President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden landed in Los Angeles on Monday, January 6, 2025, to announce the development of a national monument. The monument will be erected south of Joshua Tree National Park. The Bidens arrived at Los Angeles International Airport aboard Air Force One Monday night after departing from New Orleans.
The first couple had been in New Orleans to meet with “families and community members impacted” by the New Year’s terror attack on Bourbon Street that left 15 dead and dozens injured, according to the White House. It was reported Thursday that Biden is preparing to sign a proclamation to establish the Chuckwalla National Monument in Southern California.
Weather Delay
The president’s announcement was delayed when dangerous weather conditions in Los Angeles prevented him from holding the event. Winds began strengthening across Southern California as forecasters warned of “life-threatening” gusts. The remarks were initially scheduled for the Coachella East Valley but were rescheduled at the last minute to occur at the White House next week. The rescheduled date allows key stakeholders to attend.
The Santa Ana winds picked up Tuesday after Biden landed in Los Angeles. The strong winds sparked massive wildfires in the region, causing thousands to evacuate. The president was in his limousine, ready to leave Los Angeles, when the event was canceled, necessitating a rescheduled date.
National Monument
Tribal leaders proposed a monument encompassing approximately 627,000 acres of public lands and protecting approximately 17,000 acres in the Eagle Mountains. According to the White House, the Chuckwalla National Monument and the Saˊtitˊla National Highlands Monument will protect a combined total of 848,000 acres of land with scientific, cultural, ecological, and historical importance.
The designation of a national monument makes drilling, mining, and other energy- and industrial-related activities illegal in the region. Reports suggest Biden is prepared to sign a similar proclamation for the area around the Saˊtitˊla National Highlands Monument in Northern California. This action will serve as the capstone effort to create the most significant corridor of protected lands in the continental United States, covering more than 18 million acres and stretching approximately 600 miles.
White House Statement
The White House released a briefing that says, in part, “President Biden has now conserved more lands and waters than any President in history and has created the largest corridor of protected lands in the lower 48 states, the Moab to Mojave Conservation Corridor.”
The White House brief continues, “Since taking office, President Biden has swiftly advanced the most ambitious conservation agenda in US history, setting and pursuing a bold goal to conserve at least 20 percent of US lands and waters by 2030 through the America the Beautiful initiative.”
Advocacy
Southern California tribal leaders have long advocated in Washington, D.C., for Biden to issue this designation. They spoke again in October about their desire to protect the homelands of the Iviatim, Nüwü, Mohave (CRIT Mohave), Quechan, and Serrano nations. “Since time immemorial, we have called the lands in the proposed Chuckwalla National Monument home,” said Secretary Altrena Santillanes of the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians. “These lands contain thousands of cultural places and objects of vital importance to the history and identity of the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians.”
Advocates have claimed the monument would “protect important heritage values tied to the land, such as multi-use trail systems established by indigenous peoples and sacred sites.” It would further recognize tribal sovereignty and enable new ways for the tribes to co-steward their homelands with government agencies.
The Chuckwalla National Monument and the Saˊtitˊla National Highlands Monument will protect clean water for communities, honor areas of cultural significance to Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples, and enhance access to nature.
