National Monuments Under Attack: DOJ’s Ruling Opens Door to the erasure of dozens of National Park Sites

In a quiet yet seismic legal shift, the U.S. Department of Justice under Donald Trump has declared that presidents have the authority not only to create national monuments but also to revoke or eliminate them if those sites were not explicitly authorized by Congress. This reversal of longstanding legal interpretation sets a dangerous precedent and places dozens of America’s most treasured public lands, historic landmarks, and cultural sites at risk.

For more than a century, the Antiquities Act of 1906 has been used by presidents of both parties to safeguard America’s natural and cultural heritage—from the cliffs of Devils Tower to the sacred ground of Bears Ears. Until now, it was widely understood that while the Act granted the president the power to designate monuments, only Congress had the authority to abolish them. That understanding was upheld in law, policy, and practice for generations. But with the Justice Department’s new opinion, the door is now wide open for a future administration, particularly one hostile to conservation, to unilaterally gut the agencies like the National Park Service by eliminating monuments with the stroke of a pen.

🔥 What’s at Risk?

This decision affects every national monument that has not been codified by Congress, which includes many of the nearly 90 national monuments managed by the National Park Service (NPS). These sites were created by presidential proclamation under the Antiquities Act but never received legislative backing. That makes them vulnerable.

Among the beloved national monuments that could now be at risk are:

• Devils Tower (WY) – the very first national monument, designated in 1906

• Stonewall (NY) – the first LGBTQ+ national monument

• African Burial Ground (NY) – honoring enslaved Africans in colonial America

• César E. Chávez (CA) – commemorating the farmworker movement

• Birmingham Civil Rights, Freedom Riders, and Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley – vital monuments preserving our civil rights history

• Statue of Liberty, our nation's universal symbol of freedom and democracy.

• And dozens more, including sacred Indigenous lands, volcanic landscapes, ancient ruins, and fossil beds

In short, some of the most diverse and inclusive sites in our National Park System—places that tell stories long overlooked or deliberately erased—are now themselves vulnerable to erasure.

🏗️ What Happens If a Monument Is Revoked?

If a national monument designation is revoked, the consequences go far beyond symbolic loss. Management of the land would likely revert to whichever federal agency originally held jurisdiction, most often the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or the U.S. Forest Service. These agencies do not have the same protective mandates as the National Park Service and often manage land for multiple uses, including grazing, logging, mining, and oil and gas drilling. Without monument protections, cultural sites could lose archaeological safeguards, historic structures might fall into neglect, and landscapes once protected from industrial encroachment could be auctioned off for oil and gas leasing or hardrock mining. Questions would immediately arise: Who is responsible for visitor services? What happens to tribal co-management agreements? Are ongoing educational or scientific programs canceled? The answers, unfortunately, are murky, and none bode well for the integrity of the site or its long-term stewardship.

⚖️ The Legal Shift

The Justice Department's new stance overturns prior legal interpretations that treated monument designations as permanent unless Congress decided otherwise. It aligns with actions taken during the Trump administration's first term, when it attempted to dramatically shrink Bears Ears and Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monuments—though those actions faced lawsuits and were ultimately reversed by President Biden.

But with this legal opinion now on the books, a future president could go much further, eliminating monuments entirely, especially those not politically favored. And unless Congress has passed legislation to formally authorize the monument, there appears to be little legal recourse.

🚨 Why This Matters

The National Park System is often called “America’s best idea.” But this decision threatens to reduce our best idea to a partisan plaything—subject to the whims of presidents who see conservation as a barrier to industry, extraction, or political ideology.

📣 What You Can Do

Concerned citizens must act now to protect these irreplaceable treasures:

1. Contact your members of Congress and demand that they pass legislation to codify at-risk national monuments, starting with those most threatened.

2. Support organizations fighting for public lands, such as the National Parks Conservation Association, the Wilderness Society, and Earthjustice.

3. Spread the word. Share this story, educate your community, and vote for leaders who value conservation, not exploitation.

4. Demand a legislative fix. Congress must amend the Antiquities Act or pass companion legislation ensuring that once designated, national monuments cannot be abolished by presidential fiat.

📍 Conclusion

If the Antiquities Act can be turned into a tool for destruction instead of protection, no national monument is safe. The legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, the vision of environmental stewards like Rachel Carson and David Brower, the voices of civil rights champions like Cesar Chavez and John Lewis—all could be silenced if we don’t act.

The monuments belong to all Americans, not to any one president. Let’s keep them that way.

###

Meet Sean Smith, a master of conservation, adventure, and storytelling! This award-winning
conservationist and former National Park and Forest Ranger has trekked through the wilderness of Yellowstone, Glacier, Mount St. Helens, and the North Cascades, keeping nature safe with his trusty ranger hat and boots. But Sean's talents don't stop there. He's a TEDx speaker and even a private pilot.

But amidst all these adventures, Sean's heart beats for storytelling. He's been spinning tales since childhood, and now he writes thrilling national park novels that'll have you hooked from the first page. Imagine the drama and mystery of the mountains combined with the adrenaline of a rollercoaster ride. That's what you'll find in Sean's books, set against the majestic backdrop of Yellowstone, Gettysburg, and Mount Rainier. His most recent thriller is set in Glacier and will drop later this year.

So, if you're craving an escape into the wild, look no further. Grab a copy of Sean's novels and prepare for an unforgettable adventure. These stories will transport you to the heart of the national parks, where danger lurks and heroes rise. Don't miss out! Find all his captivating novels right here and in the QR code included. 

The Truth is Out There? National Parks and UFOs

Today is World UFO Day, a holiday for those interested in unexplained aerial  phenomenon to meet and look to the sky. The July 2 date was chosen because of its connections to the Roswell UFO crash.

My next National Park thriller is entitled Need to Know. It's due out this fall and centers on a UFOs and a world wide conspiracy to keep their true nature and purpose hidden from humanity.

UFOs have been spotted all over the world and on every continent. Not surprising the national parks are the location of some of the worlds most famous UFO sightingsse hidden from the world. What follows is a listing of the top five National Park/UFO sightings and connections.

5. Glacier National Park After World War II the United States in Operation Paperclip transferred thousands of ex-Nazi scientists to America to work on physics, chemistry, munitions, rockets, and advanced aviation programs. Some beleive these projects include super sonic aircraft that employ advanced pulse engines and light bending stealth technology. This stealth systems also allow them to fly in broad daylight without detection. Some believe these top secret craft have been tested and flown in Montana's Glaicer National Park.

According to these experts  Glaicer was chosen for a super secret advanced aircraft test facilities because it was the only park at the end of the war to be both remote and with railroad access. Nazi technology and materials were transferred to the park and stored in a two mile deep research facility, that according to some still exists today.


I've been to Glacier countless times, I've even been a ranger there having worked with the Park Service back in 1992.  I've driven the Going to the Sun road hundreds of times and at all hours of the day and night. If there is a secret base off the road (which is only two lanes), it is incredibly well hid. Moreover, in order to access the road without being seen, the CIA would have to close it (there is no other access across the park) causing huge traffic disruptions. People would notice the road being closed.

Finally, the Going to the Sun road is buried under dozens of feet of snow roughly 8 months out of the year. CIA and Nazi scientists would be either locked out or locked into their base for most of the year. If there ever was a secret Nazi test facility at the park, its likely been abandon for a more convenient place to conduct cutting edge research.

4. Yellowstone National Park It seems UFO, National Parks and top secret underground bases go together like pen and paper, peaches and cream, table and chairs. You get the point. Our next park on the list also involves top secret underground research bases.  Like Glacier, the federal government has supposedly excavated large subterranean caverns under the national park to conduct super secret research and tests. Strange lights and flying orbs have been reported, which some say proves the park is a secret base.  These UFO researchers believe that parks are actually cover and park regulations and restrictions on human movement are put in place to prevent visitors from stumbling on the truth.


Like Glacier, I've also been to Yellowstone countless times and as it just so happens I was also a ranger at our nation's first national park. I had the honor of working at the Grant Visitor center and leading hikes at the West Thumb geyser basin. On occasion I'd hear from visitors curious to learn about the secret tunnels and hidden bases under the park.

My standard answer was that I was a mere GS5 ranger and my security clearance was pretty low (okay actually non-existent). Therefore the park leadership didn't see fit to tell me everything about Yellowstone's management. However, what they did tell me is that Yellowstone is the site of the world's largest super volcano which is overdue for its next eruption. The super hot magma just a mere three miles below the surface, heats billions of gallons of groundwater to near the boiling point and spreads it throughout much of the park's acreage through many unmapped thermal vents, tubes, and fissures,  I seriously doubt there are massive underground installations in such a active geothermal and seismic place. This response was often met with a skeptical look and "oh, you must be one of them."


3. Devils Tower: According to scientists, Devils Tower is the neck of an extinct volcano.  The sides have eroded away through millions of years of wind and rain leaving the much harder volcanic rock which made up the volcanoes core. It is the nation's first national monument, having been established by Teddy Roosevelt in 1906.

UFO researchers from all over the world have been drawn to Devils Tower not the least of which because of its prominent role in the 1977 hit movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The local Indians name for the site roughly translates as Bad God's Tower.

The site has become a mecca of sorts for UFO chasers. Locals even claim its some type of beacon or portal facilitating alien transport.

2. Washington Mall: In 1952, the United States was just entering the height of the Cold War. The
Russians and the Americans were in the initial phases of the space race. Americans were terrified they would fall behind the Soviet nemisis in what everyone knew would be the location of the next world war: Outer Space.

On July 19, 1952 Air Traffic Controllers spotted several objects on radar. There were no scheduled flights that evening. The objects came from the south and were seen over the national mall including over the national park units like the White House. Witnesses described the objects as oranges balls of fire trailing a tail.

The objects got the attention of the country including the president. President Truman asked the CIA to look into the objects. On July 29th, the Air Force held its largest press conference since World World II.  The Air Force claimed the objects were aerial phenomenon like meteors and radar hits were explained by temperature inversions.

While this was the official explanation, the CIA became concerned about the threat of UFO reports and how they could overwhelm defense resources, leading to a public panic, and facilitating a foreign invasion.

1. Mount Rainier: In 1947 Kenneth Arnold an executive, with the Great Western Fire Control Supply Company, was flying home from Chehalis Washington in a small two-seater private plane, when he spotted 9 objects racing down from Canada, past Mount Rainier and off past Mount Adams.  Mr. Arnold reported the sighting and is credited with the first modern era UFO sighting.

The Mount Rainier sighting is the starting point of my new thriller Need to Know which explores what would happen if an object had been buried in the mountain's snow and ice for nearly 70 years. The story delves into what its discovery would mean for the world and who might be willing to kill to keep it secret.


That's my list of the top UFO national parks. Did we get it right? Which parks did we miss? Tell us your UFO park stories in the comment section.

Sean Smith is a former Yellowstone Ranger, and an award winning conservationist, TEDx speaker, and author. He writes national park thrillers from his home in the shadow of Mount Rainier National Park. To learn more about his thrillers click here or follow him on twitter: @parkthrillers

Antiquities Act: Executive Over-Reach or Necessary Action?

In this episode of National Park Talk, we discuss the importance and need for the Antiquities Act, an act that has been used by nearly every president since Teddy Roosevelt to preserve and protect some of our most treasure public lands and places.

The Act is under attack from those who believe recent presidents have abused the powers vested in the executive office and are working to undermine or repeal the act.

Unfortunately, the president and even some conservation groups appear  too sensitive to these criticisms and have apparently forfeited many sites which are worthy of protection as national monuments under the national park service to other agencies.

Finally, this episode will speculate on those places President Obama should designate as national park monuments in his remaining time in the oval office.

The podcast can be found here.  It can also be found at the YouTube icon below.

Sean Smith is a former Yellowstone Ranger, and an award winning conservationist, TEDx speaker, and author. He writes national park thrillers from his home in the shadow of Mount Rainier National Park. To learn more about his thrillers click here or follow him on twitter: @parkthrillers

The Presidency and National Parks: Two Great American Ideas

President Obama and family in  Acadia National Park.
White House Photo

February 15th is President's Day, the one day we honor all the people who served in America's highest office. At the time of the Constitution's ratification, a country's highest executive office serving as president was a unique and radical idea. Many founders, before adopting the idea of a president, flirted with a chief executive akin to a dictator or king. But having just fought a war to overthrow one king, the founding father's rightly rejected this idea.

A presidency is an idea that Americans have truly made their own. Another truly American idea is that of the national park. With President's Day fast approaching, here are my top five favorite presidential national parks.

5. Yellowstone: This park may surprise some for making this list.  However, given that it was the world's first national park, requiring congress and President U.S. Grant to set precedent makes a perfect candidate for a presidential national park.

4. Devils' Tower: Another park that wouldn't come to mind of most. Yet, Devil's Tower most definitely deserves to be on the list. In 1906, Teddy Roosevelt used presidential power to create the Devils' Tower national monument. This was the first time a precedent used executive power to expand federal protection to public lands.  Roosevelt went on to establish numerous monuments including the Grand Canyon national monuments. Many of these monuments later were elevated to national parks by Congress.

3. Mount Rushmore is the first obvious choice. This massive granite edifice would likely make everyone's list of presidential national parks. The park memorializes some of America's greatest commanders in chief. Many however don't realize why the president who are carved in South Dakota's Black Hills were chosen for this honor, in short its because each in their time in office set a precedent that still impacts us today.  Washington was chosen for his example of stepping down from office and peacefully transferring governmental power after two terms. This peaceful power transfer is an example of good government that Americans can be rightly proud.  Jefferson was chosen for his negotiations with France to purchase the Louisiana territory. This like Washington was an example of the federal government's policy of using negotiation and compensation to expand its domain. Lincoln was obviously selected for his saving of the Union. Lincoln knew with great clarity and conviction that if the south was allowed to leave the Union, the United States would not long survive this cleavage. Rather, the previous United States would likely be cast into a Balkanized state that could be easily picked off by larger powers. Lincoln always realized the injustice and threat slavery represented to our national soul and rightly worked to abolish it.  Finally, Teddy Roosevelt was carved onto Mount Rushmore because of his desire to leave not just political goods but natural resources for future generations. Roosevelt was among the first to see the limits of our public domain and the need to conserve some it for Americans yet unborn.

Civil Rights March on Washington, D.C
National Archives

2. The Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, and Washington Monuments are the second obvious
choice. These Greek and Egyptian inspired monuments enshrine three of the presidents who help shape not only the nation but what it means to serve as president. Serving as the first Commander and Chief, everything George Washington did was precedent setting and is why he is rightly referred as the father of our country. Thomas Jefferson penned the Declaration of Independence and set down for the entire world to see that America believes all are created equal.  Abraham Lincoln followed Jefferson's lead and committed America to the path that Jefferson's ideal extended to all Americans.  While are nation isn't perfect, no one can deny that progress has been made on nearly every front, and national parks such as the Lincoln Mermorial have been the setting for much of this progress.

White House and South Lawn
Daniel Schwen

1. The White House is my last choice as a presidential national park.  Unknown to many, the White House is part of the National Park System. The National Park Service is responsible for its upkeep and maintenance, as Barack Obama recently stated one of the perks of being president is getting to live in a national park. The White House serves not only as the focus of the federal government, but its fitting that the symbol of that power is part of the national park system which has a mission to preserve and protect America's most treasured ideas,hopes, and places for present and future generations.

Sean Smith is a former Yellowstone Ranger, and an award winning conservationist, TEDx speaker, and author. He writes national park thrillers from his home in the shadow of Mount Rainier National Park. To learn more about his thrillers click here or follow him on twitter: @parkthrillers