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Jackson County commissioners want changes to Antiquities Act Pilot Rock is located in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, which was expanded by President Obama to protect its unique biological diversity. Mail Tribune / file photo Tuesday Jan 24, 2017 at 5:21 PM Jan 24, 2017 at 6:14 PM Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune @VickieAldous Jackson County commissioners are hoping President Donald Trump's new administration and the Republican-controlled Congress will be more sympathetic to their concerns about the recent expansion of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument east of Ashland. The commissioners plan to ask for a stay on the creation of a resource management plan for the monument, which was expanded by former President Barack Obama a week before he left office. They also hope for changes to the 1906 Antiquities Act, which allows presidents to create national monuments via proclamation to protect significant natural, cultural or scientific resources. Passage of the act was prompted by concerns about rampant looting of Native American artifacts. Commissioner Rick Dyer said the time may never be better to seek changes that would give local communities more say in monument declarations. "We've been battling these issues for generations," he said. President Bill Clinton designated the 66,000-acre Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument in recognition of its rich biological diversity. Obama added another 47,624 acres to the monument Jan. 12. Congress and most states do not need to approve the presidential proclamations creating monuments. Alaska and Wyoming previously secured the right to affirm or deny monuments within their boundaries. Jackson County commissioners would like Oregon or all states to have that power. Getting an exception for Oregon alone could be difficult because Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, both Democrats, supported the monument expansion. Rep. Greg Walden, a Republican whose district includes most of the monument, has pledged to work with Trump to try and roll back the expansion. Jackson County commissioners also want a public input process to be required before a monument can be designated. The Antiquities Act does not require public input. Elected representatives held their own public hearings in Ashland and Medford to gather input prior to the expansion of the monument. Public opinion was divided, and elected bodies have taken differing stances as well, with county commissioners opposing the expansion and the city councils of Ashland and Talent in support. County Administrator Danny Jordan said a mandatory public input process for monument proposals would benefit both proponents and opponents. County commissioners plan to reach out to Congress and the Trump administration, and potentially hire outside legal help for guidance on proposed changes that could be made at the legislative level. Jordan said he doesn't have an estimate on the cost of the legal assistance. He emphasized the purpose isn't to litigate the issue, but to work on a legislative strategy. No president has undesignated a national monument created by a predecessor, and it's unclear whether a new president has the authority to do so. Western-lands activists are urging Trump to test the limits of executive power by revoking millions of acres that Obama set aside as national monuments, setting up a landmark legal battle, The Washington Times reported. — Staff reporter Vickie Aldous can be reached at 541-776-4486 or [email protected]. Follow her at www.twitter.com/VickieAldous.