Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
** President Biden to designate two national monuments in California
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Tuesday, January 7, 2025
Little Glass Mountain, Medicine Lake Highlands; Source: ex_magician/Flickr ([link removed])
President Joe Biden will designate two new national monuments ([link removed]) in California today using his authority under the Antiquities Act: Chuckwalla National Monument and Sáttítla Highlands National Monument. Together these monuments will add protections for over 800,000 acres of culturally and ecologically significant public land.
“With these proclamations, President Biden has secured his legacy as one of America’s great conservation presidents. It’s not enough to protect iconic landmarks and features—we must preserve the linkages between ecosystems and landscapes that support wildlife, clean air, and water that communities depend on," said ([link removed]) Center for Western Priorities Executive Director Jennifer Rokala.
Named for the native chuckwalla lizard, Chuckwalla National Monument in southern California protects over 620,000 acres of fragile desert ecosystem ([link removed]) just south of Joshua Tree National Park. Sáttítla Highlands National Monument protects over 220,000 acres of public land in Northern California, including highland lakes ([link removed]) that store snowmelt and provide drinking water for millions of Californians.
Both monuments were spearheaded by Indigenous people. Seven Tribes in Southern California ([link removed]) supported the designation of Chuckwalla, while the Pit River Nation called for the designation of Sáttítla ([link removed]) .
With these monument designations, President Biden has protected more federal land and waters than any other president, about 674 million acres ([link removed]) , and made significant progress toward the national goal of protecting 30 percent of America’s lands and waters by 2030.
The establishment of Chuckwalla National Monument also completes the largest corridor of protected lands in the continental United States, according to the White House ([link removed]) , which covers nearly 18 million acres stretching approximately 600 miles. This new Moab to Mojave Conservation Corridor ([link removed]) protects wildlife habitat and a wide range of natural and cultural resources along the Colorado River, across the Colorado Plateau, and into the deserts of California.
** Quick hits
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Colorado's investment in equitable outdoor access may soon get a boost
ABC 7 Denver ([link removed])
Deb Haaland: The impact of President Biden’s apology to Indian Country
Department of the Interior ([link removed])
Biden to designate two national monuments in California
New York Times ([link removed]) | Associated Press ([link removed]) | CNN ([link removed]) | The Hill ([link removed]) | CBS ([link removed]) | E&E News ([link removed])
BLM approves La Paz County solar project
KAWC ([link removed])
Trump readies Day One energy offensive
E&E News ([link removed])
How do you extinguish a coal seam fire that’s burned for a century?
Denver Post ([link removed])
Trump promises to ‘unban’ offshore drilling, reversing Biden
Washington Post ([link removed])
Looking back on 30 years of Yellowstone wolves
WyoFile ([link removed])
** Quote of the day
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” The protection of the Chuckwalla National Monument brings the Quechan people an overwhelming sense of peace and joy... Tribes being reunited as stewards of this landscape is only the beginning of much-needed healing and restoration, and we are eager to fully rebuild our relationship to this place.”
—Fort Yuma Quechan Tribe, Associated Press ([link removed])
** Picture This
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@YellowstoneNPS ([link removed])
The winter migration of trumpeter swans to Yellowstone showcases a fascinating ecological relationship. Why choose this cold destination? It’s the geology! Hydrothermal runoff keeps some rivers ice-free, creating the perfect habitat for these magnificent birds. #GeologyIsBoss ([link removed])
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