Proposed Chuckwalla National Monument
As a part of the Protect California Desert campaign, MDLT is working with conservation partners and Tribal leaders to preserve one of the most expansive and highest quality representations of the Colorado Desert in this region by establishing Chuckwalla National Monument. Situated within one of the largest intact ecosystems in the United States outside of Alaska, the proposed monument spans approximately 621,000 acres from the Coachella Valley region in the west to near the Colorado River in the east.
The new Chuckwalla National Monument will honor and recognize the Indigenous cultural histories of the Iviatim, Kwatsáan, Maarrenga’yam, Nüwü, Pipa Aha Macav (the Cahuilla, Chemehuevi, Mojave, Quechan, and Serrano) peoples; increase access to world-class nature for residents and visitors; protect fragile desert wildlife and facilitate habitat connectivity; and help boost local economies.
Photo: Colin Barrows @CactusToCloud
A grassroots movement
On April 16th, 2024, legislation was introduced by United States Senator Alex Padilla and reintroduced by Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. to establish a new Chuckwalla National Monument. In a joint letter, Senator Padilla and Congressman Ruiz subsequently called on President Joe Biden to use the Antiquities Act to designate the proposed national monument. The Antiquities Act allows presidents to designate federal public lands, waters, and cultural historical sites as national monuments with a Presidential Proclamation. The bills introduced by Sen. Padilla and Rep. Ruiz will be referred to the Senate and House Natural Resources Committees. A presidential designation would supersede further action in Congress.
The proposed Chuckwalla National Monument has also garnered diverse local support, including from current and former local elected officials, the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe, the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians, the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians, the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe, the Colorado River Indian Tribes, the Cahuilla Band of Indians, the cities of Banning, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, Indio and Palm Springs, businesses, Chambers of Commerce, and residents of the eastern Coachella Valley and neighboring areas.
Why a national monument?
The Protect California Deserts campaign aims to accomplish the following:
Establish a new national monument in the Chuckwalla Valley that will border the southern edge of Joshua Tree National Park.
Honor the homelands of the Iviatim, Kwatsáan, Maarrenga’yam, Nüwü, Pipa Aha Macav (the Cahuilla, Chemehuevi, Mojave, Quechan, and Serrano) peoples.
Protect geological wonders such as Painted Canyon in Mecca Hills.
Expand protections for Joshua Tree National Park eastward into the Eagle Mountain Area.
Preserve critical habitat for the Endangered desert tortoise.
Protect World War II-era training sites including the Patton training camps and historical mining sites.
Ensure that special places like the Mecca Hills and Bradshaw Trail are here for future generations to recreate.
A priority for the Mojave Desert Land Trust
The Mojave Desert Land Trust is part of the grassroots campaign advocating for greater protection to this region of the Colorado Desert. As part of the Protect California Deserts coalition, MDLT works with conservation partners and Tribal leaders to engage and inform communities about the need to establish the Chuckwalla National Monument.
For more information: protectchuckwalla.org, read our FAQs, or email info@protectcadeserts.org
Read the LA Times article: Chuckwalla National Monument would protect swatch of California desert and preserve a sacred land