The Public Lands Council and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association have applauded the executive order signed today that calls for a review of designations made under the Antiquities Act by previous presidents.

Dave Eliason, PLC president, said while the Act was intended to preserve Native American artifacts and areas of historical importance, Presidents have instead used the Act to bypass Congress and local communities to place heavy restrictions on massive swaths of land. Most recently, President Obama boasted of using the Antiquities Act more than any previous president—locking up 256 million acres of land and water in 30 separate designations.

“Western communities have been calling on Congress for years to address the continued abuse of the Antiquities Act. Elevating millions of acres to monument status without local input or economic analysis results in unrecoverable losses to the local communities.”

The livestock industry, which supports many of the western communities, stands ready to work with the administration and assist in their review of designations and calls on Congress to pass Sen. Murkowski’s legislation without delay.

“The Executive Order is an important first step to reining in past designations that were pushed through without local input,” said NCBA President Craig Uden. “However, in order to bring the Act back to its original intent, Congress must act. Sen. Murkowski’s bill S. 33 Improved National Monument Designation Process Act would require Congressional approval of new designations, taking the power away from the Administration and placing back into the hands of those most impacted.”