated for the protection of our Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands."

Conservation groups are pushing Obama to designate larger monuments in his second term, including the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks in New Mexico, Boulder-White Clouds in Idaho and Greater Canyonlands in Utah.

With or without local support, monument designations will continue to spark an ideological debate over the balance of power in Washington, just as they have in Obama's use of the Clean Air Act to curb greenhouse gas emissions.