Padilla, Schiff Celebrate Establishment of Chuckwalla and Sáttítla Highlands National Monuments

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.) celebrated President Biden's official signing of proclamations to establish the Chuckwalla and Sáttítla Highlands National Monuments in California under the Antiquities Act of 1906.

The new Chuckwalla National Monument will protect over 624,000 acres of California's vast desert landscape in eastern Imperial and Riverside counties. The creation of the Sáttítla Highlands National Monument will protect over 224,000 acres of culturally significant, ecologically rich, and geologically unique public land within the Shasta-Trinity, Klamath, and Modoc National Forests in northeastern California.

Padilla, Schiff, former California Senator Laphonza Butler, and Representative Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.-25) urged President Biden to use his authority under the Antiquities Act of 1906 to designate the Chuckwalla National Monument. Padilla, Butler, and Ruiz also introduced legislation to push for the establishment of the monument. Last year, Padilla, Schiff, and Butler called on President Biden to designate the Sáttítla Highlands National Monument, and Padilla and Butler introduced legislation to establish the monument.

"Nearly 1 million acres of California's treasured public lands have been safeguarded in just four years under President Biden - a historic achievement," said Senator Padilla. "The establishment of the Chuckwalla and Sáttítla Highlands National Monuments marks an enormous win for our ambitious goals to preserve sacred tribal lands, advance clean energy, and support our diverse wildlife, all while protecting vital outdoor recreational opportunities for millions of Californians. Tribal leaders fought for decades to protect these sacred landscapes, and I was honored to stand alongside them and President Biden to ensure the benefits of these natural wonders endure for generations to come."

"The designation of Chuckwalla and Sáttítla Highlands National Monuments is another powerful action to protect California's natural beauty, preserve critical habitats, and ensure future generations can enjoy these iconic landscapes. This thoughtful step reflects a deep commitment to conservation, and recognizes the efforts of environmental and tribal advocates, conservationists, and local communities who have long fought to safeguard these lands. As one of the Biden Administration's final acts, it is a lasting gift to Californians and to the nation," said Senator Schiff.

"I am thrilled that President Biden has designated the Chuckwalla National Monument using the Antiquities Act," said Representative Ruiz. "After years of negotiation and bringing several communities together, this achievement was made possible through the leadership and partnership of many organizations, tribes, and community leaders. Chuckwalla National Monument will pave the way for the future of conservation and renewable energy. I greatly appreciate Senators Padilla and Butler for their support and partnership over the last several years."

Chuckwalla National Monument

The lands within the 624,000-acre Chuckwalla National Monument include the homelands of the Iviatim, Nüwü, Pipa Aha Macav, Kwatsáan, and Maara'yam peoples (Cahuilla, Chemehuevi, Mojave, Quechan, and Serrano nations). The national monument designation will help protect important spiritual and cultural values tied to the land such as multi-use trail systems established by Indigenous peoples, sacred sites and objects, traditional cultural places, geoglyphs, petroglyphs, pictographs, and native plants and wildlife.

The protection of these public lands will provide more equitable access to nature for eastern Coachella Valley communities and surrounding areas. The vast desert landscape included in the monument proposal is already cherished for outdoor recreation activities like hiking and rock climbing and is home to habitats critical for the survival of the Chuckwalla lizard and the endangered desert tortoise. Some popular trails and places of interest that will be protected as part of the monument include Painted Canyon and Box Canyon in the Mecca Hills area, Corn Springs campground, and the Bradshaw Trail.

The monument will also help meet state and federal commitments to protect at least 30 percent of public lands and coastal waters by 2030, provide a buffer for military installations, and support renewable energy development.

Sáttítla Highlands National Monument

The Pit River Nation regards Sáttítla as sacred land, and this area remains a spiritual center for the Pit River and Modoc Nations, as well as for surrounding Native Americans who continue to use the area for religious activities, ceremonies, and gatherings.

The Sáttítla highlands are geologically unique and contain one of the headwaters of the entire California watershed. The volcanically formed aquifers below the surface capture snow melt, store as much water as California's 200 largest surface reservoirs, and discharge over 1.2 million acre-feet of snowmelt annually. The highlands also host a wide variety of aquatic and terrestrial habitat, including the Fall River trout fishery.

The establishment of the 224,000-acre Sáttítla Highlands National Monument will also contribute to the Administration's and California's goals of permanently conserving 30 percent of U.S. lands and coastal waters by 2030, as well as address the three interlocking crises of nature loss, climate change, and inequitable access to the outdoors, furthering the Administration's America the Beautiful initiative.

Senator Padilla has spearheaded numerous efforts to create new and expand existing national monuments to protect California's public lands and advance tribally led conservation efforts. Last year, Padilla successfully secured the expansion of the San Gabriel Mountains and Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monuments following his introduction of the PUBLIC Lands Act and the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Expansion Act to permanently protect both areas. Padilla also led letters urging President Biden to use his authority under the Antiquities Act of 1906 to expand the monuments.

###