WOW..!! President Obama Creates Three New National Monuments That Demonstrate The Wide Range Of Historic And Cultural

President Obama is designating three new national monuments in areas "that demonstrate the wide range of historic and cultural values that make America's public lands so beloved," the White House announced Friday.

The new monuments, per a White House statement:...

-- Berryessa Snow Mountain in California, a landscape containing rare biodiversity and an abundance of recreational opportunities;

-- Waco Mammoth in Texas, a significant palaeontological site featuring well-preserved remains of 24 Columbian Mammoths;

-- Basin and Range in Nevada, an iconic American landscape that includes rock art dating back 4,000 years and serves as an irreplaceable resource for archaeologists, historians, and ecologists.

The monuments involve more than one million acres of public land.

"With these new designations, President Obama will have used the Antiquities Act to establish or expand 19 national monuments," the White House said in a statement. "Altogether, he has protected more than 260 million acres of public lands and waters -- more than any other President."