In his final days in the White House, President Obama is expanding his environmental legacy, protecting even more federal land. On Thursday, the Obama administration announced five new national monuments that span across the entire country and encompass civil rights history and environmental conservation. Three of the new national monuments are in the South, which, according to Obama “preserve the vibrant history of the Reconstruction Era” and “tell the important stories of the citizens who helped launch the civil rights movement.” Two of the new monuments are in Alabama. The sites, in Birmingham and Anniston, respectively, where locations of violence against black children and activists. The third site, in Beaufort, South Carolina, commemorate Reconstruction efforts to build schools for African Americans. The president has also designated two natural national monuments, expanding the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument in Oregon by 42,000 acres and expanding the California Coastal National Monument by 5,000 acres. Both monuments were established by President Clinton. “Today’s actions will help ensure that more of our country’s history will be preserved and celebrated,” Obama said in a statement. The president used his authority under the Antiquities Act of 1906 to establish national monuments without congressional approval. Obama has established more national monument than any president in U.S. history at 34.