Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 3684 - El Malpais National Monument

(House)
(Rep. Richardson (D) NM)

The Administration opposes enactment of H.R. 3684. This bill, which would designate a 351,000-acre El Malpais National Monument in New Mexico, would bypass the wilderness study process previously mandated by Congress. Accordingly, the bill is premature. It includes about 96,000 acres of non-Federal land and 230,000 acres of non-Federal mineral rights within the proposed monument, which would lead to substantial pressure for very expensive Federal acquisition.of these rights. Furthermore, the bill fails to ensure adequate public involvement in special designation of this area, compared to the existing wilderness study process. Finally, the designation of the area as a national monument is questionable, since the lands involved are administered by the Bureau of Land Management, but the term "national monument" is normally reserved for lands administered by the National Park Service or the Forest Service.