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27-689: The Taos Valley Overlook of the Río Grande del Norte National Monument , about 11 miles (18 km), provides a view of the Taos Valley and the Rio Grande Gorge . Four rivers cross the Taos Valley: Rio de Taos , Rio Lucero , Rio de las Trampas , and Rio de San Fernando . The valley was used for more than 9,000 years as a major route for travel and trade according to archaeological evidence. Pit houses and room blocks provided

54-478: A donation of lands acquired by John D. Rockefeller Jr. , for addition to Grand Teton National Park after Congress had declined to authorize this park expansion. Roosevelt's proclamation unleashed a storm of criticism about use of the Antiquities Act to circumvent Congress. A bill abolishing Jackson Hole National Monument passed Congress but was vetoed by Roosevelt, and Congressional and court challenges to

81-837: A fifth in the Atlantic Ocean, the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument . On June 24, 2016, Obama designated the Stonewall Inn and surrounding areas in Greenwich Village , New York as the Stonewall National Monument , the first national monument commemorating the movement for LGBT rights in the United States . Obama's establishments included several others recognizing civil rights history, including

108-477: A major Alaska lands bill. Congress passed a revised version of the bill in 1980 incorporating most of these national monuments into national parks and preserves , but the act also curtailed further use of the proclamation authority in Alaska. Carter's 1978 proclamations included Misty Fjords and Admiralty Island National Monuments in the U.S. Forest Service and Becharof and Yukon Flats National Monuments in

135-525: A precedent for the use of the Antiquities Act to preserve large areas. Federal courts have since rejected every challenge to the president's use of Antiquities Act preservation authority, ruling that the law gives the president exclusive discretion over the determination of the size and nature of the objects protected. In 1918, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Katmai National Monument in Alaska , comprising more than 1,000,000 acres (4,000 km ). Katmai

162-520: A unique diversity in plant and animal life. Ancient piñon and juniper forests are home to 500-year-old trees. Wildlife include mule deer, red-tailed hawk, mountain blue-bird, prairie dog and big horn sheep. The climate is semi-arid with summer thunderstorms common in July and August, and snow possible from November through March. Summer temperatures range from 45 to 90 °F (7 to 32 °C) and in winter from −15 to 45 °F (−26 to 7 °C). In 1968,

189-668: Is a geological feature in northern New Mexico where the watercourse of the Rio Grande follows an eroded chasm . Beginning near the Colorado border, the approximately 50-mile (80 km) gorge runs from northwest to southwest of Taos , New Mexico, through the basalt flows of the Taos Plateau volcanic field . The gorge depth is 800 feet (240 m) just south of the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge , which spans

216-775: The Apollo Astronauts at the site in March and Sept. 1971, because of the striking similarities to the Apollo 15 landing site. Astronauts who would use this training on the Moon included Apollo 15 's David Scott and James Irwin , Apollo 16 's John Young and Charlie Duke , and Apollo 17 's Jack Schmitt . Notable geologist instructors included William R. Muehlberger . 36°28′35″N 105°44′02″W  /  36.47652°N 105.73380°W  / 36.47652; -105.73380 National monument (United States) In

243-767: The Bureau of Land Management , and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (in the case of marine national monuments). Historically, some national monuments were managed by the War Department . President Theodore Roosevelt used the Antiquities Act to declare Devils Tower in Wyoming as the first U.S. national monument. The Antiquities Act authorized permits for legitimate archaeological investigations and penalties for taking or destroying antiquities without permission. Additionally, it authorized

270-580: The César E. Chávez , Belmont–Paul Women's Equality , Freedom Riders , and Birmingham Civil Rights National Monuments . In December 2017, President Donald Trump substantially reduced the sizes of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monuments , removing protections on about 2.8 million acres of land where mining could resume. Three lawsuits challenged the legality of this action in federal court, and in October 2021, President Joe Biden reversed

297-662: The Fish and Wildlife Service , the first to be created outside of the National Park Service. The latter two became national wildlife refuges in 1980. The proclamation authority was not used again anywhere until 1996, when President Bill Clinton proclaimed the Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument in Utah , after many years of unsuccessful advocacy by conservationists to protect parts of

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324-655: The Grand Canyon as a national monument. In response to Roosevelt's declaration of the Grand Canyon monument, a putative mining claimant sued in federal court, claiming that Roosevelt had overstepped the Antiquities Act authority by protecting an entire canyon. In 1920, the United States Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the Grand Canyon was indeed "an object of historic or scientific interest" and could be protected by proclamation, setting

351-815: The Rio Grande was among the first eight rivers the US Congress designated into the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System to protect outstanding resources values. The Wild and Scenic River flows through the Rio Grande Gorge Recreation Area. The recreation areas include the Wild Rivers area in the north and the Orilla Verde area in the south, which provide hiking, boating, fishing and camping facilities. The gorge and 242,500 acres (98,100 ha) of surrounding land

378-492: The United States , a national monument is a protected area that can be created from any land owned or controlled by the federal government by proclamation of the president of the United States or an act of Congress. National monuments protect a wide variety of natural and historic resources, including sites of geologic, marine, archaeological, and cultural importance. The Antiquities Act of 1906 gives presidents

405-648: The 1500s, when Capitan Hernando Alvarado arrived on August 29, 1540. He was part of Francisco Vázquez de Coronado 's expedition. Alvarado met the Tiwa people of Taos Pueblo . Fray Francisco de Zamora spread the Catholic religion throughout the Taos Valley, will based at the Taos Pueblo from 1610 to 1617. The Spanish were driven out of the area by the Puebloans in 1680. Sixteen years later, Diego de Vargas resettled

432-560: The American West. The reference in the act to "objects of ... scientific interest" enabled President Theodore Roosevelt to make a natural geological feature, Devils Tower in Wyoming , the first national monument three months later. Among the next three monuments he proclaimed in 1906 was Petrified Forest in Arizona , another natural feature. In 1908, Roosevelt used the act to proclaim more than 800,000 acres (3,200 km ) of

459-996: The Pacific Ocean, the largest in the system: the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument , the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument , the Marianas Marine National Monument , and the Rose Atoll Marine National Monument . They are managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration overseeing the fisheries. President Barack Obama significantly expanded two of them and added

486-580: The Taos Box and the Racecourse Run. The Taos Box, a more dramatic, deep canyon, is famous for its big, technical Class IV rapids, while the Racecourse Run is a Class III stretch better suited for first-time rafters and families. The gorge is also the site of many ancient petroglyphs . At the bottom of the gorge, the Rio Grande is flanked by hidden hot springs and many ruins. The former Chili Line also ran there. NASA geologically trained

513-677: The area around Ranchos de Taos , the Taos Pueblo, and Taos Plaza . Taos Valley had a population of 306 people of Spanish descent in 67 families in 1776. The most populated area in the valley at that time was Ranchos de Taos. The Spanish brought modern methods for irrigation called acequias and introduced fruit and vegetables to the region. They also introduced livestock. The Puebloans taught the Spanish how to build adobe structures. 36°22′30.09″N 105°40′17.05″W  /  36.3750250°N 105.6714028°W  / 36.3750250; -105.6714028 Rio Grande Gorge The Rio Grande Gorge

540-704: The area. This was the first national monument managed by the Bureau of Land Management . This action was unpopular in Utah, and bills were introduced to further restrict the president's authority, none of which have been enacted. Most of the 16 national monuments created by President Clinton are managed not by the National Park Service, but by the Bureau of Land Management as part of the National Landscape Conservation System . President George W. Bush created four marine national monuments in

567-402: The first permanent housing for inhabitants beginning about 900 A.D. Ancestral Puebloans are believed to have moved into the area of the Taos Valley and tributaries of the Rio Grande at that time. It was the home of the puebloan people of Taos Pueblo beginning about 1100 or 1200 A.D. At that time, construction began on multiple dwellings. It was first visited by people of European descent in

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594-572: The gorge 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Taos. Geologically, the Rio Grande Gorge is a canyon, carved out by erosion over the last several million years. The Rio Grande Gorge and its river follow a topographical low within the larger Rio Grande Rift ; a mixture of volcanic activity, shifting tectonic plates, and erosion of layers of gravels and lava yielded the recognizable narrow, deep gorge visible today. The canyon ecosystem descends 800 feet (240 m) from rim to river, creating

621-531: The power to proclaim national monuments by executive action. In contrast, national parks in the U.S. must be created by Congressional legislation. Some national monuments were first created by presidential action and later designated as national parks by congressional approval. The 134 national monuments are managed by several federal agencies: the National Park Service , United States Forest Service , United States Fish and Wildlife Service ,

648-940: The president to proclaim "historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest" on federal lands as national monuments, "the limits of which in all cases shall be confined to the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected." Presidents have used the Antiquities Act's proclamation authority not only to create new national monuments but to enlarge existing ones. For example, Franklin D. Roosevelt significantly enlarged Dinosaur National Monument in 1938. Lyndon B. Johnson added Ellis Island to Statue of Liberty National Monument in 1965, and Jimmy Carter made major additions to Glacier Bay and Katmai National Monuments in 1978. The Antiquities Act of 1906 resulted from concerns about protecting mostly prehistoric Native American ruins and artifacts (collectively termed "antiquities") on federal lands in

675-512: The proclamation authority were mounted. In 1950, Congress finally incorporated most of the monument into Grand Teton National Park, but the act doing so barred further use of the proclamation authority in Wyoming except for areas of 5,000 acres or less. The most substantial use of the proclamation authority came in 1978, when President Jimmy Carter proclaimed 17 new national monuments in Alaska after Congress had adjourned without passing

702-440: Was designated a national monument , Rio Grande del Norte National Monument , on March 25, 2013. The gorge has Class II to Class V white water rapids that are managed for recreation by The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The BLM maintains two developed recreation areas along the river that include hiking, biking and other recreational opportunities. In New Mexico, The Rio Grande has two main sections for rafting near Taos:

729-550: Was later enlarged to nearly 2,800,000 acres (11,000 km ) by subsequent Antiquities Act proclamations and for many years was the largest national park system unit. Petrified Forest , Grand Canyon , and Great Sand Dunes , among several other national parks , were also originally proclaimed as national monuments and later designated national parks by Congress. Substantial opposition did not materialize until 1943, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed Jackson Hole National Monument in Wyoming . He did this to accept

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