Designate Chuckwalla National Monument & expand Joshua Tree National Park!

I urge you to consider the proposal from the tribes and communities of the Coachella Valley in California to designate Chuckwalla National Monument and to expand Joshua Tree National Park by designating a monument to the east of the park. This proposal would protect approximately 677,000 acres of important land. This region is incredibly rich in biodiversity and species that would benefit from the protection of these lands include Chuckwalla lizards, desert tortoises, bighorn sheep, Sonoran pronghorns and migratory birds. Currently, there are "islands" of protected public lands in this region, including Joshua Tree National Park and designated wilderness areas. The proposed national monument and Joshua Tree National Park expansion would connect these "islands" and safeguard core habitat areas and habitat linkages. This is critical for survival of native species in the face of climate change-related habitat loss, warming temperatures and increased drought. Lands within the proposed national monument are the traditional homeland of the Iviatim, Nüwü, Pipa Aha Macav, Kwatsáan and Maara'yam peoples (Cahuilla, Chemehuevi, Mojave, Quechan, and Serrano nations). We urge you to support and act upon requests for co-stewardship from tribal nations, who have been the stewards of this area since time immemorial. Already, these lands are beloved for outdoor recreation activities like hiking, picnicking, stargazing, and recreational off-highway vehicle (OHV) touring on legally authorized routes. Permanently protecting these lands is an opportunity to ensure that these places are here for current and future generations of Coachella Valley residents and visitors to experience and enjoy. Please do so! Thanks.