Biden Establishes Two National Monuments, Highlights Climate Achievements as Key Legacy

President Joe Biden announced the creation of two expansive national monuments in California on Tuesday, emphasizing his administration’s environmental efforts as a cornerstone of his presidency, which concludes in less than a week. Speaking to nearly 300 attendees in the White House’s East Room, Biden declared, “We’ve been carrying out the most ambitious climate agenda in global history.” He further stated, “We don’t have to choose between protecting the environment and growing the economy or between conservation and clean energy—we can achieve both simultaneously.”

During the event, Biden signed proclamations establishing the approximately 624,000-acre Chuckwalla National Monument and the 224,000-acre Sáttítla Highlands National Monument. These designations prohibit oil and gas drilling, mining, and other industrial activities on these lands, which hold deep cultural and spiritual significance for several Native American tribes.

The Chuckwalla National Monument, named after the chuckwalla lizards native to the Mojave, Sonoran, and Colorado deserts, is located just south of Joshua Tree National Park, which welcomed over 3.2 million visitors in 2023. The Sáttítla Highlands, named by the Pit River Tribe, is situated in northeastern California near the Oregon border. This region is often referred to as the headwaters of California due to its vital role in supplying clean water from volcanic aquifers to communities statewide.

Biden emphasized the importance of conserving these areas, stating, “Protecting these lands safeguards the livelihoods of those who depend on them and preserves a critical part of our history and the broader American narrative. It connects us to something greater than ourselves.”

Originally, Biden planned to designate these monuments during a visit to California’s Eastern Coachella Valley last week. However, the announcement was postponed due to severe winds that later fueled wildfires in the Los Angeles area.

In the final months of his presidency, Biden has focused on solidifying his legacy, taking executive actions and delivering speeches to highlight his achievements. Recently, he commuted the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates to life without parole and defended his economic and foreign policy decisions. Tuesday’s event followed his eulogy at former President Jimmy Carter’s state funeral and preceded his farewell address to the nation from the Oval Office.

According to the White House, Biden has protected more public lands than any other president in a single term, surpassing even Carter, who conserved over 100 million acres in Alaska. John D. Podesta, Biden’s senior adviser for international climate policy, remarked, “President Carter would have been proud of the conservation legacy President Biden has established.”

Biden has previously created eight national monuments and expanded four others. In contrast, former President Donald Trump reduced the size of two Utah monuments by 1.9 million acres during his first term, citing the need to curb federal overreach.

California Democrats, including Rep. Raul Ruiz, Sen. Alex Padilla, and former Sen. Laphonza Butler, have championed legislation to establish the Chuckwalla National Monument. Padilla also introduced a bill for the Sáttítla Highlands. However, with both measures stalled in a divided Congress, Biden utilized his executive authority under the Antiquities Act of 1906 to protect these lands.

Padilla acknowledged the challenges of the legislative process, stating, “While legislation is ideal, I recognize the reality of a House Republican majority that has shown no interest in advancing these proposals. I support the president’s use of the Antiquities Act to achieve these protections.”

The designation of Chuckwalla follows years of advocacy by Native American tribes and months of negotiations between the White House and renewable energy developers. These developers aim to build solar farms, power lines, and other projects in the region, aligning with Biden’s clean energy goals. Brenda Mallory, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, noted, “We’ve worked to ensure that both conservation and clean energy initiatives can move forward.”