National pressure mounts for Biden to create Chuckwalla monument, protect other lands

 

Anxious to gain ground ‒ lots of it ‒ before the November Presidential Election, a broad coalition of conservationists and tribes will "present" an 800,000 signature petition to President Joe Biden and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland at a press conference in front of the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, urging them to quickly use their powers to protect large swaths of lands and historic sites, including creation of a new Chuckwalla National Monument in the California desert, and an expansion of popular Joshua Tree National Park.

...The coalition will press Biden to use his executive powers under the Antiquities Act to designate lands in the California desert as well as to expand the southern portion of Joshua Tree National Park, along with expected additions to the San Gabriel Mountains and Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monuments.

All told, the groups are pushing for new or expanded designations of 11 wilderness and historic sites in seven states, including California, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, Illinois and Maryland. Advocates point to the rollback by President Donald Trump of numerous monument and wilderness designations made by departing President Barack Obama as reason for Biden not to delay on the designations. He and Trump are facing off again in November....more