National Monuments are important sites protected by law in the US, overseen by the Parks Service. They can be natural landmarks, buildings, or historic sites, and are part of a larger system of protected areas. They differ from parks in that they can be established independently of Congress or the President. Offenses against National Monuments are taken seriously and carry severe penalties.
A national monument is a site deemed important to the American people and therefore entitled to certain protections under the law. Many nations have various versions of National Monuments and programs established to promote and care for them, ensuring they will be around for future generations. National Monuments are part of a larger system of parks, preserves, forest areas and so on; combined, this system protects the natural, cultural, and historic heritage of the United States.
Several things distinguish a national monument from a state or national park. To begin with, national monuments have varying degrees of diversity. A single structure, for example, could be considered a National Monument, while Parks must be established to preserve various objects of importance, such as rare plants, archaeological sites and so on. Additionally, a National Park must receive Congressional approval before it can be created, while a National Monument can be created independently of the President of the United States.
Sometimes, a national monument may be part of a larger reserve or protected area. This often happens when a president quickly establishes a national monument to ensure that a particularly valuable site is protected and it is later decided that the site should be larger. National Monuments are overseen by the Parks Service, just like National Parks, and some of them are very carefully protected because they are vulnerable to damage; the Statue of Liberty, for example, is subject to heavy security and access control due to fears of a terrorist attack.
All kinds of things can be National Monuments. The first national monument was a natural landmark, Devil’s Tower, which was protected by Theodore Roosevelt in 1906. Buildings can also be national monuments, along with historic sites such as battlefields. In many cases, a national monument has a very interesting history, and the monument’s staff are often happy to tell visitors more about the site.
Transgressions against national monuments, such as vandalism, are taken very seriously. Any kind of destruction of federal property often carries severe penalties, but because National Monuments serve as symbols of America, an offense to a National Monument is treated as an offense to the United States as a whole by law enforcement agencies. People considering hijackings to National Monuments may want to be aware that members of the Parks Service are considered police officers as well as being friendly and helpful guides, and they carry guns to enforce the law.
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