Dear John,

I am proud to share that California Senator Alex Padilla and I are pushing to expand the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument by over 100,000 acres! Los Angeles County and the surrounding areas are some of the most park-poor regions in our country. Expanding the San Gabriel National Monument creates additional access to our beautiful forest for all Angelenos. 

In 2014, we first achieved the National Monument distinction for over 300,000 acres of our Mountains from President Obama. As our forest hosts millions of visitors a year, this distinction was vital to give federal protection and care for this important area. Now, nearly a decade later, it is important that we expand this protection to the backdoors of our foothill communities – all the way from Sylmar, through Tujunga and Altadena, to Sierra Madre.

President Biden has made it clear that protecting and maintaining our environment across the country is a priority for this administration. As Republicans in Congress hold up National Park and other environmental distinctions, President Biden and Congressional Democrats are working to ensure that our lands are protected and cared for.

Expanding the National Monument is just one method of creating more accessibility to this area. Our office is working with the Transit to Trails Program and secured funding for their first San Gabriel Mountains Shuttle, which will connect the Pasadena Metro to the park! 

To expand environmental protections, to expand public transit availability, and to make our cities and counties more accessible, we need to make sure we take back the House in 2024 by electing Democrats across the country who will continue to fight for these advancements. 

Here’s to a future with open accessible green space that all of our communities can enjoy!

Judy