Federal Environmental Justice Tracker

EJ Tracker Update

President Biden established Chuckwalla and Sáttítla Highlands National Monuments

Last updated:

January 7, 2025

Authority

Antiquities Act

Agencies

White House

Actions

Presidential Proclamation

Following years of work by Tribal Nations, Indigenous peoples, and other stakeholders, President Biden established two monuments in California. First, the Chuckwalla National Monument, in southern California, protects 624,000 acres which includes the ancestral homelands of the Cahuilla, Chemehuevi, Mojave, Quechan, and Serrano tribes, as well as other Indigenous peoples. Second, the Sáttítla Highlands National Monument, in northern California, protects  224,000 acres, including the ancestral homelands of  the Pit River Tribe and Modoc Peoples. Other Tribes and Indigenous peoples in the region including the Karuk, Klamath, Shasta, Siletz, Wintu, and Yana, are closely connected to the land. The White House provided testimonials from Tribal leadership, government representatives, and environmental groups celebrating the action.