National Monuments
National Monuments
Celebrating existing monuments, expanding these cherished spaces, and fighting for new monuments is an important piece of Sierra Club's conservation work.
Lake Berryessa National Monument
What is a national monument?
National monuments are lands and waters designated for permanent protection by the federal government. They include areas of important natural, cultural, and historic resources, from geological wonders to sacred Indigenous landscapes to sites that have shaped the history of the United States.
Unlike national parks, which only Congress can designate, national monuments can be established by the President under the authority of the 1906 Antiquities Act, or by an act of Congress.
There are currently more than 100 national monuments in the United States, with the vast majority managed by the National Park Service. Others are managed by federal agencies like the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Land Management.
Canyon of the Ancients National Monument
Why are monuments important?
Creating new national monuments and expanding existing monuments is one of the strongest actions any presidential administration can take to protect public lands for generations to come. Not only do national monuments protect our natural, cultural, scientific, and historic resources and legacies – they are important parts of our response to the climate crisis.
Conserving 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030 will protect the air we breathe, water we drink, and provide a powerful climate solution. Preserving wildlands will protect vital habitats for imperiled species and save more places to connect with nature. Safeguarding places of cultural and historical significance will help honor the stories, sites, and landscapes that make us who we are.
3,500
27
states with national monuments
National monuments protect geologic, marine, archaeological, and cultural sites
Protecting wild places will keep drilling and logging from polluting our air and water, and suck existing climate pollution out of the air. Creating national monuments is one of the best ways to protect public lands and preserve homes for wildlife and opportunities for people to enjoy the outdoors together.
Victory!
President Biden Expands San Gabriel Mountains and Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monuments
The expansions of these two monuments represent the culmination of years of advocacy from local groups and coalitions.
What We Are Doing
Paria Rimrocks, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah
The Sierra Club has been pivotal in the conservation and expansion of national monuments, reflecting a broader commitment to combating climate change, preserving natural landscapes, and ensuring everyone’s history and connections to U.S. lands are honored and celebrated.
Our efforts led to significant achievements, such as President Biden's designations of five new national monuments, including Avi Kwa Ame in Nevada and Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon in Arizona, protecting over 1.4 million acres. This effort aligns with the goal to protect 30% of America's public lands by 2030 (30x30), demonstrating the organization's dedication to maintaining biodiversity and ecological integrity.
Together, we're working to safeguard our lands, waters, wildlife, and forests from direct threats like drilling and mining to the far-reaching devastation from climate change-driven droughts, fires, and other disasters. Every victory we've won to protect the places we hold dear for generations to come has been thanks to the grassroots support of you and every other advocate who has written a letter, called your legislators, attended an event, posted on social media, talked to friends and family, donated and so much more.
What You Can Do
Tell Biden: Designate New National Monuments Before It's Too Late!
Urge President Biden to designate new National Monuments this year
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