NPS Family Tree MENU Contents Foreword Introduction Part I Part II Part III Part IV Part V Part VI Part VII Acknowledgements Abbreviations		Family Tree of the National Park System Part III part III REORGANIZATION OF 1933 NATIONAL MONUMENT LINE III, 1907-1933 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Between 1907 and 1933, six presidents proclaimed 21 National Monuments on National Forest lands administered by the Department of Agriculture: 1907, May 6 Lassen Peak, Calif. Cinder Cone, Calif. 1907, Nov. 16 Gila Cliff Dwellings, N. Mex. 1907, Dec. 19 Tonto, Ariz. 1908, Jan. 11 Grand Canyon, Ariz. 1908, Jan. 16 Pinnacles, Calif. (trans. to Interior Dept. Dec. 12, 1910) 1908, Feb. 7 Jewel Cave, S. Dak. 1908, Dec. 7 Wheeler, Colo. (abolished Aug. 3, 1950) 1909, March 2 Mount Olympus, Wash. 1909, July 12 Oregon Caves, Ore. 1911, July 6 Devils Postpile, Calif. 1915, Nov. 30 Walnut Canyon, Ariz. 1916, Feb. 11 Bandelier, N. Mex. (trans. to N.P.S. Feb. 25, 1932) 1916, Oct. 25 Old Kassan, Alaska (abolished July 26, 1955) 1922, Jan. 24 Lehman Caves, Nev. 1922, Oct. 14 Timpanogos Cave, Utah 1923, June 8 Bryce Canyon, Utah 1924, April 18 Chiricahua, Ariz. 1929, May 11 Holy Cross, Colo. (abolished Aug. 3, 1950) 1930, May 26 Sunset Crater, Ariz. 1933, March 1 Saguaro, Ariz. The first two National Monuments in the Department of Agriculture line were Lassen Peak and Cinder Cone, created within Lassen Peak National Forest, California, on May 6, 1907, to preserve evidence of what was then the most recent volcanic activity in the United States south of Alaska. Nine years later these two monuments formed the nucleus for Lassen Volcanic National Park. Fourteen of the other Department of Agriculture National Monuments were also established to preserve "scientific objects" on federal lands, including some of superlative importance to the nation. Moved by disturbing reports of plans to build an electric railway along its rim, President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed Grand Canyon National Monument on lands within the Grand Canyon National Forest, Arizona, on January 11, 1908. The reservation contained 818,560 acres, an unprecedented size for a National Monument, thirteen times larger than any previous one. Roosevelt's bold action was later sustained in the United States Supreme Court, providing an important precedent for other very large National Monuments, such as Katmai and Glacier Bay in Alaska and Death Valley in California, proclaimed by other Presidents in later years. Grand Canyon National Monument formed the nucleus in 1919 for Grand Canyon National Park. On March 2, 1909, two days before leaving office, Roosevelt proclaimed another large scientific area, Mount Olympus National Monument, from lands contained in Olympic National Forest, Washington. The monument, containing 615,000 acres, was established to protect the Olympic elk and important stands of Sitka spruce, western hemlock, Douglas-fir, and Alaska cedar and redcedar. It formed the nucleus for Olympic National Park in 1938. Twelve other scientific National Monuments on National Forest lands included Bryce Canyon, Utah, proclaimed in 1923 to protect exceptionally colorful and unusual erosional forms. It formed the nucleus for Bryce Canyon National Park. Four caves were also proclaimed National Monuments — Jewel Cave, South Dakota; Oregon Caves, Oregon; Lehman Caves, Nevada; and Timpanogos Cave, Utah. Other significant scientific monuments included Pinnacles and Devils Postpile, California; and Chiricahua, Saguaro, and Sunset Crater, Arizona. The first of only five historical National Monuments proclaimed on National Forest lands was Gila Cliff Dwellings, New Mexico, established in 1907. It was followed by Tonto and Walnut Canyon in Arizona, and then by Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico, established within the Santa Fe National Forest. Containing 29,661 acres, Bandelier was transferred to the National Park Service in 1932, a year ahead of the others, and is now the third largest archaeological monument in the National Park System. Although authority to proclaim National Monuments on National Forest lands is still valid, only two others have been proclaimed since the Reorganization of 1933 placed all National Monuments under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service. The two are Cedar Breaks, Utah, proclaimed August 22, 1933, from lands within the Dixie National Forest; and Jackson Hole, Wyoming, proclaimed March 13, 1943, principally from lands within the Grand Teton National Forest. Continue >>>
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