President Biden designates two new national monuments in California
The Mule Mountains in Southern California.
Bob Wick
Chuckwalla and Sáttítla Highlands National Monuments honor years of Indigenous advocacy
Today, President Biden designated two new national monuments in California: Chuckwalla National Monument, near Joshua Tree National Park, and Sáttítla Highlands National Monument, just northeast of the iconic Mount Shasta. These designations preserve culturally and ecologically significant lands and follow robust public meetings, with supportive input from Tribal and local communities—including businesses, youth, veterans, faith groups and sportspeople, among others.
With these two designations, President Biden solidifies his pro-public land legacy. The designation of Chuckwalla, in particular, completes the Moab to Mojave Conservation Corridor, a stretch that includes other national monuments that President Biden restored or established: Utah’s Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, Arizona’s Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni—Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon, and Nevada’s Avi Kwa Ame; a desert corridor that’s been inhibited by and traveled by Indigenous peoples since time immemorial.
Chuckwalla National Monument also balances the need for conservation and outdoor access with renewable energy development. The national monument complements the goals of the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP), an eight-year planning effort that identified areas suitable for renewable energy development as well as lands that should be protected for their biological, cultural, recreation, and other values.
“The significance of the dual designations of Sáttítla Highlands and Chuckwalla National Monuments in California is as enormous as the state itself—from the cool, northern headwaters of Medicine Lake Highlands to the Joshua Tree desert refuge in the south. These connected landscapes are crucial for both human and wildlife communities alike,” said The Wilderness Society Interim President David Seabrook. “We applaud President Biden for taking meaningful action to safeguard these culturally and ecologically unique regions and for listening to Tribal and local community members who have called for their protection so that their connections to this land last for future generations.”
Chuckwalla National Monument, Southern California desert
Chuckwalla National Monument protects 624,000 acres of public lands south of I-10, extending from the Coachella Valley region to the east near the Colorado River. It also safeguards public lands contiguous to Joshua Tree National Park, creating a federally protected land network. This network enhances wildlife habitats and passageways for species like desert bighorn sheep and burro deer while helping ensure public land access for Eastern Coachella Valley, Blythe, and other nearby communities. The region is home to the Iviatim, Nüwü, Pipa Aha Macav, Kwatsáan, and Maara’yam peoples (Cahuilla, Chemehuevi, Mojave, Quechan, and Serrano nations). This vibrant landscape, rich in cultural, natural, and spiritual significance, still supports the well-being and survival of Indigenous peoples today.
Sáttítla Highlands National Monument, Medicine Lake Highlands
The new Sáttítla Highlands National Monument protects 224,000 acres within the Shasta-Trinity, Klamath, and Modoc National Forests. Sáttítla has been a spiritual center for the Pit River, Modoc, Shasta, Karuk, and Wintu Tribes for thousands of years. The area continues to serve as a sacred site for ceremonies, religious practices, and cultural gatherings, especially for the Pit River and Modoc Tribes, who view the land as integral to their identities and traditions. At the forefront of the campaign to protect the region, also known as Medicine Lake Highlands, was—and continues to be—the Pit River Tribe. In addition to its cultural significance, Sáttítla is crucial to the health and well-being of millions of Californians. The region is often referred to as the headwaters of the state due to its role in providing clean, cold water from its volcanic aquifers. These aquifers, which store vast amounts of snowmelt, supply vital water to both human and wildlife communities across the state, including farms downstream.
The Antiquities Act: A Powerful Tool for Conservation
President Biden was able to swiftly and directly designate these national monuments using the Antiquities Act of 1906, which allows presidents to protect areas of historic and scientific significance on public lands under the designation “national monuments.” It was signed into law by President Theodore Roosevelt and has been used on a bipartisan basis by 18 presidents since. Some of these special places, like the Grand Canyon and Organ Pipe Cactus, would likely have been marred by development—or demolished entirely—without this law and the strong movement to preserve public lands that it exemplifies.
In recent years, the Antiquities Act has also been used to help preserve and give proper recognition to sites related to the civil rights movement and historically marginalized communities in the U.S.—everything from the Stonewall Inn, a symbol of LGBTQ+ rights, to the former home of Southern civil rights activist Medgar Evers.
We thank President Biden for using his authority to protect these unique and treasured landscapes!
