Chuckwalla National Monument proposal is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

STATEMENT
For immediate release
September 27, 2023
Contact: Jessica Dacey, Director of Communications 
Phone: 760-820-2275, Email: jessica@mdlt.org 

Chuckwalla National Monument proposal is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

The Chuckwalla National Monument Establishment and Joshua Tree National Park Expansion Act of 2023 is being introduced to federal legislators by Representative Raul Ruiz (CA-25).

The Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) joins Representative Ruiz, elected officials, Tribal and community leaders, and local residents in calling on President Biden to designate the Chuckwalla National Monument in the Colorado Desert and expand Joshua Tree National Park.

The effort to designate Chuckwalla National Monument and expand the national park is a grassroots movement. It has the support of local elected officials, the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe, the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians, the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians, over a dozen businesses, Chambers of Commerce, the cities of Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs, Banning, and Calipatria, and over 1,000 residents of the eastern Coachella Valley and neighboring areas.

It was launched in Coachella, California on September 25.

“We thank Congressman Ruiz for his leadership in introducing the Chuckwalla National Monument Establishment and Joshua Tree National Park Expansion Act of 2023. We urge President Biden to now use the Antiquities Act to designate this new California desert national monument and expand Joshua Tree National Park. These lands are like nowhere else on Earth and we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to act for the future stability of this unique desert region and the diverse people who live here. The monument will permanently protect critical habitat for wildlife such as the threatened desert tortoise. It will improve air quality for nearby communities suffering from among the highest asthma rates in the state. It will boost the economy and secure public access to world-class recreation spots. It will contribute to the state and federal commitments to protect at least 30% of public lands and coastal waters by 2030. It is essential to California’s efforts to fight climate change and conserve biodiversity.” – Kelly Herbinson, Joint Executive Director of the Mojave Desert Land Trust

Background

The proposed Chuckwalla National Monument is located south of Joshua Tree National Park and reaches from the Coachella Valley region in the west to near the Colorado River in the east. It would be approximately 660,000 acres and comprise the largest protected area of the Colorado Desert bioregion, which is a unique climate and biological community in the California desert. Some of the species that would benefit include the chuckwalla lizard, the desert tortoise, and the desert bighorn sheep.

This effort is also proposing to protect approximately 17,000 acres of public lands in the Eagle Mountains that are adjacent to Joshua Tree National Park. The National Park Service (NPS) has studied this proposed expansion and has indicated that it would be feasible to incorporate the area into the park.

The proposed Chuckwalla National Monument will benefit the residents of the eastern Coachella Valley and other local communities. Locals have suffered from extreme heat, air and water pollution, and limited access to nature. Permanently protecting nearby public lands, such as those in the proposed national monument, is an opportunity to ensure that these places are here for current and future generations to enjoy. It is also an opportunity to improve recreation access and how the lands are managed.

Local leaders and supporters are calling on President Biden to use the Antiquities Act to designate a national monument adjacent to the park. The Antiquities Act is a 1906 law that grants U.S. presidents the ability to designate federal public lands, waters, and cultural and historical sites as national monuments with a Presidential Proclamation.

The Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with the mission to protect and care for lands with natural, scenic, and cultural value within the Colorado and Mojave Deserts. Since its founding in 2006, MDLT has conserved approximately 120,000 acres, conveying more tracts of land to the National Park Service than any other nonprofit. MDLT established a conservation seed bank to ensure the preservation of native species and operates an onsite nursery at its Joshua Tree headquarters which has grown over 100,000 native plants for restoration projects and community landscaping. MDLT educates and advocates for the conservation of the desert, involving hundreds of volunteers in our work. For more information, visit mdlt.org.