The White House is expected to announce today that President Obama is creating three national monuments in California, covering 1.8 million acres. The new Mojave Trails, Castle Mountains, and Sand to Snow National Monuments will protect wildlife corridors and historic areas in the deserts of Southern California. The 154,000 acres of the Sand to Snow National Monument includes 24 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail and Big Morongo Canyon Preserve in Morongo Valley, and will serve as a link between Joshua Tree National Park and the San Bernardino National Forest. Mojave Trails National Monument will include 1.6 million acres, and will link Joshua Tree National Park with the Mojave National Preserve. Castle Mountains, at nearly 21,000 acres, features the mountain range between Interstates 15 and 40, numerous Native American archeological sites, and the historic mining town of Hart. Senator Dianne Feinstein, whose bill creating the national monuments has been languishing in Congress for a decade, has been urging the president to use the Antiquities Act to preserve these areas from development. Congressman Paul Cook of Yucca Valley said, “I’m not opposed to national monuments. I’m opposed to the President creating national monuments through unilateral executive action, ignoring the legislative process. The president has set aside 265 million acres for conservation protection during his two terms, more than any other president.
Mojave Trails National Monument:
A critical linkage between Mojave National Preserve and Joshua Tree National Park
Refuge for bighorn sheep, desert tortoises and fringe-toed lizards.
Sensitive underground springs
Amboy Crater – one of North America’s youngest volcanoes
550 million-year-old fossil beds of the Marble Mountains
World War II desert training center, Iron Mountain
Largest intact, open stretch of historic Route 66
Castle Mountains National Monument:
Critical pathways for endangered wildlife
Native American archaeological sites
Historic gold mining ghost town of Hart
Native desert grasslands and Joshua tree, pinion pine and juniper forests
Target area for reintroduction of pronghorn, the second fastest species of land mammal in the world
Spectacular views of California and Nevada peaks, including Nevada’s Spirit Mountain
Sand to Snow National Monument:
Headwaters of the Whitewater and Santa Ana Rivers
Black Lava Butte and Flat Top Mesa Native American cultural sites
Home to more than 240 types of migrating birds, including yellow chat and vermilion flycatchers
Wildlife paths for mule deer, mountain lions, black bears, bighorn sheep, and desert tortoise
25 miles of the iconic Pacific Crest Trail
Home to one of the most botanically diverse mountains in the United States
