Tribal leaders and state legislators call on Biden to name Chuckwalla a National Monument

Tribal leaders, state legislators, and business owners are in Sacramento today, holding a press conference to urge President Biden to designate three new national monuments in the state. 

The three proposed monuments include Sàttítla National Monument, Kw'tsán National Monument, and Chuckwalla National Monument, which begins in the East Valley.

Preservationist hope Biden will recognize Chuckwalla as a National Monument to protect our desert landscape and boost out local economy.

The area already contributes more than $9 billion annually to the regions economy. By boosting access to outdoor recreation and preserving natural landscapes, the monument could attract more visitors and benefit businesses in the Coachella Valley.

The proposed Chuckwalla National Monument includes approximately 627,000 acres of public lands in Riverside and Imperial Counties. It is located south of Joshua Tree National Park and reaches from the Coachella Valley region in the west to near the Colorado River in the East. This effort also proposes protecting approximately 17,000 acres of public lands in the Eagle Mountains adjacent to Joshua Tree National Park.

Six Tribes have called on President Biden to protect this cultural landscape: 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, and the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians.

News Channel 3's Gavin Nguyen will have more on the news conference coming up at 4, 5, and 6 p.m.