Group wants North Dakota ranch to be national monument

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is pushing to turn a scenic ranch in the western North Dakota Badlands into a national monument. However, the idea isn't yet being actively supported by the U.S. Forest Service, which owns the former Eberts ranch. The 8-square-mile ranch in the Little Missouri National Grasslands is across the Little Missouri River from former President Theodore Roosevelt's Elkhorn Ranch site. The Forest Service's Dakota Prairie Grasslands bought it from the Eberts family in 2006 for $5.3 million, with help from conservation groups that pressed Congress to approve the deal...more

If its across from Roosevelt's ranch you might as well, as he was famous for using and abusing his executive authority to designate federal land.  He abused the Forest Reserve Act until Congress limited his authority in 1907.  For instance, in 1902 he withdrew the Lincoln forest reserve and in 1905 he enlarged the Gila and created the Jemez forest reserve.  Just getting warmed up, in 1906 he created the following NM forest reserves:  Mt. Taylor, Gallinas, Magdalena, San Mateo, Peloncillo, Manzano, and Taos.  In 1907, just before Congress limited his authority, he did Big Burros, San Jacinto, Las Animas, Guadalupe, and Sacramento plus he managed to enlarge the Lincoln, Gila and Gallinas forest preserves.  He was also, of course, the first President to abuse the 1906 Antiquities Act to create national monuments.  So yes, let's have Obama, another President renowned for abusing his executive authority, do this in honor of ol' Teddy.