WASHINGTON — Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis has introduced a bill to protect Devils Tower National Monument, as efforts have been made in recent years to change the name of the well-known landmark.
Devil’s Tower became the first national monument in the United States when President Theodore Roosevelt signed the paperwork in 1906.
Petitioners have been asking the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to rename Devils Tower since 2005. The board hasn’t taken action because of the Devils Tower Protection Bill. Since the bill is under Congressional consideration, the board cannot make its own decision on the issue.
The monument attracts more than half a million visitors each year, serving as an important part of the state and regional economy.
Lummis wrote : “Devils Tower is one of the most iconic sights In Wyoming,” Lummis said. “It’s the first national monument in the United States, and a place of significance for everyone who sees it, from the tourists who visit to the native peoples and Wyoming residents who live nearby. Devils Tower is well known across the country and around the world as a historical and cultural landmark, and it is critical that we maintain its legacy and its name.”
