National monuments are so much more than a giant statue in Washington, D.C. U.S. monuments range from coral reefs and historic human rights' protest sites to forests and ancient ruins. Six different government agencies manage the monuments and some are co-managed by two agencies.
As a response to looting and destruction of American archaeological sites in the Southwest, Theodore Roosevelt signed the Antiquities Act of 1906 to allow presidents and Congress to protect these areas. The first monument was Devils Tower, Wyo., in 1906, and 80 more monuments have been named since then. Arizona has the most at 17, but some states don’t have any.
Bureaus That Manage National Monuments
- National Park Service
- Bureau of Land Management
- Fish and Wildlife Service
- U.S. Forest Service
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- U.S. Army
Source: National Monument Facts and Figures