In the twilight of his presidency, Barack Obama made sev­eral announcements withdrawing federal land from devel­opment. These executive actions were protective measures taken under longstanding authorities of the Antiquities Act of 19061 and the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act2 (OCSLA), which delegate a portion of Congress’ primary Constitutional authority over federal lands to the executive branch. Specifically, the statutes authorize the President to unilaterally withdraw cer­tain land from development, which can be an extremely contro­versial measure depending on the location and size of the parcel to be protected, the productive uses restricted, and the heated politics of federal land management more generally. President Obama’s last-minute land withdrawals were no exception. Click here to read the full article from Sustainable Development Law & Policy Brief.