Establishment of the Chuckwalla National Monument

[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 11 (Friday, January 17, 2025)]

[Presidential Documents]

[Pages 6715-6725]

From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[FR Doc No: 2025-01441]

[[Page 6713]]

Vol. 90

Friday,

No. 11

January 17, 2025

Part X

The President

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Proclamation 10881--Establishment of the Chuckwalla National Monument

Proclamation 10882--Establishment of the S[aacute]tt[iacute]tla

Highlands National Monument

Presidential Documents

Federal Register / Vol. 90 , No. 11 / Friday, January 17, 2025 /

Presidential Documents

___________________________________________________________________

Title 3--

The President

[[Page 6715]]

Proclamation 10881 of January 14, 2025

Establishment of the Chuckwalla National Monument

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

In southeastern California, where the Mojave and

Colorado Deserts intersect, ancient trails weave

through a land of canyon-carved mountain ranges bound

together by radiating alluvial bajadas and dark

tendrils of dry wash woodlands. Sharing a name with the

wide-bodied lizard that is commonly found here and

derived from the Cahuilla word

``[ccaron][aacute]xwal,'' the Chuckwalla region is a

place of wonder that lies within the traditional

homelands of the Iviatim (Cahuilla), N[uuml]w[uuml]

(Chemehuevi), Pipa Aha Macav (Mojave), Kwats[aacute]an

(Quechan), Maara'yam and Marringayam (Serrano), and

other Indigenous peoples. It is imbued with religious,

spiritual, historic, and cultural significance for

Tribal Nations that trace their origins to these lands

lands of the Iviatim (Cahuilla), N[uuml]w[uuml]

(Chemehuevi), Pipa Aha Macav (Mojave), Kwats[aacute]an

(Quechan), Maara'yam and Marringayam (Serrano), and

other Indigenous peoples. It is imbued with religious,

spiritual, historic, and cultural significance for

Tribal Nations that trace their origins to these lands.

The area contains an abundance of artifacts attesting

to its connection to diverse human communities over

thousands of years. The region's mosaic of habitats is

also home to a remarkable array of plant and animal

species. The dramatic contortions of its mountain

ranges embody a fundamental story about the shaping of

our world that scientists are still learning to

decipher. The cultural, geologic, and ecological

resources on Federal lands in the Chuckwalla region

will continue to inspire and fascinate people and

provide a scientific research trove for generations to

come.

The Chuckwalla region comprises five geographically

discrete areas located between Joshua Tree National

Park and the Palen/McCoy Wilderness to the north,

California State Route 78 to the east, the Chocolate

Mountain Aerial Gunnery Range to the south, and the

western boundary of the Mecca Hills Wilderness to the

west. Woven together by the physical threads of

Indigenous trails that radiate outward connecting

peoples and places throughout the Southwest, the region

carries significant cultural and sacred meaning for

many Tribal Nations

the south, and the

western boundary of the Mecca Hills Wilderness to the

west. Woven together by the physical threads of

Indigenous trails that radiate outward connecting

peoples and places throughout the Southwest, the region

carries significant cultural and sacred meaning for

many Tribal Nations. The southern area is a vast and

intact expanse of austere, beautiful mountain ranges

and desert valleys stretching from the Mecca Hills and

Orocopia Mountains in the northwest, to the Mule and

Palo Verde Mountains in the northeast, and to the

mesquite-studded draws of the Milpitas Wash in the

southeast. The other four areas, which lie in the

transition zone between the Mojave and Colorado

deserts, are located at the base of the Cottonwood,

Eagle, Coxcomb, and Palen Mountains.

The imprints of generations of Indigenous peoples are

found throughout the region in the trails, tools,

habitation sites, and spectacular petroglyphs and

pictographs they left behind. The Chuckwalla region has

also been marked by the passage of people on the major

prehistoric and historic travel corridors that

connected the region to the Pacific coast and the

interior southwest. While only a small fraction of the

region has been formally inventoried, myriad cultural

resources have been documented, and there are likely

similar historic sites and objects yet to be

discovered. A few sites are well-known and easily

accessible to the public; many others are concealed in

labyrinths of rugged canyons and have not yet been

formally studied.

ventoried, myriad cultural

resources have been documented, and there are likely

similar historic sites and objects yet to be

discovered. A few sites are well-known and easily

accessible to the public; many others are concealed in

labyrinths of rugged canyons and have not yet been

formally studied.

Trails within the area helped to link important

resources and people across the Indigenous homelands of

the Chuckwalla region. For centuries, they facilitated

trade and cultural exchange between peoples throughout

the

[[Page 6716]]

Southwest. Weaving through canyons, the trails

connected indispensable water and other resources

throughout the area. They were, and are, essential to

the people who trace their origins to these lands, and

provide a sense of connection between generations and

between the physical and spiritual worlds.

In some places, the footfalls of past generations have

etched these trails into the region's surface, wearing

a clear path into desert pavement. Ceramics and lithic

scatter are also commonly found along trail routes

within the Chuckwalla region. The endless shifting of

sand and alluvium have likely obscured artifacts in

some locations. A prehistoric travel route ran through

the core of the northern area between the Eagle and

Coxcomb Mountains, connecting the Pinto Basin, where

some of California's oldest artifacts have been found,

and the Chuckwalla Valley

ng of

sand and alluvium have likely obscured artifacts in

some locations. A prehistoric travel route ran through

the core of the northern area between the Eagle and

Coxcomb Mountains, connecting the Pinto Basin, where

some of California's oldest artifacts have been found,

and the Chuckwalla Valley. The relatively narrow gap

between the Eagle and Coxcomb Mountains traversed by

the corridor also creates the conditions for flash

floods; as a result, artifacts are likely to be found

below the surface of the wash rather than on its

surface.

At least two trails that traverse the Chuckwalla region

are sacred to Tribal Nations and bind their members to

the land and to generations past. These trails, of

which physical traces remain, are both ancient and

modern, tangible places and passages that Tribes and

Indigenous peoples evoke and visit through songs and

dreams. Two versions of the Salt Song Trail pass

through the region, connecting it to Tribal communities

and sacred sites throughout the Southwest physically

and through songs describing corridors, viewsheds, and

the related geography and resources. While the Salt

Song Trail can be traveled by foot, traditional singers

also travel this trail by voice through songs passed

down across generations and that Tribes and Indigenous

peoples believe assist the transport of the spirits of

the recently deceased.

and

the related geography and resources. While the Salt

Song Trail can be traveled by foot, traditional singers

also travel this trail by voice through songs passed

down across generations and that Tribes and Indigenous

peoples believe assist the transport of the spirits of

the recently deceased.

The Xam Kwatchan Trail, which parallels the Colorado

River in the vicinity of the Mule and Palo Verde

Mountains along the eastern edge of the southern area,

is maintained by the Quechan people and recognized by

many other Tribes of the Lower Colorado River. Portions

of the Xam Kwatchan Trail are still visible and may be

traveled physically as the trail weaves through the

area and links together three sacred peaks of the

Southwest: Avi Kwa Ame to the north of the Chuckwalla

region near Lake Mead, Palo Verde Peak within the

southern Chuckwalla region and overlooking the Colorado

River, and Pilot Knob to the south of the Chuckwalla

region near Yuma, Arizona. It is a belief of the

Quechan people that they also travel this trail through

dreams to transport the living and deceased, and to tie

them to these lands and to their origin at Avi Kwa Ame.

The Palo Verde and Mule Mountains encompass sites of

particular significance along this trail. The eastern

side of the Palo Verde Mountains is particularly dense

with evidence of human habitation, including trails,

camp spots, and ceremonial fire hearths.

them to these lands and to their origin at Avi Kwa Ame.

The Palo Verde and Mule Mountains encompass sites of

particular significance along this trail. The eastern

side of the Palo Verde Mountains is particularly dense

with evidence of human habitation, including trails,

camp spots, and ceremonial fire hearths.

The Chuckwalla region has no perennial streams or

lakes, but hidden within the southern area's mountain

ranges are springs and natural seasonal water

catchments (often referred to as tanks). Knowledge of

these water sources has allowed Indigenous people to

survive within this arid environment for thousands of

years. The locations surrounding these springs and

tanks are replete with artifacts, including stone

tools, ceramics, remnants of habitations, and a

dazzling array of petroglyphs and pictographs. In some

places, the patina of naturally created desert pavement

has been scraped away to form circles and images known

as geoglyphs.

In a wide canyon at the heart of the Chuckwalla

Mountains lies Corn Springs, a well-known cultural

site. Amid the mountain range's rugged peaks and dry

washes, the oasis at Corn Springs, which supports a

stand of more than 60 California fan palms, has long

been a beacon to the area's human occupants. Corn

Springs contains extensive petroglyphs encompassing a

diverse array of elements and representing

contributions by many people over thousands of years.

These petroglyphs, which are listed on the National

[[Page 6717]]

of more than 60 California fan palms, has long

been a beacon to the area's human occupants. Corn

Springs contains extensive petroglyphs encompassing a

diverse array of elements and representing

contributions by many people over thousands of years.

These petroglyphs, which are listed on the National

[[Page 6717]]

Register of Historic Places, are carved into flat

planes on the golden rocks found near Corn Springs.

Jutting from the desert floor north of Corn Springs, in

an area just south of the community of Desert Center,

sits Alligator Rock. A salient ridge containing dikes

of aplite, Alligator Rock was both a milestone on the

major Indigenous travel and trade route that passed

through Chuckwalla Valley and an important prehistoric

source of lithic materials. Flakes and tools crafted

from the area's distinctive speckled stone have been

documented in sites throughout Chuckwalla Valley.

In the eastern area, northeast of Alligator Rock and

Corn Springs and north of the Little Chuckwalla

Mountain Wilderness, Ford Dry Lake is now a sparsely

vegetated playa in the Chuckwalla Valley at the base of

the Palen and McCoy Mountains. Dense cultural sites

have been documented along the lake's ancient

shorelines, attesting to its use by generations of

Indigenous peoples. Artifacts uncovered here include a

variety of stone tools, ceramics, and other evidence of

Indigenous habitation sites.

e base of

the Palen and McCoy Mountains. Dense cultural sites

have been documented along the lake's ancient

shorelines, attesting to its use by generations of

Indigenous peoples. Artifacts uncovered here include a

variety of stone tools, ceramics, and other evidence of

Indigenous habitation sites.

While seemingly inhospitable to humans, the Chuckwalla

region has provided sustenance and material resources

to the Indigenous peoples who have inhabited and

traversed it for generations. Many of the region's

native plants were gathered for food, including

mesquite and ironwood seeds, wild grasses, and cacti.

Mesquite, which thrives in the dry washes of the

southern area between the Chocolate and Palo Verde

Mountains, was a particularly important source of

sustenance. Large quantities of the beans were

collected in the summer and stored for use throughout

the year. In 1972, a large ceramic olla (an earthenware

vessel) containing mesquite beans was discovered in a

rock shelter in the canyon-striated Mecca Hills of the

far western corner of the southern area.

By the mid-1800s, the Chuckwalla region had caught the

attention of non-Indigenous Americans seeking wealth in

the underbelly of its mountains. In the 1860s, the Mule

Mountains--near the California-Arizona border--were the

site of one of the first discoveries of gold in

Riverside County. Two decades later, the largest gold

rush in Riverside County's history occurred when gold

and silver were discovered in the Chuckwalla Mountains

erbelly of its mountains. In the 1860s, the Mule

Mountains--near the California-Arizona border--were the

site of one of the first discoveries of gold in

Riverside County. Two decades later, the largest gold

rush in Riverside County's history occurred when gold

and silver were discovered in the Chuckwalla Mountains.

Relics of historic mines, including shafts, trenches,

equipment, and remnants of buildings, are present

throughout the region's mountain ranges. A mining

shaft, conveyor, and loading dock associated with the

Model Mine, which operated around the turn of the last

century, are located in the western foothills of the

Chuckwalla Mountains.

In 1862, as gold seekers spread throughout the region,

a miner named William Bradshaw sought to develop a

route to connect the Coachella Valley with expanding

mines on the east side of the Colorado River. A

Cahuilla leader and another Indigenous trail runner

provided Bradshaw with a map of existing Indigenous

routes linking springs and tanks along the southern

edge of the Orocopia, Chuckwalla, and Little Chuckwalla

Mountains. He used the knowledge shared with him of

these existing Indigenous trails to identify what

became known as the ``Bradshaw Trail,'' an overland

route that traverses the Chuckwalla Bench through the

heart of the southern area. Some of the springs and

tanks, which had long been used by Indigenous peoples,

became stagecoach stations associated with the Bradshaw

Trail

trails to identify what

became known as the ``Bradshaw Trail,'' an overland

route that traverses the Chuckwalla Bench through the

heart of the southern area. Some of the springs and

tanks, which had long been used by Indigenous peoples,

became stagecoach stations associated with the Bradshaw

Trail. Intrepid visitors can still drive the unpaved

Bradshaw Trail, which the Bureau of Land Management

(BLM) designated as a National Backcountry Byway in

1992.

In 1942, shortly after the United States entered World

War II, the Department of the Army established a

presence in the Chuckwalla region, reminders of which

can still be seen across the terrain. In March of 1942,

Major General George Patton selected a large swath of

desert in California and Nevada, including a

substantial amount of land in the Chuckwalla Valley,

for a Desert Training Center to prepare United States

Army units for desert combat. By the end of World War

II, over a million soldiers had been trained at the

facility. Small unit training exercises were held in

Chuckwalla

[[Page 6718]]

Valley, which the Army believed provided the best

approximation of terrain they might face in parts of

North Africa. The scars of tank tracks across the

southern area's desert pavement can still be seen

today, along with berms, trenches, and foxholes.

ercises were held in

Chuckwalla

[[Page 6718]]

Valley, which the Army believed provided the best

approximation of terrain they might face in parts of

North Africa. The scars of tank tracks across the

southern area's desert pavement can still be seen

today, along with berms, trenches, and foxholes.

The Chuckwalla region includes the footprint of Camp

Young, the Desert Training Center's first camp and its

administrative core. Camp Young was primarily located

south of present-day Joshua Tree National Park and

north of Interstate 10 in the western area. While none

remain standing, Camp Young boasted almost 100

administrative buildings, two hospitals, 50 warehouses,

a theater, an officers' club, and a post office. Traces

of the soldiers' lives at Camp Young can still be seen

here, including rock-lined walkways and remnants of

concrete foundations.

During his tenure at the Desert Training Center,

General Patton lived at Camp Young but was in the field

on a daily basis, including to review small unit

training exercises in the Chuckwalla Valley. He would

often shout orders into a radio while observing tank

maneuvers from a hill overlooking the valley between

the Orocopia and Chuckwalla Mountains, in the center of

the Chuckwalla region's southern area. The road

bulldozed for Patton's use to the top of this hill,

known as ``The King's Throne,'' remains clearly

visible.

nto a radio while observing tank

maneuvers from a hill overlooking the valley between

the Orocopia and Chuckwalla Mountains, in the center of

the Chuckwalla region's southern area. The road

bulldozed for Patton's use to the top of this hill,

known as ``The King's Throne,'' remains clearly

visible.

Against this backdrop of human history, the Chuckwalla

region's many and varied plant and animal inhabitants

have continued to persevere in the harsh desert

environment. The region provides a refuge for more than

50 rare plants and animals, as well as 21 vulnerable

vegetation communities. The diversity of biota has

attracted numerous scientists over many decades who

have conducted research into topics as varied as

testing translocation methods for bighorn sheep,

studying ant colony forming behavior, and documenting

the demographic patterns of the Orocopia sage, a shrub

with delicate lavender flowers that is only known to

grow in the Mecca Hills and Orocopia and Chocolate

Mountains.

The broad bajadas of the southern area radiate out from

a series of small mountain ranges, whose sinuous

canyons and ragged peaks provide habitat to a variety

of species. The washes and sandy slopes of the Orocopia

Mountains are home to Orocopia sage. The Mecca aster is

endemic to only a small area, with more than half of

its known occurrences located in the Mecca Hills

series of small mountain ranges, whose sinuous

canyons and ragged peaks provide habitat to a variety

of species. The washes and sandy slopes of the Orocopia

Mountains are home to Orocopia sage. The Mecca aster is

endemic to only a small area, with more than half of

its known occurrences located in the Mecca Hills.

Mountain areas in the Chuckwalla region are also the

only known locations of the recently described

Chuckwalla cholla, a relatively low-lying cactus with

reddish flowers.

Desert bighorn sheep, a sensitive species with

declining numbers, live year-round on the craggy slopes

of the Orocopia and Chuckwalla Mountains and are

occasionally glimpsed in the Palo Verde and Little

Chuckwalla Mountains. The broad, sandy washes that

connect the mountains--unbroken by paved roads or large

developments--provide the habitat connectivity

necessary to preserve genetic diversity among bighorn

sheep populations.

The region's expanse of gently sloping shrubby terrain

is also vital to the survival of the threatened

Agassiz's desert tortoise, encompassing key components

of an essential corridor connecting the tortoise's

Chuckwalla and Chemehuevi populations. Much of the

region is critical habitat for this charismatic desert

dweller.

ently sloping shrubby terrain

is also vital to the survival of the threatened

Agassiz's desert tortoise, encompassing key components

of an essential corridor connecting the tortoise's

Chuckwalla and Chemehuevi populations. Much of the

region is critical habitat for this charismatic desert

dweller.

Located in the southern area of the Chuckwalla region,

the Chuckwalla Bench is an elevated area of alluvial

fans that provided a setting for extensive study and

monitoring of desert tortoises for decades. It is also

home to over 150 native plant species. The specific

species present change with elevation as the bench's

slopes climb to an 80,000-acre expanse that rises to

approximately 2,000 feet in elevation, resulting in an

environment that is notably cooler and wetter than is

typical for the Sonoran Desert. At the higher

elevations, Mojave yucca and cholla become increasingly

common. The Munz's cholla, a species endemic to the

Chuckwalla Bench whose spiny, branching arms often

reach a height of six feet, grows here.

[[Page 6719]]

In part because of the relative availability of forage

and water, the Chuckwalla Bench is included in the

United States Fish and Wildlife Service's primary area

of interest for Sonoran Desert pronghorn reintroduction

in California. In 1941, around the time that the United

States Army began desert training in the area, the

endangered Sonoran Desert pronghorn was last observed

in the Colorado Desert in the vicinity of Salt Creek

Wash, which runs between the Orocopia and Chocolate

Mountains.

nghorn reintroduction

in California. In 1941, around the time that the United

States Army began desert training in the area, the

endangered Sonoran Desert pronghorn was last observed

in the Colorado Desert in the vicinity of Salt Creek

Wash, which runs between the Orocopia and Chocolate

Mountains.

Dry washes in the Chuckwalla region are threaded with

populations of desert trees including ironwood, blue

palo verde, smoketree, and mesquite. These are known as

microphyll woodlands, and they provide migration

corridors for desert wildlife, as well as crucial

habitat for migratory birds. Milpitas Wash, located

south of the Palo Verde Mountains in the southern area

near the Arizona border, is one of the largest

remaining microphyll woodlands in the Colorado Desert.

It is identified as a component of the National Audubon

Society's Colorado Desert Microphyll Woodlands

Important Bird Area. Old-growth blue palo verde trees

in Milpitas Wash provide nesting cavities for an

important population of Gila woodpeckers, which are

listed as endangered under the California Endangered

Species Act. Rare long-eared owls, Crissal thrashers,

and black-tailed gnatcatchers also nest in Milpitas

Wash.

Old-growth blue palo verde trees

in Milpitas Wash provide nesting cavities for an

important population of Gila woodpeckers, which are

listed as endangered under the California Endangered

Species Act. Rare long-eared owls, Crissal thrashers,

and black-tailed gnatcatchers also nest in Milpitas

Wash.

Dense pockets of palo verde microphyll woodland occur

in the northeast portion of the southern Chuckwalla

region and are reported to have the highest winter bird

densities in the California Desert. Sand dunes have

dammed several small washes in the area, creating

relatively wet conditions that are conducive to dense

vegetative growth. These sand dunes in Chuckwalla

Valley are fed by aeolian (windblown) sand transport

corridors. In addition to the rich cultural sites

associated with Ford Dry Lake, the portion of the

Chuckwalla Valley in the eastern Chuckwalla region

protects part of these sand transport corridors. The

dunes in this area also provide habitat for the rare

Mojave fringe-toed lizard.

Nightfall reveals another dimension of the Chuckwalla

region. Kit foxes and sensitive species such as

burrowing owls and elf owls emerge from dens, while a

variety of rare bats including the California leaf-

nosed bat, the western mastiff bat, and the western

yellow bat dart through the desert sky. Mountain lions

are also known to prowl the Chuckwalla region at night

region. Kit foxes and sensitive species such as

burrowing owls and elf owls emerge from dens, while a

variety of rare bats including the California leaf-

nosed bat, the western mastiff bat, and the western

yellow bat dart through the desert sky. Mountain lions

are also known to prowl the Chuckwalla region at night.

A population of mountain lions in southern California

and the central coast of California, which includes

those in the Chuckwalla region, is currently a

candidate species under consideration for listing under

the California Endangered Species Act.

The Chuckwalla region encompasses striking geologic

diversity, which both underpins the rich ecological and

cultural values and is itself the focus of extensive

research. In the far western reach of the southern area

of this region, the Mecca Hills, shaped by the unquiet

presence of the San Andreas Fault, attract not only

hikers eager to explore their intricate canyons but a

long line of geologists seeking to better understand

fault dynamics. There is an exposure of Pliocene-

Pleistocene terrestrial sedimentary rocks along the

fault, and recent uplift and erosion have allowed the

opportunity for its detailed analysis. Researchers have

analyzed the Painted Canyon Fault, which lies within

the San Andreas strike-slip fault zone in the Mecca

Hills, to better understand tectonic processes along

faults as far away as Denmark.

fault, and recent uplift and erosion have allowed the

opportunity for its detailed analysis. Researchers have

analyzed the Painted Canyon Fault, which lies within

the San Andreas strike-slip fault zone in the Mecca

Hills, to better understand tectonic processes along

faults as far away as Denmark.

Just to the east of the Mecca Hills, the Orocopia

Mountains have been the site of extensive study of the

geologic mechanisms that shape the earth, including

deposition, metamorphism, uplift, and exposure. In the

late 1960s and early 1970s, the Orocopia Mountains were

the site of field training for the Apollo 13 and 15

crews, preparing them to observe and document lunar

geology.

In 1986, scientists documented five new species of

mollusks from the Eocene epoch that were found in

samples taken from the Orocopia Mountains, which helped

clarify scientists' understanding of the timing of the

westward

[[Page 6720]]

migration of Eurasian mollusk species during the early

Eocene and late Paleocene epochs. In the Palo Verde

Mountains, at the southeastern edge of the Chuckwalla

region, outcroppings of the Bouse Formation are helping

scientists unlock mysteries around the formation of the

Colorado River.

ge 6720]]

migration of Eurasian mollusk species during the early

Eocene and late Paleocene epochs. In the Palo Verde

Mountains, at the southeastern edge of the Chuckwalla

region, outcroppings of the Bouse Formation are helping

scientists unlock mysteries around the formation of the

Colorado River.

Protecting the Chuckwalla region will preserve an

important spiritual, cultural, prehistoric, and

historic legacy and protect places inscribed with

history for future generations; maintain a diverse

array of natural and scientific resources; and help

ensure that the prehistoric, historic, and scientific

resources and values of the region endure for the

benefit of all Americans. As described above, the

region contains numerous objects of historic and

scientific interest, and it provides exceptional

outdoor recreational opportunities, including hiking,

camping, backpacking, rockhounding, sightseeing, nature

study, birding, horseback riding, hunting, climbing,

mountain biking, and motorized recreation, all of which

are important to the travel- and tourism-based economy

of the region.

ceptional

outdoor recreational opportunities, including hiking,

camping, backpacking, rockhounding, sightseeing, nature

study, birding, horseback riding, hunting, climbing,

mountain biking, and motorized recreation, all of which

are important to the travel- and tourism-based economy

of the region.

WHEREAS, section 320301 of title 54, United States Code

(the ``Antiquities Act''), authorizes the President, in

the President's discretion, to declare by public

proclamation historic landmarks, historic and

prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic

or scientific interest that are situated upon the lands

owned or controlled by the Federal Government to be

national monuments, and to reserve as a part thereof

parcels of land, the limits of which shall be confined

to the smallest area compatible with the proper care

and management of the objects to be protected; and

WHEREAS, the Chuckwalla region has been profoundly

sacred to Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples with

ties to the Colorado and Mojave Deserts since time

immemorial; and

WHEREAS, it is in the public interest both to ensure

the preservation, restoration, and protection of the

objects of scientific and historic interest identified

above and to advance renewable energy in Development

Focus Areas (DFAs) that were identified by the Desert

Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) as of the

date of this proclamation; and

the preservation, restoration, and protection of the

objects of scientific and historic interest identified

above and to advance renewable energy in Development

Focus Areas (DFAs) that were identified by the Desert

Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) as of the

date of this proclamation; and

WHEREAS, I find that all the objects identified above,

and objects of the type identified above within the

area described herein, are objects of historic or

scientific interest in need of protection under section

320301 of title 54, United States Code, regardless of

whether they are expressly identified as objects of

historic or scientific interest in the text of this

proclamation; and

WHEREAS, I find that there are threats to the objects

identified in this proclamation, and, in the absence of

a reservation under the Antiquities Act, the objects

identified in this proclamation are not adequately

protected by applicable law or administrative

designations, thus making a national monument

designation and reservation necessary to protect the

objects of historic and scientific interest identified

above for current and future generations; and

WHEREAS, I find that the boundaries of the monument

reserved by this proclamation represent the smallest

area compatible with the proper care and management of

the objects of historic or scientific interest

identified above, as required by the Antiquities Act;

and

rrent and future generations; and

WHEREAS, I find that the boundaries of the monument

reserved by this proclamation represent the smallest

area compatible with the proper care and management of

the objects of historic or scientific interest

identified above, as required by the Antiquities Act;

and

WHEREAS, it is in the public interest to ensure the

preservation, restoration, and protection of the

objects of historic and scientific interest identified

above;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of

the United States of America, by the authority vested

in me by section 320301 of title 54, United States

Code, hereby proclaim the objects identified above that

are situated upon lands and interests in lands owned or

controlled by the Federal Government to be the

Chuckwalla National Monument (monument) and, for the

purpose of protecting those objects, reserve as part

thereof all lands and interests in lands that are owned

or controlled by the Federal

[[Page 6721]]

Government within the boundaries described on the

accompanying map, which is attached hereto and forms a

part of this proclamation. These reserved Federal lands

and interests in lands encompass approximately 624,270

acres. As a result of the distribution of the objects

across the Chuckwalla region, the boundaries described

on the accompanying map are confined to the smallest

area compatible with the proper care and management of

the objects of historic or scientific interest

identified above.

ximately 624,270

acres. As a result of the distribution of the objects

across the Chuckwalla region, the boundaries described

on the accompanying map are confined to the smallest

area compatible with the proper care and management of

the objects of historic or scientific interest

identified above.

All Federal lands and interests in lands within the

boundaries of the monument are hereby appropriated and

withdrawn from all forms of entry, location, selection,

sale, or other disposition under the public land laws,

other than by exchange that furthers the protective

purposes of the monument or that facilitates the

remediation, monitoring, or reclamation of historic

mining operations on public or private land within the

monument boundary; from location, entry, and patent

under the mining laws; and from disposition under all

laws relating to mineral and geothermal leasing.

The establishment of the monument is subject to valid

existing rights. If the Federal Government subsequently

acquires any lands or interests in lands not currently

owned or controlled by the Federal Government within

the boundaries described on the accompanying map, such

lands and interests in lands shall be reserved as a

part of the monument, and objects of the type

identified above that are situated upon those lands and

interests in lands shall be part of the monument, upon

acquisition of ownership or control by the Federal

Government.

the accompanying map, such

lands and interests in lands shall be reserved as a

part of the monument, and objects of the type

identified above that are situated upon those lands and

interests in lands shall be part of the monument, upon

acquisition of ownership or control by the Federal

Government.

Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to

alter the valid existing water rights of any party,

including the United States, or to alter or affect

agreements governing the management and administration

of the Colorado River, including any existing

interstate water compact. This proclamation does not

reserve water as a matter of Federal law.

The Secretary of the Interior (Secretary), through the

BLM, shall manage the monument pursuant to applicable

legal authorities, as a unit of the National Landscape

Conservation System, and in accordance with the terms,

conditions, and management direction provided by this

proclamation.

For purposes of protecting and restoring the objects

identified above, the Secretary shall within 3 years

from the date of this proclamation prepare a management

plan for the monument and shall promulgate such rules

and regulations for the management of the monument as

deemed appropriate. The Secretary, through the BLM,

shall consult with other Federal land management

agencies or agency components in the local area,

including the Bureau of Reclamation, Department of

Defense, and National Park Service, in developing the

management plan.

agement of the monument as

deemed appropriate. The Secretary, through the BLM,

shall consult with other Federal land management

agencies or agency components in the local area,

including the Bureau of Reclamation, Department of

Defense, and National Park Service, in developing the

management plan.

The Secretary shall provide for maximum public

involvement in the development of the management plan,

as well as consultation with Tribal Nations affiliated

culturally or historically with the Chuckwalla Region

and conferral with State and local governments. In

preparing the management plan, the Secretary shall take

into account, to the maximum extent practicable,

maintaining the undeveloped character of the lands

within the monument; minimizing impacts from surface-

disturbing activities; providing appropriate and, where

consistent with the proper care and management of the

objects of historic or scientific interest identified

above, improving access for recreation, hunting,

dispersed camping, wildlife management, scientific

research, and the permissible casual collection of

rocks; and emphasizing the retention of natural quiet,

dark night skies, and scenic attributes of the region.

The Secretary shall consider appropriate mechanisms to

provide for temporary closures to the general public of

specific portions of the monument to protect the

privacy of cultural, religious, and gathering

activities of members of Tribal Nations.

dark night skies, and scenic attributes of the region.

The Secretary shall consider appropriate mechanisms to

provide for temporary closures to the general public of

specific portions of the monument to protect the

privacy of cultural, religious, and gathering

activities of members of Tribal Nations.

The Secretary, through the BLM, shall establish an

advisory committee under chapter 10 of title 5, United

States Code (commonly known as the Federal Advisory

Committee Act), to provide advice or recommendations

regarding

[[Page 6722]]

the development of the management plan and, as

appropriate, management of the monument. The advisory

committee shall consist of a fair and balanced

representation of interested stakeholders, including

State agencies and local governments; Tribal Nations;

recreational users; conservation organizations; the

scientific community; the renewable energy and electric

utility industry; and the general public in the region.

In recognition of the value of collaboration with

Tribal Nations for the proper care and management of

the objects identified above and to ensure that

management of the monument is informed by, integrates,

and reflects Tribal expertise and Indigenous Knowledge,

as appropriate, the Secretary shall meaningfully engage

with Tribal Nations with cultural or historical

affiliation to the Chuckwalla region, including by

seeking opportunities for co-stewardship of the

monument.

t is informed by, integrates,

and reflects Tribal expertise and Indigenous Knowledge,

as appropriate, the Secretary shall meaningfully engage

with Tribal Nations with cultural or historical

affiliation to the Chuckwalla region, including by

seeking opportunities for co-stewardship of the

monument.

If Tribal Nations with cultural or historical

affiliation to the Chuckwalla region independently

establish a commission or other similar entity

(commission) comprised of elected officers or official

designees from each participating Tribal Nation to

engage in co-stewardship of the monument with the

Federal Government through shared responsibilities or

administration, then the Secretary shall meaningfully

engage the commission in the development, revision, or

amendment of the management plan and the management of

the monument, including by considering and, as

appropriate, integrating the Indigenous Knowledge and

special expertise of the members of the commission in

the planning and management of the monument. The

management plan for the monument shall also set forth

parameters for continued meaningful engagement with the

commission, if established, in the implementation of

the management plan and, as appropriate, incorporate

public education on and interpretation of traditional

place names and the cultural significance of land

within the monument. The Secretary shall explore

opportunities to provide support to the commission, if

established, to enable participation in the planning

and management of the monument.

orate

public education on and interpretation of traditional

place names and the cultural significance of land

within the monument. The Secretary shall explore

opportunities to provide support to the commission, if

established, to enable participation in the planning

and management of the monument.

The Secretary shall also explore entering into

cooperative agreements or contracts, pursuant to the

Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act,

25 U.S.C. 5301 et seq. or other applicable authorities,

with Tribes or Tribal organizations to perform

administrative or management functions within the

monument and providing technical and financial

assistance to improve the capacity of Tribal Nations to

develop, enter into, and carry out activities under

such cooperative agreements or contracts. The Secretary

also shall explore opportunities for funding agreements

with Tribal Nations relating to the management and

protection of traditional cultural properties and other

culturally significant programming associated with the

monument.

Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to alter,

modify, abrogate, enlarge, or diminish the rights or

jurisdiction of any Tribal Nation, including off-

reservation reserved rights

ion of traditional cultural properties and other

culturally significant programming associated with the

monument.

Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to alter,

modify, abrogate, enlarge, or diminish the rights or

jurisdiction of any Tribal Nation, including off-

reservation reserved rights. The Secretary shall, to

the maximum extent permitted by law and in consultation

with Tribal Nations, ensure the protection of sacred

sites and cultural properties and sites in the monument

and shall provide access to Tribal members for

traditional cultural, spiritual, and customary uses,

consistent with the American Indian Religious Freedom

Act (42 U.S.C. 1996), the Religious Freedom Restoration

Act (42 U.S.C. 2000bb et seq.), Executive Order 13007

of May 24, 1996 (Indian Sacred Sites), and the November

10, 2021, Memorandum of Understanding Regarding

Interagency Coordination and Collaboration for the

Protection of Indigenous Sacred Sites. Such uses shall

include, but are not limited to, the collection of

medicines, berries, plants, and other vegetation for

cradle boards and other purposes, and firewood for

ceremonial practices and personal noncommercial use, so

long as each use is carried out consistent with

applicable law and in a manner consistent with the

proper care and management of the objects identified

above. The Secretary shall endeavor to prepare an

ethnographic study and cultural resources survey of the

monument to assess the importance of the land to Tribal

Nations affiliated culturally

[[Page 6723]]

applicable law and in a manner consistent with the

proper care and management of the objects identified

above. The Secretary shall endeavor to prepare an

ethnographic study and cultural resources survey of the

monument to assess the importance of the land to Tribal

Nations affiliated culturally

[[Page 6723]]

or historically with the Chuckwalla Region and the

religious, spiritual, and cultural practices of

culturally affiliated Tribal Nations.

The Secretary shall explore mechanisms, consistent with

applicable law, to enable the protection of Indigenous

Knowledge or other information relating to the nature

and specific location of cultural resources within the

monument and, to the extent practicable, shall explain

to the holders of such knowledge or information any

limitations on the ability to protect such information

from disclosure before it is shared with the BLM.

Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to

preclude the renewal or assignment of, or interfere

with the operation, maintenance, replacement,

modification, upgrade, or access to, existing or

previously approved flood control, utility, pipeline,

and telecommunications sites or facilities; roads or

highway corridors; seismic monitoring facilities;

wildlife management structures installed by the BLM or

the State of California; or water infrastructure,

including wildlife water developments or water district

facilities, within the boundaries of existing or

previously approved authorizations within the monument

highway corridors; seismic monitoring facilities;

wildlife management structures installed by the BLM or

the State of California; or water infrastructure,

including wildlife water developments or water district

facilities, within the boundaries of existing or

previously approved authorizations within the monument.

Existing or previously approved flood control, utility

(including electric transmission and distribution),

pipeline, telecommunications, and seismic monitoring

facilities; roads or highway corridors; wildlife

management structures installed by the BLM or the State

of California; and water infrastructure, including

wildlife water developments or water district

facilities, may be expanded, and new facilities of such

kind may be constructed, to the extent consistent with

the proper care and management of the objects

identified above and subject to the Secretary's

authorities, other applicable law, and the provisions

of this proclamation related to roads and trails.

For purposes of protecting and restoring the objects

identified above, the Secretary shall prepare a

transportation plan that designates the roads and

trails on which motorized and non-motorized mechanized

vehicle use will be allowed. The transportation plan

shall include management decisions necessary to protect

the objects identified in this proclamation

identified above, the Secretary shall prepare a

transportation plan that designates the roads and

trails on which motorized and non-motorized mechanized

vehicle use will be allowed. The transportation plan

shall include management decisions necessary to protect

the objects identified in this proclamation. Except for

emergency purposes and authorized administrative

purposes, including management activities by

appropriate California State agencies to maintain,

enhance, or restore fish and wildlife populations and

habitats, which are otherwise consistent with

applicable law, motorized vehicle use in the monument

may be permitted only on roads and trails documented as

existing in BLM route inventories that exist as of the

date of this proclamation. Any additional roads or

trails designated for motorized vehicle use by the

general public must be designated only for public

safety needs or if necessary for the protection of the

objects identified above.

Livestock grazing has not been permitted in the

monument area since 2002, and the Secretary shall not

issue any new grazing permits or leases on such lands.

Nothing in this proclamation shall affect the BLM's

ability to authorize access to and remediation or

monitoring of contaminated lands within the monument,

including for remediation of unexploded ordnance and

mine, mill, or tailing sites or for the restoration of

natural resources.

on such lands.

Nothing in this proclamation shall affect the BLM's

ability to authorize access to and remediation or

monitoring of contaminated lands within the monument,

including for remediation of unexploded ordnance and

mine, mill, or tailing sites or for the restoration of

natural resources.

Nothing in this proclamation shall preclude low-level

overflights of military aircraft, the landing of

military aircraft in accordance with aviation safety

regulations in landing zones that have been or are

designated in the future, military flight testing or

evaluation, the designation of new units of special use

airspace, the use of existing or the establishment of

new military flight training routes, or low-level

overflights and landings of aircraft by the BLM or its

contractors for scientific or resource management

purposes. Nothing in this proclamation shall preclude

the use of land within the monument for military

training, or preclude air or ground access to existing

or new electronic tracking or communications sites

associated with special use airspace and military

flight training routes, after appropriate coordination

between the Department of Defense and the Department of

the Interior.

[[Page 6724]]

ry

training, or preclude air or ground access to existing

or new electronic tracking or communications sites

associated with special use airspace and military

flight training routes, after appropriate coordination

between the Department of Defense and the Department of

the Interior.

[[Page 6724]]

As this monument is located near DFAs identified by the

DRECP and is consistent with the goals of that plan,

nothing in this proclamation shall be interpreted to

require denial of proposals for renewable energy

projects that are in DFAs identified by the DRECP and

that comply with all applicable legal requirements.

Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to enlarge

or diminish the jurisdiction or authority of the State

of California with respect to fish and wildlife

management, including hunting and fishing, on the lands

reserved by this proclamation. The Secretary shall seek

to develop and implement science-based habitat and

ecological restoration projects within the monument and

shall seek to collaborate with the State of California

on wildlife management within the monument, including

through the development of new, or the continuation of

existing, agreements with the California Department of

Fish and Wildlife.

and

ecological restoration projects within the monument and

shall seek to collaborate with the State of California

on wildlife management within the monument, including

through the development of new, or the continuation of

existing, agreements with the California Department of

Fish and Wildlife.

The Secretary shall evaluate opportunities to enter

into one or more agreements with governments, including

State, local, and Tribal, regarding the protection of

the objects identified above during wildland fire

prevention and response efforts. Nothing in this

proclamation shall be construed to alter the authority

or responsibility of any party with respect to

emergency response activities within the monument,

including wildland fire response.

Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to limit

the authority of the Secretary, consistent with

applicable law, to undertake or authorize activities

for the purpose of ensuring safe and continued

recreational access to canyons in the Mecca Hills

Wilderness.

Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to revoke

any existing withdrawal, reservation, or appropriation;

however, the monument shall be the dominant

reservation.

Warning is hereby given to all unauthorized persons not

to appropriate, injure, destroy, or remove any feature

of the monument and not to locate or settle upon any of

the lands thereof.

any existing withdrawal, reservation, or appropriation;

however, the monument shall be the dominant

reservation.

Warning is hereby given to all unauthorized persons not

to appropriate, injure, destroy, or remove any feature

of the monument and not to locate or settle upon any of

the lands thereof.

If any provision of this proclamation, including its

application to a particular parcel of land, is held to

be invalid, the remainder of this proclamation and its

application to other parcels of land shall not be

affected thereby.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this

fourteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord two

thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the

United States of America the two hundred and forty-

ninth.

(Presidential Sig.)

Billing code 3395-F4-P

[[Page 6725]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TD17JA25.114

[FR Doc. 2025-01441

Filed 1-16-25; 11:15 am]

Billing code 4310-10-C