[MSN] The Antiquities Act, created to protect the nation's ancient ruins, artifacts and other cultural and paleoecological resources, turns 100 this year. And the Utah office of the Bureau of Land Management is celebrating the centennial.

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BLM plans activities as Antiquities Act turns 100
By Joe Baird 
The Salt Lake Tribune 

 
 
The Antiquities Act, created to protect the nation's ancient ruins,
artifacts and other cultural and paleoecological resources, turns 100 this
year. And the Utah office of the Bureau of Land Management is celebrating
the centennial. 
   State BLM officials plan to commemorate the 1906 act with a daylong
series of events at the Edge of the Cedars Museum in Blanding. 
   "The Antiquities Act is really the foundation we have for cultural
resources management," BLM spokeswoman Adrienne Babbitt said Tuesday. "Many
think it is simply the mechanism that gives the president the authority to
create new national monuments. But what it really does is protect the past
on Utah's public lands." 
    The Antiquities Act was created by Congress following a rash of looting
of prehistoric fossils and Native American artifacts from federally owned
land. The legislation required permits for archeological and cultural
exploration, and imposed penalties on violators. 
   BLM officials want to drive that point home again during the centennial
celebration. The agency has become increasingly concerned, Babbitt says,
over the rise of what she calls "accidental vandalism" brought about by
increased visitation on BLM lands. 
   The Internet, where information on archeological sites can be found, also
has played a role. 
    "In the past, BLM was able to manage the problem more easily by simply
not disclosing where sensitive sites are located, which we still do," she
said. "With the Internet, that is not as effective as it once was. That's
why our focus for this has been working with the public to tell them how to
visit these sites correctly." 
   Theodore Roosevelt was the first president to use the Antiquities Act,
proclaiming Devils Tower in Wyoming the nation's first national monument in
1906. Roosevelt gave the Grand Canyon monument status in 1908. 
   The area later became a national park. 
   The Antiquities Act has at times been controversial. Some southern Utah
residents and state and county leaders are still smarting over President
Clinton's creation of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in
1996. The state has argued in past court filings that Clinton exceeded the
scope of his presidential powers in creating the monument. 
    
    
   Monumental additions 
    
   The following national monuments in Utah came into being via the
Antiquities Act, which is now 100 years old. Several of the monuments went
on to become national parks.* 
    
   Grand Staircase-Escalante 
   Cedar Breaks 
   Dinosaur 
   Hovenweep 
   Natural Bridges 
   Rainbow Bridge 
   Timpanogos Cave 
   Bryce Canyon* 
   Arches* 
   Capitol Reef* 
   Zion (portions)* 
    
   * Saturday's activities in Blanding to mark the 100th anniversary begin
at 7:30 a.m. with a pancake breakfast, and continue throughout the day with
displays of Native American artistry, interpretive walks to several
ancestral Puebloan sites and an educational symposium from 1 to 5 p.m. at
the College of Eastern Utah's San Juan Campus.  

http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_3912416