Wed Jan 08 06:18:07 UTC 2025: ## Biden Creates Two Massive New National Monuments in California Before Leaving Office
**Los Angeles, CA – January 8, 2025** – President Joe Biden is set to designate two expansive new national monuments in California, solidifying his environmental legacy before leaving office. The move, announced on January 7th (delayed from an earlier planned announcement due to high winds), will protect hundreds of thousands of acres from industrial development.
The 624,000-acre Chuckwalla National Monument, near Joshua Tree National Park, and the 224,000-acre Sattitla National Monument in northern California, will both be shielded from drilling, mining, and solar energy farms. The designations follow advocacy from Native American tribes who hold deep historical and spiritual ties to the land.
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland lauded the creation of the Chuckwalla monument, emphasizing its “unmatched beauty” and the preservation of crucial cultural and spiritual values. The White House claims this action will bring Biden’s total land and water conservation during his presidency to a level exceeding any previous administration.
This announcement follows other recent environmental actions from the Biden administration, including a Monday executive order banning offshore drilling across vast swathes of U.S. coastal waters. These late-term decisions are seen by many as a counter to the anticipated environmental policies of incoming President Donald Trump, who previously reduced the size of national monuments. Environmental groups fear that a Trump presidency will lead to the rollback of environmental protections.
The Biden administration also recently set an ambitious new climate target under the Paris Agreement, aiming for a 61-66% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2035. These actions represent a concerted effort to combat climate change before a potential shift in environmental policy under the next administration.
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