America's natural wonders and historic landmarks are the latest victims of Congressional inaction. In a Los Angeles Times report Monday, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell complains that Congress has failed to pass dozens of public lands bills that would establish new monuments or add territory to already existing parks—and that President Obama could bypass congressional approval.
"The president will not hesitate," Jewell told the paper. "I can tell you that there are places that are ripe for setting aside, with a tremendous groundswell of public support."
The president does have the power to establish monuments through the Antiquities Act of 1906. Obama has used the act nine times during his tenure, including five monuments he designated this March.
The U.S. is home to more than 100 national monuments. The Department of the Interior couldn't provide a formal list of pending sites, but here are four places that lawmakers and communities have lobbied to protect.