President Joe Biden is about to make a big announcement! In the coming days, he’s expected to reveal two new national monuments on tribal land in California. This is part of a larger effort to protect important lands and limit drilling activities before President-elect Donald Trump takes office.
Here’s the scoop:
- The first national monument, Chuckwalla National Monument, will cover around 644,000 acres in Southern California, not far from Joshua Tree National Park.
- The second, Sáttítla National Monument, will span about 200,000 acres in Northern California.
Both of these beautiful areas are about to be protected from new drilling, mining, and logging. And here’s why that matters: these lands hold deep spiritual and cultural significance for several Native American tribes who have been fighting to keep their ancestral homes safe.
For example, Chuckwalla is home to majestic creatures like bighorn sheep, deer, wild burros, and snakes. The tribes have been pushing back against gold mining and exploration in this area for years.
Up north, in Sáttítla, the Pit River Tribe has teamed up with environmental groups to protect the land from geothermal drilling and logging. The region is a natural wonder, with lava flows, lakes, and lush sugar pine forests. It’s also home to wildlife like blue ribbon trout, black bears, bald eagles, and even the elusive northern spotted owl.
This decision comes after strong requests from Native American tribes, who have long hoped for these places to be recognized as national monuments to protect them from industrial development.
In the past, President Biden has used the Antiquities Act to designate six national monuments, while former President Trump reversed protections for two sites in Utah, opening them up for mining. Native American and environmental groups are now urging Biden to establish even more monuments before he leaves office.
At the same time, the Biden administration has been making moves to secure the future of clean energy. They’ve introduced new rules, tax credits, and loans for clean energy projects as part of their climate agenda. They’re also putting in place measures to protect these policies from being undone by the incoming administration.
And just last month, Biden took another step by announcing plans to withdraw nearly 264,000 acres of federal land in Nevada from oil and gas development.
All in all, this is a huge win for environmental and Native American groups who’ve been advocating for the protection of these sacred lands. Let’s hope these efforts continue to gain momentum!