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A Stand Of Saguaro Cactus And Ironwood Trees Are Framed By Ragged Top Mountain In Arizona's Ironwood Forest National Monument.
Credit TeressaJackson/Adobe Stock
Over the years, 17 presidents have designated more than 150 national monuments, including Arizona’s iconic Ironwood Forest National Monument using the Antiquities Act. The 130-thousand-acre desert preserve just outside Tucson serves as a biological anchor point for conserving rare plants and animals.
June marked the 115th anniversary of the Antiquities Act, a brief but powerful piece of legislation passed in 1906. It allows presidents to preserve federal lands and cultural and historical sites.
More than 150 national monuments have been designated using the act, including Arizona’s Ironwood Forest National Monument.