CactusToCloud Institute Joins Calls to Designate Chuckwalla National Monument
Contact
Colin Barrows, colin@cactustocloud.org
La Quinta, California
Representative Dr. Raul Ruiz (CA-25) has called on President Biden to use his powers under the Antiquities Act to designate Chuckwalla National Monument in the California Desert and protect lands adjacent to Joshua Tree National Park. Ruiz has also introduced legislation to achieve this goal. The effort seeks to protect about 660,000 acres of the California Desert south of Joshua Tree National Park, reaching west from the Coachella Valley region to the east near the Colorado River. It would also expand Joshua Tree National Park to preserve about 17,000 acres of public lands east of the park.
In response, CactusToCloud Institute CoFounder Colin Barrows issued the following statement:
“Deserts are often misunderstood as desolate wastelands, but those of us who know them well understand the truth - our desert is incredibly rich in biodiversity, with each mountain range home to unique plants and animals found nowhere else on Earth. The proposed Chuckwalla National Monument and Joshua Tree National Park expansion would protect and connect these ‘islands’ of diversity, creating vital climate refugia and building resilience in the face of warming temperatures, increased drought, and habitat loss.”
The biological benefits of the proposed monument are inseparable from the benefits this effort will bring to our community. We treasure the lands within this proposal for the experiences we’ve had exploring the desert, from the sights of shifting hues of red, orange, yellow, and blue as the sun sets on the Mecca Hills, to the feeling of the cool sand in the shade of an ironwood tree in Milpitas Wash, to the smell of creosote bushes in the air after a summer rain in Chuckwalla Valley, to the sound of raven’s wings soaring overhead in Painted Canyon, to the taste of a good meal shared in a circle of friends and family while camping at Corn Springs.
Please join us in calling for the designation of Chuckwalla National Monument so that everyone can share the beauty and wonder of our desert. Add your name in support at the Protect Chuckwalla website.
About CactusToCloud Institute
CactusToCloud Institute is working to build a resilient and inclusive community for people and wild plants and animals to thrive in the Coachella Valley. We envision a resilient community that values our unique natural and cultural heritage, and responds to new challenges with equity, inclusiveness, and care for desert ecosystems. Join Us!
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