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President Joe Biden plans to expand two national monuments in California today, adding to his conservation legacy. Using his authority under the Antiquities Act, the president will add more than 100,000 acres of public land to San Gabriel Mountains National Monument north of Los Angeles, and nearly 14,000 acres known as Molok Luyuk, or Condor Ridge, to Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument in Northern California.
Both monuments were initially protected by President Barack Obama, and today's expansions come after years-long campaigns by organizers in each area.
“A lot of work went into the initial monument designations under President Obama, but the areas that are being added now were part of the initial vision, just not included in the initial designation,” said Senator Alex Padilla of California. “So it’s finally completing the vision.”
The San Gabriel Mountains expansion will increase access to nature for underserved communities in Los Angeles. The Angeles National Forest already sees nearly 4.6 million visits a year—more than the Grand Canyon or Yosemite.
Molok Luyuk is the ancestral home of the Patwin people and served as an important trade and travel route for Indigenous groups. With the expansion, the area's name will officially change.
“Notably, the renaming of Walker Ridge to Molok Luyuk recognizes the Patwin ancestry of this area of California, whose traditional territory stretches south from these hills to the shores of San Pablo Bay and east to the Sacramento River,” said Anthony Roberts, tribal chairman of the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation. “It also highlights the restoration effort being made by our Tribes to reintroduce the California Condor to the ridge.”
With today's expansions, President Biden will be less than 100,000 acres away from protecting more public land with the Antiquities Act than any first-term president in recent history. Last year, CWP featured both San Gabriel Mountains and Molok Luyuk as part of our Road to 30: Postcards project highlighting locally-driven conservation campaigns across the country.
Fish passage projects benefit Western communities
Across the country, outdated structures such as culverts and dams prevent fish from following rivers and streams to reach their upstream habitat. Removing these barriers or replacing them with bridges can improve access to habitat and reduce flood risk for communities. In a new CWP blog post, policy director Rachael Hamby looks at how the latest round of funding awards from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will provide millions of dollars to remove culverts and help communities across five Western states.
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Think of walking like 100 yards, and you’re literally walking through millions of years of history because of the geology. That unique geology also leads to unique, rare species, especially of plants.”
