County-based advocates urge Biden to designate Chuckwalla National Monument

A coalition of over 225 businesses, 175 within the Coachella Valley and Inland Empire areas, have joined tribal leaders, advocates and elected officials in pledging support to an initiative urging President Biden to establish a new Chuckwalla National Monument, as of today.   

Groups in favor of the proposal asserted the proposed protection status as a potential local economic boost, an aid to ensure residents' outdoor access and a safeguard for biodiversity and cultural resources.

"The proposed Chuckwalla National Monument and protecting lands adjacent to Joshua Tree National Park will provide even more opportunities for people to access the outdoors, as well as protect our beautiful deserts,'' said Desert Hot Springs councilmember Gary Gardner, who also chairs Visit Greater Palm Springs' Joint Powers Authority. "Outdoor recreation and access to our gorgeous desert lands are among the primary drivers of our tourism-based economy and are part of what makes living here so special."  

Located south of Joshua Tree National Park, the proposal would encompass approximately 627,000 acres of public lands, as well as protect approximately 17,000 additional acres in the Eagle Mountains.

Advocates say that added protections for public lands would also increase equitability in accessing the natural parts of the eastern Coachella Valley and surrounding areas, such as Mecca's Painted Canyon trail and the Bradshaw Trail in southeastern Riverside County.

A 2020 study from Resources for the Future concluded that outdoor recreation activity adds nearly $55 billion to the state's GDP, supporting over 500,000 jobs in the process.

Part of the initiative also calls upon the Chuckwalla National Monument's designation to "honor Tribal sovereignty and introduce methods for Tribes to co-steward their homelands as partners with federal agencies,'' according to the organization Protect Chuckwalla. The monument, as outlined, holds spiritual significance for and contains natural resources sustaining multiple Indigenous peoples.

Protect Chuckwalla cited the proposal as complementary to the developmental Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP). Monument boundaries were drawn not to interfere with areas the DRECP focused on as "suitable for renewable energy development,'' with the DRECP in turn identifying parts of the lands in the eastern Coachella Valley as necessary for biological conservation.

A recent community meeting hosted by the Department of the Interior drew attendance from over 700 community members, most of them supportive, Protect Chuckwalla said in a statement. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland visited the area two months ago, meeting with Tribal leaders, community members and elected officials.   

The proposal has also garnered unofficial approval from 24 California congressional representatives, including both senators.   

"This legislation is a testament to the reality that conservation and renewable energy progress go hand in hand,'' said Raisa Lee, senior director of development for Clearway Energy Group. "We are grateful to Senator [Alex] Padilla, Senator [Laphonza] Butler, and Representative [Raul] Ruiz for their tireless and collaborative work to protect biological and cultural areas while advancing our county's clean energy goals."  

Riverside County residents can learn more about the campaign to establish Chuckwalla National Monument at protectchuckwalla.org.