Communities Urge Biden to Protect Lands as National Monuments
Communities across the nation, including various Indigenous tribes and local municipalities in Arizona, are urging President Joe Biden to designate several culturally and ecologically significant landscapes as national monuments. These areas, namely the Great Bend of the Gila, Sáttítla, and Kw'tsán, face threats from encroaching development and industrial destruction.
National monuments, established under the Antiquities Act of 1906, serve as a crucial protection for vulnerable public lands. The Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe, for instance, is calling for the protection of Kw'tsán in California, a landscape rich in cultural and ecological significance, from destructive mining and industrial development. Similarly, the Great Bend of the Gila in Arizona, a geologically and culturally significant area, is at risk from encroaching development and vandalism, with local communities advocating for its preservation.
Sattítla in California, a sacred and ecologically significant area, also faces threats from industrial development. Local Tribes are calling for its protection as a national monument. President Joe Biden has pledged to set new conservation records and protect landscapes vital for combating extinction and climate-driven destruction, making these designations a key step in fulfilling that promise.
With these designations, President Joe Biden can help safeguard these irreplaceable landscapes for future generations, honoring the wishes of Indigenous tribes and local communities, and upholding his commitment to conservation.
