President Biden Establishes Two New National Monuments, Cementing His Legacy as a Leading Conservation President

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 7, 2025
PRESS CONTACT: [email protected]

PRESIDENT BIDEN ESTABLISHES TWO NEW NATIONAL MONUMENTS, CEMENTING HIS LEGACY AS A LEADING CONSERVATION PRESIDENT

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, President Biden designated the Chuckwalla and Sáttítla Highlands National Monuments, safeguarding a combined 848,000 acres of culturally and ecologically significant lands in California. With today’s historic action coupled with yesterday’s announcement on offshore drilling, President Biden has now protected 674 million acres of U.S. lands and waters — solidifying his legacy as one of the most successful conservation presidents in our nation’s history.

The Chuckwalla National Monument, spanning over 624,000 acres in southern California near Joshua Tree National Park, preserves the ancestral homelands of the Cahuilla, Chemehuevi, Mojave, Quechan and Serrano Nations, among others.

The Sáttítla Highlands National Monument protects over 224,000 acres in northern California, honoring the ancestral lands of the Pit River Tribe, Modoc Peoples, and other Indigenous nations including the Karuk, Klamath, Shasta, Siletz, Wintu and Yana.

To celebrate these two new national monuments, Building Back Together Executive Director Mayra Macías released the following statement:

‘America the Beautiful’ is more than a phrase; it’s an ideal that embodies the spirit and promise of our nation. By establishing the new Chuckwalla and Sáttítla Highlands national monuments today, President Biden builds upon the historic conservation legacy of his administration. Not only has the president solidified his standing as one of the most successful conservation leaders in history, but he has done so by honoring those who have shaped our nation, protecting Tribal heritage and preserving the breathtaking landscapes that define our country — for this generation and the next.”

Learn more about today’s announcement here.

###