Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-01) today led Nevada’s Congressional Democratic Delegation in sending a letter to Secretary of Interior Doug Burgum urging him not to roll back designations of national monuments. 

The Delegation raised concerns about a recent order by Secretary Burgum initiating a 15-day review of possible impediments, including national monuments, to “unleash(ing) America’s affordable and reliable energy and natural resources”.

“We urge the administration to refrain from attempts to unilaterally alter lands with existing national monument designations, as we’ve seen previously at Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante,” Rep. Titus and the Delegation said in the letter.

In recent years, Basin & Range, Gold Butte, and Avi Kwa Ame have been designated as national monuments in Nevada and have been a boon to the state’s $8 billion outdoor recreation economy.

“Decisions to protect these treasured lands were not made on a whim,” the letter reads. “They were the result of intense engagements with tribes, community leaders, and local businesses. While Congress reserves the authority to revoke or adjust national monuments, any future action by your department should be a result of the same level of outreach and public engagement.”

The letter is supported by the following organizations: Conservation Lands Foundation; Friends of Avi Kwa Ame; Friends of Basin and Range National Monument; Friends of Gold Butte; Friends of Nevada Wilderness; Friends of Sloan Canyon; Native Voters Alliance Nevada; Nevada Conservation League; Nevada Outdoor Business Coalition; and Save Red Rock

Background

The letter came in response to Secretarial Order 3418, specifically Section 4c which initiated a 15-day review of national monuments and mineral withdrawals.

Congresswoman Titus has been a long-time champion of preserving public lands. From leading the charge to protect Gold Butte and Basin & Range to conserving Tule Springs, she believes that everyone has a responsibility to be good stewards of our nation’s unique landscapes. In 2023, Congresswoman Titus introduced the Avi Kwa Ame National Monument Establishment Act, legislation to protect nearly 450,000 acres of biologically diverse and culturally significant lands within the Mojave Desert. Following the introduction of Rep. Titus’s legislation, former President Biden declared the area a national monument.