Biden establishes Chuckwalla National Monument in California desert

President Joe Biden established Chuckwalla National Monument on January 14, 2025, protecting federal lands in southeastern California’s desert region. The proclamation described the area as culturally significant to the Iviatim, Nüwü, Pipa Aha Macav, Kwatsáan, Serrano, and other Indigenous peoples, and noted its ecological, geologic, scientific, and historic resources. The monument was created under the Antiquities Act and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The action mattered because monument designations can protect landscapes from development, mining, and other uses while also recognizing tribal cultural ties and shaping how public lands are managed.