National Monuments Upheld by Supreme Court – Court Refuses to Hear Case

[kskiska]

Earthjustice: National Monuments Upheld by Supreme Court; Court Refuses to Hear Case Seeking to Strip Monuments Designation

WASHINGTON, Oct. 6 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The U.S. Supreme Court today turned down a request by a county government and extreme right wing groups asking it to strip protection from seven national monuments. The high court let stand two separate appeals court rulings finding the creation of the monuments by the Clinton administration was a legal use of the Antiquities Act. The extremists lost this argument at the district court and appeals court level. The monuments at issue are the Canyon of the Ancients (Colo.), Cascade-Siskiyou (Ore.), Grand Canyon- Parashant (Ariz.), Hanford Reach (Wash.), Sonoran Desert (Ariz.), and Ironwood Forest (Ariz.) National Monuments and Giant Sequoia National Monument in California.

Attacks on the monuments came in two related court cases. The first challenged the creation of the Giant Sequoia National Monument and the second challenged the other monuments named above. Earthjustice attorney Michael Sherwood, together with attorneys from the Natural Resources Defense Council, intervened to defend the Sequoia National Monument. Earthjustice attorney Jim Angell intervened to defend the other six monuments.

All of the monuments contain spectacular natural and archaeological features deserving of protection for current and future generations. That's why they were created. For instance the Giant Sequoia National Monument contains giant sequoia redwood trees, the largest plants in the world found nowhere else on earth.

(snip)

"While the Supreme Court's decision vindicates President Clinton's creation of the national monuments, this is not the end of the fight to protect these unique areas," said Jim Angell of Earthjustice. "Threats remain because the Bush administration appears poised to allow logging and rampant off-road vehicle use despite their destructive impacts on the very objects the monuments were created to protect."

more…
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=143-10062003

[Kolesar]

1. I spent last week in Grand Staircase/Escalante NM and all I can say is:

Yippee! :party: :toast: :bounce: :beer: Three Cheers for President William Jefferson "Slickrock Willie" Clinton

[henslee]

2. This is great news, I live 3 hours from Sequioia. What a place.

Now is good time to visit. Right after tourist season.

[maxanne]

3. good

Unfortunately, this won't be the end of the Bushistas attempts to turn all these monuments into dust. They are determined to destroy everything that is good and beautiful about this country. Bastards.

[Flying_Pig]

5. Not to worry. we're going to get them, before they can do any more

damage. This is such great news!! Was at Staircase in UT in the Spring, ..very spiritual place.

[maxanne]

7. thanks Flying_Pig

I could use a dose of optimism today. I hope you're right.

[benfranklin1776]

4. Outstanding! Great News!

Now we should be on guard for the Rethugs to try to change the Antiquities Act. If they do its yet another nail in their ""trash the environment" coffin. A great campaign issue it will be if they try that since President Clinton's use of the current law has now been backed even by the radical conservative majority on the current Supreme Court.

[shirlden]

6. One small step for mankind

and one small hatchet chop at greed.
Scotus must be working off some guilt karma.

:bounce:

[hatrack]

8. I'm just waiting for Chimpy to declare a National Monument

It'll be small - really small - maybe a quarter-section in size.

And it'll be about a year from now - two or three weeks before next year's election.

Anybody feel like betting? ;-)

[tlcandie]

9. He'll declare all mesquite SHRUBS in Texas as national

monuments!!! That will be his legacy...they are a nuisance and unless you get to their roots and yank em out they continually creep back and multiply like crazy!

[alfredo]

10. We do our best to use up the mesquite in our grills.

I like hickory or apple better, but using mesquite helps rid a nuisance from you Texans who were burdened by another troublesome Bush for so long.

[happyslug]

11. Strip mine as a National Monument

Didn't Bush declared the abondoned Strip Mine where the last Airplane crashed in Somerset County on 9-11 a National Monument? I can not remember which act Bush used but it is now part of the National Park System (along with the first land fill).

Clinton declared Trees to be national Monument, Bush declares an abondoned and un-reclaimed Strip Mine and a Land Fill as National Monument. See we have progressed from those bad old days of Clinton.

I was wrong, the GOP controlled Congress made the Strip Mine part of the National Park System (Bush did sign the bill).
http://www.flight93memorialproject.org/

[happyslug]

12. Sorry the landfill was only a monument for a day:

For more information:
http://www.corpwatch.org/news/PND.jsp?articleid=27

[sandnsea]

13. ????

This has absolutely NOTHING to do with a strip mine. I've seen alot of things warped beyond all reason on DU, but reducing the deaths of 45 people to some anti-Bush cause is disgusting.

[Malva Zebrina]

15. Betcha ten thousand it will be the Walker Estate in Kennebunkport

:crazy:

[Evil_Dewers]

14. ANWR should be a national monument

remember when Chimpy claimed ANWR was beautiful and people should come see it before Exxon started drilling holes in it?