President Biden, it’s Time to Designate National Monuments in California!
We’re calling on President Biden to continue protecting public lands as national monuments in California after the recent expansion of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument near Los Angeles and Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument in Northern California. Let's ensure more access to nature for Latino communities and protect Tribal lands, important sources of water, and wildlife habitat within California.
Chuckwalla National Monument
WHAT IS IT
The proposed Chuckwalla National Monument, stretching from the Coachella Valley in the west to the Colorado River in the east, would protect approximately 627,000 acres, ensuring more equitable access to nature for residents in the Eastern Coachella Valley and Blythe.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
The proposed Chuckwalla National Monument includes many places enjoyed for outdoor recreation activities, including Painted Canyon and Box Canyon in the Mecca Hills area, Corn Springs campground, and the Bradshaw Trail. We can protect these places for current and future generations to experience and enjoy.
Sáttítla National Monument
WHAT IS IT
FFurther north, nestled in the Shasta-Trinity, Klamath, and Modoc National Forests is an area known as Sáttítla in the Medicine Lake Highlands. This landscape is home to a rich legacy of Indigenous culture and sacred to the Pit River, Modoc, Shasta, Karuk, and Wintu Tribes. Sáttítla is a spiritual center for the Pit River and Modoc Tribes, who continue to use the area for religious activities, ceremonies, and gatherings.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
Home to volcanically formed underground aquifers, these lands and waters have sustained Indigenous peoples for thousands of years and benefit millions of people who live downstream in California. Sáttítla could rightfully be called the headwaters of the state for its role in providing pure water to millions of residents, to wildlife, as well as serving agricultural needs downstream.
Kw’tsán National Monument
WHAT IS IT
The proposed Kw’tsán National Monument encompasses more than 390,000 acres of lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management in Imperial County. The proposed national monument is part of a greater cultural landscape, connecting ancestral homelands and Avi Kwa Lal in southern California just west of the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe’s Reservation, Palo Verde Peak in the proposed Chuckwalla National Monument, and Spirit Mountain in Nevada’s Avi Kwa Ame National Monument.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
These lands contain incredible cultural, ecological, recreational, scenic, and historic values that the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe is asking be preserved for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations.
San Gabriel Mountains National Monument Expansion
WHAT IS IT
On June 26, 2023 Senator Alex Padilla and Representative Judy Chu called on President Biden to use the Antiquities Act to add 109,000 acres of public lands to the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. The Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians, the Gabrieleno Band of Mission Indians, and numerous cities, local elected officials, and residents have also urged the President to protect these public lands. On May 2, President Biden expanded the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument designation to include 109,000 additional acres of public land.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
The San Gabriel Mountains provide one-third of the drinking water and more than 70% of the open space in the Los Angeles region, an area with over 18 million residents - of whom Latinos make up the largest ethnic group. This expansion helps increase equitable access to nature and improve public health, conserve a critical drinking water source, address the climate and biodiversity crises, and honor the cultural and historical significance of the landscape.
Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Expansion (Molok Luyuk)
WHAT IS IT
Last year, Senator Alex Padilla, the late Senator Dianne Feinstein, Representatives John Garamendi and Mike Thompson, and the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation called on President Biden to expand Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument using the Antiquities Act. On May 2, President Biden expanded the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument to add 13,753 acres of public lands.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
The expansion helps safeguard lands that are sacred to the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, and preserves important wildlife corridors and the area’s distinct biodiversity. A key goal of this effort is also to establish co-management with federally recognized Tribes and to return to an Indigenous name for these lands - Molok Luyuk. Molok Luyuk is Patwin for “Condor Ridge” and is a name provided by the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation. Expanding the monument also helps ensure access to nature for the region’s significant number of Latino residents. Already, this area is beloved for outdoor activities and local organizations report full attendance for organized birdwatching and wildflower tours.