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California officials urge President Biden to designate three new national monuments
In an aerial view, rock formations that resemble many in Joshua Tree National Park are seen in the proposed Chuckwalla Mountains National Monument on April 24, 2024, near Chiriaco Summit, California.
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David McNew
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Getty Images
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Topline:
State officials and tribal leaders are calling on President Biden to designate three new national monuments in California.
Why now: State Sen. Ben Allen said at a news conference Wednesday that it would provide permanent protections for Indigenous communities and take significant steps toward conservation, aligned with California's “30x30” goal.
About the proposed parks: The proposed Chuckwalla National Monument would include more than 600,000 acres of land in Riverside and Imperial counties, south of Joshua Tree National Park. The proposed Sáttítla National Monument would include more than 200,000 acres of culturally significant land within the Shasta-Trinity, Klamath, and Modoc National Forests in northern California. The proposed Kw'tsán National Monument would protect nearly 400,000 acres of the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe’s homelands in Imperial County.
Why it matters: Six tribes support the Chuckwalla designation, including the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians, the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe, and the Cahuilla Band of Indians, among others.
The Pit River Tribe started the call for the Sáttítla National Monument and has been working to protect the landscape for generations. And the Kw'tsán National Monument would connect Chuckwalla and the Avi Kwa Ame National Monument in Nevada.
What's next: Two resolutions have been working their way through Sacramento, SJR 16 and SJR 17, urging Biden to use the federal Antiquities Act of 1906 to designate the trio of monuments.
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Go deeper: Read more about the proposed Chuckwalla National Monument.
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