WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) released the following statement announcing that she has filed an amendment to the Great American Outdoors Act (S. 3422), bipartisan legislation that she helped introduce earlier this year. Senator Rosen’s amendment would prohibit the Secretary of Interior from changing the designations of Gold Butte National Monument and Basin and Range National Monument.
“Gold Butte and Basin and Range are two of our country’s most treasured national monuments, bringing visitors from all over the world to Nevada,” said Senator Rosen. “I filed an amendment to the Great American Outdoors Act that would prevent these designations from being removed, and will continue working in Congress to safeguard the natural wonder and beauty of Nevada’s public lands for generations to come.
BACKGROUND: Rosen also co-sponsored amendments to the bill that would create a uniform standard for National Heritage Areas (NHAs) throughout the country and eliminate the National Heritage System sunset provision, withdraw approximately 450,000 acres of the Ruby Mountain Ranger District of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest from oil and gas leasing, and authorize the transfer of administrative jurisdiction over certain Bureau of Land Management land in Elko from the Secretary of the Interior to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for use as a national VA cemetery.
The Great American Outdoors Act combines and builds upon previously introduced legislation that Rosen co-sponsored: the Land Water Conservation Fund Permanent Funding Act (S. 1081), which would permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), and the Restore Our Parks Act (S. 500), which would provide mandatory funding for National Park Service (NPS) deferred maintenance.
Last year, Senator Rosen voted in support of the Natural Resources Management Act (S. 47), a comprehensive federal lands bill that would work to improve access to outdoor recreation, such as increasing public land access for hunters and fishers. That legislation also permanently reauthorized the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
Last year, Rosen also helped introduce the ANTIQUITIES Act of 2019, reaffirming her commitment to protecting Nevada’s national monuments. This legislation would protect and enhance national monuments by declaring Congress’ support for the 51 National Monuments established from 1996 to 2017.
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