Trump admin reportedly rescinds national monuments in California
Chuckwalla National Monument, California
Bob Wick, BLM
Opaque rollback of national monument designations paves the way for reckless leasing in beloved places
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 15, 2025)—According to New York Times and Washington Post reporting, the Trump administration has rescinded the proclamations that established two national monuments totaling nearly a million acres in California: Chuckwalla National Monument, near Joshua Tree National Park, and Sáttítla Highlands National Monument, just northeast of Mount Shasta.
"Without engaging the public or consulting with the Tribes, the administration is stripping away these hard-won protections, opening up these lands to the highest bidder."
The action was made public within a White House fact sheet published near midnight on March 14. The fact sheet said President Trump was “Terminating proclamations declaring nearly a million acres constitute new national monuments that lock up vast amounts of land from economic development and energy production,” but the language has since been removed from the White House website.
Tracy Stone-Manning, president of the Wilderness Society, said the following in response:
“It’s no wonder this announcement came at midnight and from behind closed doors. People of all political stripes worked hard for decades to get these remarkable lands designated as national monuments, to ensure protection of wildlife habitat and the ability to access these special places for generations to come. Without engaging the public or consulting with the Tribes, the administration is stripping away these hard-won protections, opening up these lands to the highest bidder. This action, coupled with mass firings of workers who manage our public lands, sets a dangerous precedent for our nation’s public lands protections.”
