Support preservation of Missouri Breaks land

Tom Econom's recent letter claims that the designation of the Upper Missouri River Breaks as a national monument was carried out in "secret" without public involvement or support - a process he likened to "extortion."

Econom chose not to mention that the process leading up to the monument began almost two years prior to the designation and involved extensive public participation and hearings, some with the secretary of interior himself. Importantly, the final product accommodated many of the concerns raised by monument opponents.

By most measures, Montanans and Americans support the designation. The BLM is now in the process of preparing a management plan for the monument, and public comments continue to overwhelmingly support more, not less, protection for this unique area. This strong support should not be surprising, because the monument is one of the few remaining areas along the route traveled by Lewis and Clark that has retained much of its natural character.

Econom may not like it, but the Antiquities Act grants the president the authority to designate an area as a national monument. Enacted in 1906, the Antiquities Act has been used by almost every president since that time to protect many of America's historic landscapes, including the Grand Canyon and Death Valley.

There has always been opposition by some to protecting public lands as national monuments, but Congress has refused to rescind the president's authority under the Antiquities Act, recognizing that, without that authority, some of America's priceless national treasures would be lost.

Cathy J. Lewis
Great Falls