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From the soaring mountains of Yosemite to the stark desert landscape of Joshua Tree National Park, California already boasts some of the most impressive and ecologically-diverse national parks and monuments in the country.
But there are a number of important natural landscapes in the state that lack protection, and Californians are calling on President Joe Biden to remedy this by protecting over 970,000 acres of federal land in the state using his power under the Antiquities Act.
These areas include the proposed Chuckwalla National Monument, comprised of 660,000 acres of federal land next to Joshua Tree National Park; the proposed San Gabriel Mountains National Monument expansion, which would enlarge the existing monument by 109,000 acres near the City of Los Angeles; the proposed Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument expansion, which would protect 13,753 acres including Molok Luyuk, or Condor Ridge; and the proposed Medicine Lake Highlands National Monument, which would encompass 200,000 acres near Mt. Shasta.
From the Los Angeles Times Editorial Board to California's representatives in Congress, calls for President Biden to protect these areas are growing. "Biden... now has the chance to enhance his environmental legacy by conserving more land during his first term than any president in recent decades and protecting these treasures of California while he still can," the Editorial Board wrot in a piece urging the President to act.
Look West is back!
You'll find more quick hits below than usual in order to capture all of the news that came out during this newsletter's break and to help you get caught up after the holidays.
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Even record profits can’t please some people, apparently. With production predicted to break new records in 2024, next year stands to be a good one for the U.S. oil and gas industry, whether executives can admit it or not.”
