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On Tuesday, a trio of California lawmakers introduced bicameral legislation to create the Chuckwalla National Monument and expand Joshua Tree National Park. The bill would protect over 627,000 acres in the Eastern Coachella Valley through the establishment of Chuckwalla National Monument, and would add just under 18,000 acres of previously designated public lands to Joshua Tree National Park.
Senators Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler, and Representative Raul Ruiz's legislation reflects the advocacy, leadership, and collaborative efforts of Tribal nations, cities and municipalities, local community members, and business leaders to protect these special desert landscapes. The bill would expand equitable access to nature, protect the area’s rich biodiversity, preserve local history, honor the cultural significance of the landscape, and address the climate and biodiversity crises. The lawmakers also sent a letter signed by several more of their colleagues to President Joe Biden urging him to use his authority under the Antiquities Act to designate the Chuckwalla National Monument.
Senator Padilla and Representative Ruiz also attended a press conference in front of the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday at which a broad coalition of conservation leaders and Tribal representatives touted a petition with 800,000 signatures to President Biden and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland urging them to act quickly to protect large swaths of land and historic sites. Along with encouraging President Biden to designate Chuckwalla National Monument and expand Joshua Tree National Park, the coalition also urged the President to expand California's San Gabriel Mountains and Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monuments, and pushed for new or expanded designations of 11 landscapes and historic sites in seven states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, and Oregon.
Biden set to block Ambler mining road in Alaska wilderness
The New York Times is reporting that the Biden administration is expected to deny permission for a 211-mile industrial road through a protected Alaskan wilderness area in order to access a large copper deposit. According to the Times, the Interior Department intends to announce as early as this week that there should be “no action” on the federal land where the Ambler Access Project road would be built. The proposed Ambler project would consist of a $350 million two-lane, all-season gravel road that would run through the foothills of the Brooks Range and the Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, crossing 11 rivers and thousands of streams before it reached the site of a future mine. Opponents of the road have argued for years that it would threaten wildlife as well as Alaska Native tribes that rely on hunting and fishing. David Krause, interim executive director of the National Audubon Society’s Alaska office said “This is one of the most ecologically-intact and functional landscapes on the planet,” and protecting it from development is a “huge deal.”
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Our proposal reflects the input of Tribal leaders who have fought for years to protect these sacred landscapes, and from our partners in the energy industry who worked with us to carefully craft the monument’s boundaries to ensure we can meet our shared clean energy goals. I look forward to working alongside federal officials, Tribes, veterans, and local businesses to secure these protections as soon as possible.”
