Native groups on Monday announced the formation of a commission to help manage the newly designated Chuckwalla National Monument. Tribal leaders say it will ensure native values and culture are integrated into its management.
Former President Joe Biden designated Chuckwalla National Monument in January, protecting more than 624,000 acres of desert in the Coachella Valley, south of Joshua Tree National Park.
The designation also protects millions of migratory birds, desert tortoises, bighorn sheep, and Chuckwalla lizards.
Tribal nations, along with state and federal lawmakers and conservation groups, had long advocated for the designation. Biden’s designation directed the Department of the Interior to engage with native tribes and support an independent commission they created. The new commission includes representatives from the Torres Martinez, Fort Yuma Quechan, Cahuilla, Chemehuevi and Colorado River Indian Tribes.
Zion White, a councilmember for the Ft. Yuma Quechan Tribe, says they want to balance protecting the land with economic growth.
“We are just trying to exercise our sovereignty as sovereign nations, so that we can get our voice," said White, "and like I said, our traditional and tribal values incorporated into the management of this place.”
Trump earlier this year signed an executive order that reversed several Biden-era actions. Chuckwalla wasn’t mentioned in the executive order, but a White House fact sheet initially called for terminating nearly a million acres of national monument land “that lock up vast amounts of land from economic development and energy production."
The language around monuments was eventually removed, but the action confused and frustrated by the Trump administration’s actions. Nonetheless, Chuckwalla’s designation has received bipartisan support with both Republican and Democrats saying safeguarding it is good for the economy.
Republican Congressman Ken Calvert said in a press release that he had the opportunity to meet with Coachella Valley business leaders about Chuckwalla National Monument and believe it has a role to play in the local economy.
“These lands support jobs, drive tourism, and provide extraordinary recreational opportunities,” said Calvert. “I believe these invaluable assets must be protected for future generations."
