Destroying monuments won’t help South Carolina

Most South Carolinians are aware of one of President Trump’s executive orders that touches South Carolina, encouraging seismic testing and drilling off our pristine coast. As every coastal mayor has said, this makes no sense: We don’t have a place to locate the on-shore infrastructure, it puts billions of tourism dollars at risk, jobs gained would not replace those lost, and studies show there is little likelihood of oil.

But he has also signed another order that comes close to our hearts, an order that seeks to undo a legacy of the great conservationist Theodore Roosevelt that encourages the creation of national monuments, such as the ones that so enrich our state.

While providing education and recreation, parks and monuments preserve and interpret the American story. Congress can create parks and monuments, but these efforts often become Christmas trees where members of Congress say “you get one, so I should get one.” Legislative initiatives also can be blocked because they represent a story that some do not want told.

So the 1906 Antiquities Act allows a president to establish a national monument where protection of an area is both urgent and important, thus protecting America’s heritage when Congress is too dysfunctional to act.

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Trump signs order to reconsider national monuments created by 3 predecessors

President Obama creates national monument to Reconstruction in Beaufort County

MLK’s hopes and dreams are an old SC story

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The president said his executive order would “end these abuses” of presidents establishing national monuments. Yet national monuments have been the backbone of the National Park System, protecting the Statue of Liberty and the Grand Canyon, to name just two of many beloved places etched into the American soul. National monuments have also been major drivers of a growing, sustainable recreation and tourism industry. The Outdoor Industry Association reports that outdoor recreation and related tourism generated $887 billion in consumer spending last year and sustained 7.6 million jobs. Protecting beautiful and important places for all Americans is good for business. Where’s the abuse?

National monuments and parks are not just niceties. They protect open space for recreation, preserve important chapters of the story of our great country and contribute more than most would think to our national economy.

Our national parks and monuments enrich the quality of life for our citizens. Like our special coast, they preserve our heritage and culture, and they bring many people to visit our state and create jobs.

This story was originally published May 9, 2017 at 5:52 PM with the headline "Destroying monuments won’t help South Carolina."