President Obama announced Friday that he is designating three new national monuments, .聽The new monuments will protect over one million acres of public land.
The monuments include in California, in Texas, and in Nevada.
The Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument is a 鈥渂iodiversity hot spot鈥 and spans 331,000 acres in California鈥檚 Inner Coast Range, according to the release. Waco Mammoth National Monument includes the remains of 24 Columbian mammoths, 鈥渋ncluding the nation鈥檚 first and only recorded discovery of a nursery herd of mammoths.鈥 Basin and Range National Monument covers 704,000 acres and contains rock art dating back 4,000 years.
鈥淲ith these new designations, President Obama will have used the Antiquities Act to establish or expand 19 national monuments,鈥澛燼ccording to the release. 鈥淎ltogether, he has protected more than 260 million acres of public lands and waters鈥攎ore than any other president.鈥