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Over the weekend, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland visited the proposed Chuckwalla National Monument in Southern California. If designated as a national monument, the 600,000-acre landscape would protect rich biodiversity and connect a historically important travel route for Indigenous peoples.
The proposed national monument is supported by numerous entities, including conservation groups, community members, and local Tribes who have significant cultural and ancestral connections to the area. Elected officials are also in support of the monument—last fall, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla and Representative Raul Ruiz called on President Joe Biden to establish the Chuckwalla National Monument.
As part of our Road to 30: Postcards campaign, the Center for Western Priorities released a short video showcasing the area's stunning geology, colorful wildflowers, and diverse wildlife. The video features three people among the many who are working hard to protect these vital resources.
Not only would a national monument designation ensure the landscape remains intact for future generations, but it would also contribute greatly to President Biden's nearly-historic conservation record—with just half a year left in his first term, he is about 100,000 acres away from protecting more public land using the Antiquities Act than any other first-term president since Jimmy Carter.
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If you like margaritas, you gotta love nectar-feeding bats because they pollinate agaves.”
