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Amodei, Heller Propose Legislation To Limit Monument Proclamations

With some rural Nevadans angry that President Barack Obama designated two sprawling national monuments in the state in 2016, two Republican congressional lawmakers have introduced a measure to restrict the ability of future presidents to do the same.

U.S. Sen. Dean Heller and U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei say their legislation would make Nevada off-limits to new monuments that don't have approval from Congress.

Their joint announcement Jan. 4 came after Obama designated the 1,100-square-mile the Basin and Range National Monument in July and the nearly 470-square-mile Gold Butte monument in December.

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The declarations had strong backing from conservation advocates and former Democratic U.S. Sen. Harry Reid.

But Republican leaders and opponents of federal control of land in the American West complain that they closed vast areas to new energy development.