President Biden, in one of his final acts as president, signed proclamations on Tuesday establishing two new national monuments: the Chuckwalla National Monument in Southern California and the Sáttítla Highlands National Monument in Northern California. The move, which cements his legacy as a champion of land conservation, adds hundreds of thousands of acres to America’s protected lands and waters, fulfilling a key pillar of his climate agenda during his four years in office.
The ceremony, originally planned to take place in California, was relocated to the White House due to the devastating wildfires ravaging Southern California—a reminder of the climate challenges Biden has often pointed to as justification for his aggressive environmental policies. Standing in the East Room, Biden struck a reflective tone as he framed the new monuments as part of a broader vision for preserving the nation’s natural heritage.
“We’ve been carrying out the most aggressive climate agenda ever in the history of the world,” Biden declared. “Our natural wonders are the heart and soul of our nation.” He then highlighted the administration’s ambitious “America the Beautiful” initiative, an executive order he signed during his second week in office that set the goal of conserving 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030. According to Biden, the new monuments are the latest milestones in this nationwide effort, which he claims has already conserved “hundreds of millions of acres” across the country.
The Chuckwalla National Monument will safeguard more than 600,000 acres of California desert near Joshua Tree National Park and the Colorado River, a region known for its stark beauty, cultural significance, and fragile ecosystems. The monument will ensure the protection of iconic landscapes, ancient petroglyphs, and habitats for threatened species. This area has long been a conservation priority for advocates, who have argued that its proximity to other protected areas makes it an essential piece of California’s ecological puzzle.
Meanwhile, the Sáttítla Highlands National Monument, spanning over 224,000 acres in Northern California’s Modoc, Shasta-Trinity, and Klamath national forests, will preserve lands that hold deep ancestral significance for Native American tribes.
This area is a treasure trove of historic, scientific, and ecological importance, providing habitats for rare flora and fauna as well as protecting critical water sources in a region that has seen increasing drought stress in recent years. Tribal leaders and environmentalists have hailed the designation as a major victory for Indigenous heritage and environmental preservation.
Biden used the occasion to reflect on his administration’s broader achievements in conservation, declaring, “Over the past four years, I’m proud to have kept my commitment to protect more land and water than any president in American history.” While that claim will no doubt be debated by historians and fact-checkers, the scale of his administration’s efforts is undeniable. From designating new national monuments to restoring protections to lands opened to development by previous administrations, Biden has consistently prioritized public lands in his climate agenda.
The president’s focus on conservation has often been tied to his broader push for climate action. His administration has argued that protecting public lands and waters not only preserves biodiversity and cultural heritage but also plays a role in combating climate change by maintaining carbon-sequestering ecosystems. The timing of Tuesday’s ceremony, delayed due to the California wildfires, served as a stark reminder of the real-world consequences of a warming planet.
While the proclamations were met with praise from environmental groups and tribal leaders, they are not without controversy. Critics on the right have often characterized Biden’s conservation efforts as overreach, arguing that large-scale land protections limit economic opportunities like energy development, mining, and logging. Others contend that Biden’s legacy on climate is tarnished by his administration’s recent approval of new oil and gas projects, including the controversial Willow Project in Alaska, which drew fierce backlash from environmentalists earlier this year.
