U.S. National Monuments Trivia Quiz

Answer: True

The President has the authority to designate a National Monument with no action by Congress using the authority of the Antiquities Act of 1906. The Congress can also designate monuments by passing legislation that is signed by the President.

Answer: All of these

In addition to those managed by the BLM, FWS and NPS, there are also National Monuments managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The other agencies are all part of the U.S. Department of the Interior. The Forest Service is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Answer: Devil's Tower

The first National Monument was the Devil's Tower in Wyoming. It was designated by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 and is managed by the National Park Service.

Answer: Grand Staircase-Escalante

Until 1996, all National Monuments designated under the authority of the Antiquities Act were designated to be managed by other agencies. In 1996, President Clinton designated the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah to be managed by the Bureau of Land Management. By 2012, the agency was managing 17 National Monuments.

Answer: The American people

Like National Parks, Fish and Wildlife Refuges, and public lands, National Monuments are owned by all of the American people. The federal government agencies fulfill a public trust to manage the areas for the benefit of present and future generations.

Answer: Canyons of the Ancients

Canyons of the Ancients National Monument has more than 6,000 archaeological sites, and up to 100 per square mile in some locations. It is the only National Monument managed by the Bureau of Land Management in the state of Colorado.

Answer: Fort Ord

The Fort Ord National Monument is located in Monterey Bay, California. President Obama designated the monument, notable for its place in history training generations of American soldiers, and as a world class destination for hikers and mountain bikers. Fort Ord is managed by the Bureau of Land Management.

Answer: True

All BLM National Monuments are open to the public. Visitor Centers have certain hours of operation, though. Hours of operation for a Visitor Center and any restrictions for that area can be found on the website for the National Monument in question or by calling the local BLM office.

Answer: Pompey's Pillar

Pompey's Pillar National Monument was designated by President Clinton in 2001. Captain Clark carved his name and date on the sandstone when he stopped there. He noted in his journal "This rock I ascended and from its top had a most extensive view in every direction on the Northerly Side of the river high romantic cliffs approach & jut over the water for some distance both above and below...I marked my name and the day of the month and year."

Answer: Prehistoric Trackways

The Prehistoric Trackways Monument of a little over 5,200 acres, contains a huge deposit of Paleozic Era footprints immortilized in the stone. The tracks have been identified as belonging to amphibians, insects and reptiles. It is the most scientifically significant early Permian track site in the world.

Answer: Cascade-Siskiyou

The Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument was designated by President Clinton in 2000. It consists of 54,000 acres in southwestern Oregon.

Answer: Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. Bush

Every President except Nixon, Reagan, and H.W. Bush used the Antiquities Act to protect lands for the benefit of the American people, designating the lands as National Monuments. Between 1906 and 2012, approximately 100 National Monuments were created.

Answer: Carrizo Plain

The Carrizo Plain National Monument contains exceptional objects of scientific and historic interest. Established by President Clinton, it is California's single largest remaining area of native grassland. 
 

Answer: Craters of the Moon

President Clinton's Presidential Proclamation expanded the area of the Craters of the Moon National Monument to 661,000 acres. The central focus of the monument is the Great Rift, a sixty-two mile long crack in the earth's crust.

Answer: National Landscape Conservation System

In addition to National Monuments, the National Landscape Conservation System includes the following lands managed by the BLM: National Conservation Areas, Wilderness Areas, Wilderness Study Areas, National Trails, and Wild and Scenic Rivers. These areas total approximately twenty-seven million acres.