Biden Declares New National Monuments in California in His Final Days

President Joe Biden has designated two sites in California as national monuments, recognizing Indigenous heritage and safeguarding picturesque mountains and deserts from industrial development. The announcement was postponed due to the recent wildfires in Los Angeles.

Initially, Biden intended to deliver the declaration in California’s Eastern Coachella Valley. However, a week later, he made the announcement from the White House, on the opposite coast.

Upon arriving in California on January 6, the president had only reached Los Angeles when officials canceled the event due to high winds that fueled the fires. This starkly illustrated how climate change is exacerbating natural disasters, even as Biden uses his final days in office to champion environmental protection.

Instead, Biden addressed the nation while standing in front of images depicting diverse wildlife, towering peaks, and desert terrain.

“I was hoping we were going to do this in place,” Biden remarked. “This is as close as we could get.”

The president formally designated the Sáttítla Highlands National Monument in Northern California and the Chuckwalla National Monument in Southern California, adjacent to Joshua Tree National Park.

The declarations prohibit oil and gas drilling, mining, and other extractive activities across the 624,000-acre Chuckwalla site and roughly 225,000 acres near the California-Oregon border.

A statement from the White House highlighted that the newly protected areas harbor more than 50 rare plant and animal species, including the desert bighorn sheep and the Chuckwalla lizard, which inspired the monument’s name. The region also features natural marvels such as the Painted Canyon of Mecca Hills and Alligator Rock.

Biden reflected on taking his children to national monuments every year during their childhood so they could “witness the majesty, the beauty.”

“Our national wonders are the heart and soul of this nation,” he said. “It’s a birthright we pass on from generation to generation.”

These designations fulfill long-standing requests from Indigenous groups. The Pit River Tribe has long advocated for federal recognition of the Sáttítla Highlands, while multiple Native American tribes and environmental groups pushed for the Chuckwalla National Monument.

Despite joking about being careful not to mispronounce Sáttítla, Biden struggled with its pronunciation. He avoided another attempt by simply referring to it as the “highlands” monument when signing the official documents.

This move aligns with the Biden administration’s broader goal to conserve at least 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030. It follows a recent decision to ban new offshore oil and gas drilling along most of the U.S. coastline, including California.

That policy aimed to counteract potential Republican efforts to expand offshore drilling. However, President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to reverse the ban swiftly.

After more than five decades in politics and amid low approval ratings, Biden is preparing to exit Washington and public life.

In recent weeks, Biden has focused on issuing executive orders designed to be difficult for President Trump to undo, following his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race.

Although his poll numbers initially saw a boost after stepping aside, Biden is leaving office with some of his lowest approval ratings.

A CNN poll reported by RealClearPolitics this week showed that 37% of respondents approved of his performance, while 63% disapproved, resulting in an average net negative rating of 18 percentage points.