Pres. Clinton designated more than a million acres of land in Arizona and California as national monuments yesterday, doubling the size of the protected areas around the Grand Canyon. Under the 1906 Antiquities Act, Clinton was able to create three new monuments and expand an existing one without getting congressional approval. Standing against the photo-op-ready backdrop of the Grand Canyon, Clinton invoked the legacy of Teddy Roosevelt, 92 years to the day after Roosevelt designated the first national monument on land that later became the core of Grand Canyon National Park. Arizona GOP politicians are angry about Clinton’s move, but recent polls indicate that more than 75 percent of Arizona residents support Clinton’s action. The Sierra Club is running ads this week in Arizona pointing out Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) hypocrisy in opposing the new national monuments while saying he wants to follow the conservation legacy of Roosevelt.
