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The Antiquities Act and Conservation

June 9, 2006

Theodore Roosevelt had a knack for taking a conservation idea, expanding it well beyond the conventional thinking of his time, and laying the groundwork for a new conservation idea that his contemporaries never thought about and whose ramifications did not become apparent until long after he had left the scene.

Such is the case with the Antiquities Act, which TR signed into law 100 years ago yesterday. One of the least known but most important conservation laws in America, the Antiquities Act has been a rousing success. Presidents have used their authority under the act to establish national monuments protecting some 70 million acres of federal land that showcase the country’s natural and historical heritage.

The law was adopted to stop rampant looting of archaeological resources on public lands in the Southwest. The Antiquities Act itself is something of an archaeological artifact. In this day of telephone book-sized legislation and small-minded lawmaking, the Antiquities Act is a model of brevity and scope -- a mere 500 words that set the stage for lasting conservation.

But even the inspired authors of the Antiquities Act did not reckon with Theodore Roosevelt’s big-picture thinking. The law authorizes protection of "objects" of historical and scientific interest. Not many people would think of the Grand Canyon as an "object." But TR artfully used the words "objects"and "scientific interest" to justify establishing the Grand Canyon National Monument (later re-designated a national park by Congress), which encompassed more than 800,000 acres.

Howls of protest erupted, stemming from the sort of narrow thinking prevalent today that considers land a disposable commodity to be used up as quickly as possible.

But Roosevelt carried the day and an important precedent was set. Future presidents of both parties used the Antiquities Act to establish national monuments hundreds of thousands or even millions of acres in size. Overwrought partisans who raked Bill Clinton over the coals for establishing large monuments during his presidency forget that Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover did exactly the same thing. The national parks at Glacier Bay and Death Valley, for example are the legacies of two conservative presidents who are usually not remembered for their conservation legacies.

But there is a deeper layer to Theodore Roosevelt’s expansive use of the Antiquities Act that only now is coming into focus. The human cultures that archaeologists study emerged and developed within larger landscapes that shaped and directed their lifeways. A fuller understanding of early American cultures can be gained only if both archaeological sites and the surrounding landscapes are protected.

Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, which covers 164,000 acres in southwestern Colorado, contains the highest density of archaeological sites in the country. A richer level of historical conservation can be achieved by protecting both the many artifacts of the Pueblo people who lived there and the land that served as their culture’s context.

The Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument protects the last free-flowing stretch of the Missouri River and 377,000 surrounding acres, which haven’t changed much over the past two centuries. Modern Americans can gain a fuller appreciation of Lewis and Clark’s epic journey if they can see both the wild river that served as their highway and the surrounding lands that look nearly the same as they did when they amazed, inspired, and educated the Corps of Discovery 200 years ago.

The landscape context is an important principle behind the National Landscape Conservation System, which pulls together 26 million acres of national monuments, conservation areas, wilderness areas, wild and scenic rivers, and national trails overseen by the Bureau of Land Management. To adhere to the National Landscape Conservation System’s vision, it’s important to keep improvements such as roads and developed campgrounds to a minimum. The idea is to give the citizens of a crowded, highly technological civilization a sense of the wild lands and early cultures that make up the opening chapters of America’s story.

An essential aspect of patriotism is preserving and appreciating the antiquities that made us who we are today. The authors of the Antiquities Act and the presidents, starting with Theodore Roosevelt, who put the law to good use understood that.

We can too. Get out on one or two of our national monuments. Rough it for a few days. No hotels, no room service, no television. Breathe the fresh air, experience the natural quiet, have a look around, and try to imagine what our forebears thought about when they stood in the same spot. The land and the memories it carries are your American heritage.