With New National Monuments In CA, Biden Sets Conservation Record

India-West News Desk

LOS ANGELES, CA – On January 7, President Joe Biden cemented his environmental legacy by designating two new national monuments in California, setting a record for the most land and waters conserved by any U.S. president. With this action, Biden has federally protected 674 million acres of land and waters, solidifying his commitment to environmental preservation and Indigenous heritage.

Sáttítla Highlands National Monument

In Northern California, the Sáttítla Highlands National Monument now protects over 224,000 acres of the Medicine Lake Highlands near Mount Shasta. This region, sacred to the Pit River Tribe and Modoc people, features the dormant Medicine Lake Volcano and the world’s longest-known lava tube system. The designation safeguards critical watersheds and bans fossil fuel extraction and mining, ensuring the preservation of this ecologically and culturally significant area.

Chuckwalla National Monument

In Southern California, the newly established Chuckwalla National Monument encompasses over 624,000 acres south of Joshua Tree National Park to the Colorado River. This area, significant to several Indigenous tribes including the Fort Yuma Quechan Tribe, is home to 50 rare plant and animal species, including the Chuckwalla lizard. It also completes the “Moab to Mojave Conservation Corridor,” creating the largest protected land stretch in the continental U.S., covering nearly 18 million acres across four states.

A Legacy of Protection

Biden’s designations continue his record of prioritizing environmental preservation, following his 2022 protection of Avi Kwa Ame (Spirit Mountain), a sacred site for the Quechan Tribe. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland hailed the Chuckwalla National Monument as a place of “unmatched beauty,” emphasizing the administration’s commitment to conserving America’s natural and cultural heritage for future generations.