Secretary Deb Haaland visits site of proposed monument, park expansion in Southern California
The Mule Mountains in Southern California.
Bob Wick
Secretary Haaland’s visit is a significant step in the overarching collaborative conservation process
Over the weekend, Secretary of the Department of the Interior, Deb Haaland, visited the dually proposed Chuckwalla National Monument and expansion of Joshua Tree National Park to hear from Tribal, federal and state leaders alongside community members about their vision for safeguarding the region’s cultural landscape, ensuring equitable access to nature, protecting the area’s vast desert ecosystem, and preserving historic sites as protected public lands.
Alicia Thomas, California Community Partnerships Manager of The Wilderness Society, responded to the visit:
“We are thankful to Secretary Haaland for visiting our area to connect with local communities in person and experience this unique desert landscape firsthand. A national monument designation will protect unique desert ecosystems here, honor millennia of cultural heritage and history, and increase access to nature for communities in over three counties.
A historic era for public lands conservation is unfolding in real-time in California, led by collaborative efforts to protect landscapes and serve communities throughout the state. We're grateful for the phenomenal work everyone has contributed to making the proposed Chuckwalla National Monument and expansion of Joshua Tree National Park a part of this critical moment in conservation.”
Secretary Haaland’s visit is a significant step in the overarching collaborative conservation process. This process includes listening to voices and perspectives from a diverse range of stakeholders about the proposal, such as elected officials, Tribes, community members, youth, advocacy organizations, business owners, recreationists, ATV users, hunters and anglers, and others.
The proposed 600,000+ acre Chuckwalla National Monument, a desert expanse dotted with native fan palms and winding canyons, is southeast of Joshua Tree National Park and north of the Chocolate Mountains. To the west is the Coachella Valley region, and to the east is the Colorado River. It’s the homelands of the Iviatim, Nüwü, Pipa Aha Macav, Kwatsáan, and Maara’yam peoples (Cahuilla, Chemehuevi, Mohave (Colorado River Indian Tribes/CRIT Mohave), Quechan, and Serrano nations). Bighorn sheep, desert tortoise, endangered Sonoran pronghorn, and the namesake chuckwalla lizard also call this region home.
The visit follows a recent public announcement at a press event in Washington, D.C. that Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA), Laphonza Butler (D-CA), and Representative Raul Ruiz (D-CA-25) introduced bicameral legislation to designate the proposed national monument and park expansion.
For more information on the secretarial visit, see Secretary Haaland Highlights Locally and Tribally Led Conservation Efforts in Southern California.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Alicia Thomas
California Community Partnerships Manager, The Wilderness Society
alicia_thomas@tws.org / (415) 398-1111
