In his final days in office, President Joe Biden is making history with the creation of two new national monuments in California. This action cements his legacy as the president who has protected the most land and water in U.S. history, according to Reuters.
On Tuesday, Jan. 7, Biden will sign proclamations designating Chuckwalla National Monument in Southern California and Sáttítla Highlands National Monument along the northern border.
These latest declarations reflect the cultural significance of Indigenous tribes and their nations, while also fostering renewable energy development for local communities.
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Tribal leaders have long urged the federal government to safeguard their ancestral lands and wildlife from future development and Biden’s move answers those calls.
Chuckwalla will become part of the largest protected land corridor in the U.S., stretching over half a million acres from Utah to southern California. The monument will create a new Moab to Mohave Conservation Corridor, an 18 million-acre tract spanning 600 miles.
The White House noted the Chuckwalla National Monument will preserve habitats for rare species and protect the ancestral homelands of the Cahuilla, Chemehuevi, Mojave, Quechan and Serrano Nations.
Further north, the Sáttítla Highlands will protect over 200,000 acres across three national forests, preserving critical ecosystems and natural resources.
In a statement, the Biden-Harris administration highlighted that the new monuments are aligned with the America the Beautiful initiative. The initiative aims to conserve 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030.
The move also follows Biden’s recent decision to impose a sweeping ban on new offshore oil and gas drilling along nearly all U.S. coastlines, further advancing his administration’s environmental goals.
Under federal law, presidents can designate or modify national monuments to honor sites of cultural, historical or scientific importance. However, future administrations have the authority to reverse such actions.
Since taking office, Biden has established 12 new national monuments and restored three others. These actions have secured more than 674 million acres of federal land and ocean for conservation.
