Establishment of the Camp Nelson National Monument

President Trump used the Antiquities Act to establish the Camp Nelson National Monument in Kentucky, withdrawing approximately 380 acres of federal land from development and placing it under National Park Service management. The proclamation directs the Secretary of the Interior to prepare a management plan within 3 years and authorizes NPS to cooperate with Jessamine County on preservation, interpretation, and visitor services.

Federal Register Open PDF 83 FR 54845

Impact dates

Oct 26, 2021
Secretary of Interior management plan due

Key directives

Establish Camp Nelson National Monument on ~380 acres
Withdraw lands from entry, location, selection, sale, mining, and mineral/geothermal leasing
Secretary of Interior shall manage monument through NPS
Secretary shall prepare management plan within 3 years of proclamation date
Management plan shall preserve/protect objects of historic interest and interpret resources/values
NPS directed to seek agreements with Jessamine County and others for visitor services, interpretation, education, museum collections, and preservation

Who is ordered

Timeline

Immediate

Establishment of national monument
Withdrawal of ~380 acres from public land/mining/mineral leasing laws
Transfer of management to NPS

Near term (90d)

NPS to begin management assumption
Initial cooperation discussions with Jessamine County

Long term

Management plan due by October 26, 2021
Ongoing preservation and interpretation of Civil War African American military and refugee history
Potential future land acquisitions if federal government obtains additional properties within boundaries

Risks & tensions

No funding appropriation specified; implementation depends on future budgets
Cooperative agreements with Jessamine County are discretionary ('seek to enter') rather than mandatory
Management plan deadline is fixed but content standards are broadly worded
Valid existing rights preserved, creating potential land-use conflicts
Monument designation may face political opposition or reversal under future administrations, as seen with other Antiquities Act designations