WASHINGTON, DC, April 24, 2002 (ENS) - The Bush administration has announced the development of formal management plans for 15 of the 19 national monuments created by President Bill Clinton.

At a meeting of the Western Governor's Conference today, Interior Secretary Gale Norton announced the new public planning process, saying she will seek input from all interested parties, including land owners and public lands ranchers.

Vermillion Cliffs National Monument, Arizona (Photos courtesy Bureau of Land Management)

But conservation groups fear the Interior Department will open the monuments to damaging uses like mining, oil drilling, cattle grazing and off road vehicle use.

"The Bush administration has chipped away at protections for our national monuments since they took office; let's hope that the planning process doesn't mark the beginning of a full fledged assault on these national treasures," said Gene Karpinski, executive director of the U.S. Public Interest Research Group.

During his second term of office, President Clinton used his authority under the 1906 Antiquities Act to designate the monuments, sometimes over the objections of local residents.

In a letter to the western governors, Norton said, "After reviewing all of the comments on each monument, I believe most of the issues can be addressed through the management planning process, which will include comprehensive public input."

The new management plans include two BLM National Monuments in California - the California Coastal and Carrizo Plain National Monuments. Notices published today in the Federal Register formally start the planning at these monuments, and provide for a 60 day scoping period to identify issues to be considered.

California Coastal National Monument protects 840 miles of coastline.

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Director Kathleen Clarke said today that the BLM will take this opportunity to look at expanded opportunities for direct citizen participation in monument planning and stewardship. "Our door is open," Clarke said. "If the planning and management process for the monuments is to be effective, we must make sure it is citizen centered. We must ensure that local communities have a true stake in these national monuments to guarantee that generations of future Americans can enjoy them too."

Among the management options Norton said may be considered are land exchanges to lessen friction over mineral and grazing interests, wildlife habitat and public access.

Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument in Oregon

Transportation plans for the monuments will be developed "with input from those who use the roads, trails and waterways in the area," Norton wrote.

Leading conservation groups note that interim management guidelines at the monuments have led to increased oil and gas drilling, mining and use of dirt bikes and off road vehicles in sensitive monument areas.

"A process with real public input will undoubtedly put an end to the roll backs that are already threatening natural, scientific and historic values that made these places worthy of national monuments status," said National Wildlife Federation president Mark Van Putten. "The administration may want to drill and mine every piece of public land, but as they learned from the Arctic debate, most Americans want our natural treasures protected."

But some warn that the planning process could lead to increased damage to monument lands.

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks in New Mexico

"It is important that Secretary Norton listen to the American people who want to protect the biological, cultural, historic and spiritual values that each national monument honors," Pope said. "Americans appreciate the value of national monuments as special places for our families and future generations to enjoy, not to strip mine or punch holes in at the behest of oil companies, political supporters and other narrow interests."

Plans will be developed for these new monuments:

• In Arizona: Agua Fria, Grand Canyon-Parashant and Vermillion Cliffs, Ironwood Forest, Sonoran Desert
  
• In California: California Coastal, Carrizo Plain, Santa Rosa/San Jacinto Mountains
  
• In Colorado: Canyons of the Ancients
  
• In Idaho: Craters of the Moon
  
• In Montana: Upper Missouri River Breaks, Pompeys Pillar
  
• In New Mexico: Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks
  
• In Oregon: Cascade-Siskiyou
  
• In Utah: Grand Staircase-Escalante

To see the monuments affected log on to: http://www.blm.gov/nlcs/monuments/