For Immediate Release
January 7, 2025
Contact: Cameron Mayer, Executive Director,
Friends of the Amargosa Basin
(562) 233-7874
Friends of the Amargosa Basin thanks the Biden administration for designating Chuckwalla and Sáttítla Highlands National Monuments.
Shoshone, CA – Friends of the Amargosa Basin has issued the following public statement from its Executive Director Cameron Mayer expressing gratitude towards President Joseph Biden and his administration for taking bold and necessary action to safeguard the public lands now encompassed by Chuckwalla and Sáttítla Highlands National Monuments in California.
“The designations of Chuckwalla National Monument and Sáttítla Highlands National Monument safeguard over 800,000 acres of exceptional public lands in California, from the Colorado Desert south of Joshua Tree National Park to the forests and volcanic table lands of far northern California. These designations will honor sacred ties to landscapes, help bolster local economies, expand access to recreational resources and nature for all, preserve sites of historical significance, end longtime threats to fragile lands and resources, and ensure that future generations will be able to enjoy these lands as we do today.”
“These proposals garnered diverse and longstanding support from tribal nations, elected officials, local residents and organizations, businesses and chambers of commerce, outdoor recreationists, scientists, educators, and veterans.”
“Both designations particularly honor and empower tribal voices, sovereignty, and cultural connections to these impressive landscapes since time immemorial. Action taken on Sáttítla Highlands heeds efforts led by the Pit River Tribe. The Chuckwalla designation listens to advocacy from the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians, the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe, the Cahuilla Band of Indians, the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe, the Colorado River Indian Tribes, the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, and the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians. Today, the Biden administration has taken another important step towards meaningful reconciliation with tribal nations by listening to their priorities for protecting culturally significant landscapes.”