Todd R. Hansen

A week ahead of an anticipated decision by the Trump administration that could eliminate the national monument designation on Berryessa Snow Mountain and similar locations, the Joint Economic Committee Democrats released an economic impact statement.

“From the Mariana Trench in the Pacific to the Río Grande del Norte in New Mexico, national monuments are not only a cherished part of American heritage, but a key contributor to local economies that are supported by outdoor recreation,” U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M, and ranking member of the committee, said in the statement released Monday

There are six sites in California and more than two dozen nationally under review. Each is at least 100,000 acres.

The Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument encompasses 330,780 acres of coastal and inner coastal range in Solano, Napa, Yolo, Lake, Colusa, Glenn and Mendocino counties. It was designated a national monument by President Barack Obama on July 15, 2015.

“National monuments enrich rural and remote communities in New Mexico and across the country through their continuous economic activity. Removing designation in whole or in part from national monuments, as the Trump administration has proposed, would eliminate this economic engine. I remain committed to protecting our national monuments so that our children and generations to come can enjoy their long-lasting beauty, history and legacy,” Heinrich said in the statement.

The report, however, notes the general value of outdoor recreation, and is not specific to the national monument locations.

It states that outdoor recreation generates $92 billion in consumer spending in California each year, represents 691,000 direct jobs, $30.4 billion in wages and $6.2 billion in state and local tax revenue.

It also cites a study that contends that communities with protected public lands see faster job growth and higher wages, and counties with at least 100,000 acres of protected public lands tend to have incomes, per capita, of $4,360 more than counties with no protected lands.

“In California, outdoor recreation accounts for more jobs than the wine and television and film industries combined,” the committee report states, citing an outdoor industry source.

However, supporters of removing the designation use a similar argument. They claim the designation retards the development of economic growth in the areas, and tramples on private property rights.

In general, they did not think a formal designation was needed to protect its innate values – such as natural and human histories – and by overlaying the range as a national monument, it creates potentially negative impacts on private interests.

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