Establishment of the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument

President Obama designated approximately 330,780 acres in northern California as the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument under the Antiquities Act. The proclamation withdraws federal lands from mining, mineral leasing, and public land disposition, directing the Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior to jointly manage the area through the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management with a required management plan.

Federal Register Open PDF 80 FR 41975

Key directives

Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior shall manage monument through USFS and BLM respectively
Secretaries shall jointly prepare a management plan
Secretaries shall promulgate regulations for monument management
Secretary of Agriculture shall consult with Secretary of Interior on NFS lands management plans
Secretaries shall provide for public involvement including tribal, State, and local government consultation
Secretaries shall maximize opportunities for shared resources, operational efficiency, and cooperation
Motorized and mechanized vehicle use restricted to designated roads and trails
Protection of Indian sacred sites and traditional cultural properties required
Grazing permits and leases to continue under existing laws and regulations

Who is ordered

Timeline

Immediate

Monument establishment takes effect upon proclamation
Federal lands withdrawn from entry, location, selection, sale, mining laws, and mineral/geothermal leasing
USFS and BLM assume management responsibilities

Near term (90d)

Joint management plan development to begin
Public involvement and tribal consultation processes to commence

Long term

Management plan completion and implementation
Regulations promulgation for monument management
Ongoing shared resource management between USFS and BLM

Risks & tensions

Potential conflict between conservation goals and continued grazing, mining remediation, and military overflight uses
Tribal access rights and sacred site protection may create implementation tensions with other land uses
Joint USFS-BLM management structure may create bureaucratic coordination challenges
Valid existing rights and water rights reservations may limit federal management discretion
No explicit deadline for management plan completion creates uncertainty