A long April weekend spent exploring Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument revealed the wondrous nature of this arid Sonoran landscape that prompted President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to set it aside as part of the National Park System 80 years ago, and underscored the incalculable worth of the Antiquities Act that enabled him to do so.

Walking past Organ Pipe, Saguaro, Senita, Cholla, and other cacti that densely fill the Senita Basin, watching tiny (and endangered) pupfish dart about the warm-water streamlets that define the Quitobaquito pocket of the park, and scrambling ever upwards to the roof of Arch Canyon revealed a personality- and resource-rich park that has been tainted during the past two decades by border strife that, while poignant, cannot detract from the natural wonders, archaeology, and cultures contained within the landscape.

If, as expected, President Trump on Wednesday directs Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to weigh the value of the Antiquities Act and how it's been used in recent presidential history, the secretary should look at Organ Pipe, Walnut Canyon, Buck Island Reef, Canyon de Chelly, Devils Postpile, Effigy Mounds, or any of the other 82 national monuments managed by the National Park Service to fully appreciate the need for the act and how it has been wielded.

He might want to visit Fossil Butte National Monument in Wyoming to view its rich, fossilized paleontological history, poke his head into the cliff dwellings of Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument in New Mexico, go underground at Jewel Cave National Monument in South Dakota, or quietly walk the battleground at Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in his own state of Montana if he needs any additional appreciation for the powerful outcomes of the act.

Secretary Zinke should also take note of what would be missing from the list of monuments (Organ Pipe and Jackson Hole, which contributed to Grand Teton National Park, for two) if presidents who designated them listened to vocal minorities that opposed the designations and overlooked the better good that could come from their designations.

News of the proclamation ignited a frenzy of proactive lobbying Tuesday by various environmental and conservation groups that pointed to the value and benefits of national monuments.

“Show me the money. We are confident that a fact-based review of the national parks and public lands protected as monuments by the Antiquities Act will show year over year economic growth," said Ashley Korenblat, managing director at Public Land Solutions. "Protected public lands are reliable job creators and allow communities who were previously stuck on the resource extraction roller coaster to attract quality of life businesses along with visitors for around the country and the world. Undermining these protections will undermine these communities.”

At the Center for American Progress, staff said the administration would walk "into a legal, political and moral minefield" if it moves forward with a review to see if monuments created in the last 21 years were justified.

"No president has ever attempted to revoke a national monument – and for good reason: such an attack on our nation’s public lands and heritage is deeply unpopular and illegal," said Kate Kelly, the Center's public lands director. "Any honest, transparent review of national monuments will reveal them for what they are: testaments to our nation’s heritage and economic engines for local communities. But make no mistake: this review should worry all Americans who want to pass on our national parks and public lands to the next generation.”

Jennifer Rokala, executive director for the Center for Western Priorities, made much the same statement.

“Our national monuments are monuments to America’s heritage and history, which is why they are so popular. This executive order is the beginning of an all-out assault on America’s public lands. The outcome of this review is preordained: it will be used in an attempt to eliminate or shrink national monuments," she said. "Any attempt by President Trump to erase or shrink national monuments will meet strong resistance from the American people and the legal system. The law is clear—only Congress has the authority to erase or modify national monuments, and Congress has wisely used that power sparingly over the last hundred years.”

President Woodrow Wilson used the Antiquities Act in 1915 to protect the cliff dwellings in Walnut Canyon in Arizona/Kurt Repanshek

Polling has shown overwhelming support in the West for national monuments, with strong majorities in Arizona, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming in favor of keeping national monuments.

At the National Parks Conservation Association, President and CEO Theresa Pierno said any effort to rescind a monument designation or shrink the size of a monument would be a slap in the face to all who worked to see a designation made.

“To call into question whether our national heritage is worth protecting will have lasting repercussions on the preservation of our public lands for generations to come," she said. "America’s national monuments have become the latest victims in this heated political atmosphere. Any attempt to undo or alter them isn’t just undermining a century-old law, it’s a betrayal of the people who fought so hard for them, and the land and history we’ve all spent generations safeguarding."

Animosity to use of the Antiquities Act, most recently by President Obama, has festered mostly within Republicans in the West, who see the designations as impediments to economic activities most often involving mining, logging, livestock grazing, and fracking. U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop, the Utah Republican who chairs the House Natural Resources Committee, long has bemoaned President Obama's use of the act, and has scheduled a hearing for May 2 on "the Consequences of Executive Overreach of the Antiquities Act."

Secretary Zinke has often expressed his love of national parks, portrayed himself as a "Roosevelt Republican," and stated his opposition to transferring or selling federal lands. His boss, however, has been focused on removing many of the environmental regulations put in place by the Obama administration and calling for more extensive energy exploration in the country.

“While Secretary Zinke is paying lip service to our public lands, President Trump is preparing to launch an assault on our national monuments. An executive order that undermines national monuments is not only an attack on America’s heritage and history, it’s an attack on the millions of jobs and hundreds of billions of dollars that depend on our parks, monuments, and other public land," said Jennifer Rokala, executive director at the Center for Western Priorities.

The heightened scrutiny by the Trump administration on the Antiquities Act comes a day after the Outdoor Industry Association released a report claiming that the outdoor industry generates nearly $900 billion a year in outdoor recreation and supports nearly eight million jobs, a good portion from the National Park System.

National parks, national wildlife refuges, national monuments and other public lands and waters account for $45 billion in economic output and about 396,000 jobs nationwide. These public areas provide significant economic benefits, particularly for nearby rural communities.

“From the smallest rural towns to the most densely populated cities, outdoor recreation makes America stronger,” said Amy Roberts, OIA executive director. “This report makes clear that the outdoor recreation economy is not only thriving, but a powerful economic force that embodies the American spirit. Public lands and waters are the foundation of this powerful economic force. By investing in and protecting America’s public lands and waters, we invest in our future and the continued well-being of America. Together, we can thrive outside.”

At the giant outdoor gear retailer, REI, CEO Jerry Stritzke expressed hope that the administration would take note of the report.

"Given the anticipated news from the administration about monument designations this week, this is a timely discussion. The outdoor recreation economy has always been a vital element in the fabric of our country," he said. "We're particularly proud to contribute 7.6 million good jobs. We're happy to stand with the millions of Americans who look to the outdoors for their livelihoods and enjoyment, and we ask that our nation's policymakers and elected officials do the same."

What the economic numbers don't reflect are the priceless values of the archaeological and paleontological records held within national monuments, the cultural stories, and that of the flora and fauna. Organ Pipe Cactus protects not only the Quitobaquito pupfish, but the endangered Sonoran pronghorn, the endangered Lesser long-nosed bat, and a handful of Sonoyta mud turtles.

We can only hope Secretary Zinke takes the long view when evaluating national monuments that add much to the country's fabric.