Today marks a historic victory for nature and Indigenous communities. President Joe Biden has designated two new national monuments: Chuckwalla in southern California and Sáttítla in northern California.
Sierra Nevada Alliance joins all Tribal leaders, elected officials, local businesses, outdoor enthusiasts, hunters and anglers, scientists, veterans, and community members in celebrating President Biden for designating Chuckwalla and Sáttítla Highlands National Monuments.
Together, these two national monuments will protect 848,000 acres of lands in California of scientific, cultural, ecological, and historical importance. This is a major milestone that brings us closer in achieving California’s 30×30 goal!
The new Sáttítla Highlands National Monument is located in northeastern California. Since time immemorial, the Pit River Nation has regarded Sáttítla as sacred, and this area remains a spiritual center for the Pit River and Modoc Nations as well as for surrounding Tribal Peoples. The monument protects critical water resources for millions of Californians.
The protection of Sáttítla will also preserve important wildlife corridors and ecological connectivity between the Southern Cascade and Northern Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. These two ranges are home to California’s headwaters as well as animal and plant species found nowhere else in the world. Projects like this that protect connectivity between significant landscapes are crucial to build resilience to the impacts of climate change, preserve ecological networks and wildlife corridors, and help maintain ecological biodiversity in fragmented areas.
The new Chuckwalla National Monument is located south of Joshua Tree National Park. Seven Tribes called for the protection of this cultural landscape. The monument will honor Tribal sovereignty, boost the local economy, and help ensure access to nature for local residents.
These new national monuments will provide clean air and water, essential habitat for wildlife and plants, cultural continuity for Indigenous communities, and abundant recreational opportunities. They build on our collective success to make protecting nature in the U.S. one of President Biden’s lasting legacies, which has now reached more than 2.4 million acres of protected public lands, waters, and historic sites throughout the country. In California alone, President Biden designated four national monuments! These efforts (Chuckwalla National Monument, Sáttítla National Monument Campaign and expansion of San Gabriel Mountains and Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monuments) will protect almost one million acres of land, helping us reach our 30×30 goal!!
This victory would not have been possible without supporters like you and powerful coalitions who tirelessly championed these protections. Please join us in celebrating this major milestone advancing California’s 30×30 goal! You can thank President Biden for creating these two new national monuments in California through this link: https://secure.everyaction.
