Padilla Applauds Establishment of Chuckwalla National Monument
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) issued the following statement after President Biden announced he will establish the Chuckwalla National Monument in eastern Imperial and Riverside counties using his authority under the Antiquities Act of 1906:
“Establishing the Chuckwalla National Monument is another major victory for safeguarding California’s public lands for generations to come. This historic announcement accelerates our state’s crucial efforts to fight the climate crisis, protect our iconic wildlife, preserve sacred tribal sites, and promote clean energy, while expanding equitable access to nature for millions of Californians.
“This designation reflects years of tireless work from tribal leaders to protect these sacred desert landscapes. President Biden has joined California leaders in championing our treasured natural wonders, and I applaud him for further cementing his strong public lands legacy.”
The new Chuckwalla National Monument will protect over 624,000 acres of California’s vast desert landscape. The announcement comes after Padilla, Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), former California Senator Laphonza Butler, and Representative Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.-25) urged President Biden to use his authority under the Antiquities Act of 1906 to designate the monument. Padilla, Butler, and Ruiz also introduced legislation to push for the establishment of the Chuckwalla National Monument.
The lands within the national monument include the homelands of the Iviatim, Nüwü, Pipa Aha Macav, Kwatsáan, and Maara’yam peoples (Cahuilla, Chemehuevi, Mojave, Quechan, and Serrano nations). The Chuckwalla National Monument designation will help to protect important spiritual and cultural values tied to the land such as multi-use trail systems established by Indigenous peoples, sacred sites and objects, traditional cultural places, geoglyphs, petroglyphs, pictographs, and native plants and wildlife.
The protection of these public lands will provide more equitable access to nature for eastern Coachella Valley communities and surrounding areas. The vast desert landscape included in the monument proposal is already cherished for outdoor recreation activities like hiking and rock climbing and is home to habitats critical for the survival of the Chuckwalla lizard and the endangered desert tortoise. Some popular trails and places of interest that will be protected as part of the monument include Painted Canyon and Box Canyon in the Mecca Hills area, Corn Springs campground, and the Bradshaw Trail.
The monument will also help meet state and federal commitments to protect at least 30 percent of public lands and coastal waters by 2030, provide a buffer for military installations, and support renewable energy development.
Senator Padilla has spearheaded numerous efforts to create new and expand existing national monuments to protect California’s public lands and advance tribally led conservation efforts. Last year, Padilla successfully secured the expansion of the San Gabriel Mountains and Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monuments following his introduction of the PUBLIC Lands Act and the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Expansion Act to permanently protect both areas. Padilla also led letters urging President Biden to use his authority under the Antiquities Act of 1906 to expand the monuments. Additionally, Padilla, Senator Schiff, and former Senator Laphonza Butler recently called on President Biden to designate the Sáttítla National Monument in northern California.
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