Administration again skirts transparency.

• Position: National Monuments - Monument designations - Brief article

A letter has been sent to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar requesting further information relating to an internal DOI document that reveals the Administration is considering designating numerous new National Monuments that would utilize at least 13,000,000 acres of land. The missive was dispatched by House Natural Resources Committee ranking member DOC Hastings (R.-Wash.); National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Subcommittee ranking member Rob Bishop (R.-Utah); and 14 other members of Congress.

Secretary Salazar publicly has stated that there is "no secret agenda" and wants to have a "public dialogue," declares Rap. Hastings. Therefore, continues Hastings, the DOI should be willing to answer questions regarding the exact undertakings and status of the potential monument designations, as well as what outside groups and individuals have been involved in the planning.

"If this internal document had not been exposed, Americans would still be in the dark about the Obama Administration's potential...