benefits
Why Protect These Lands
Chuckwalla National Monument reaches from the Coachella Valley region in the west to near the Colorado River in the east. It protects more than 624,000 acres of public lands located south of Joshua Tree National Park. The designation honors Tribal sovereignty, boosts the local economy, protects places where people hike, camp, and drive off-highway vehicles, and honors the area’s military history.
Honor Tribal Sovereignty
Tribes led the call to create Chuckwalla National Monument, including the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians, the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe, the Cahuilla Band of Indians, the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe, the Colorado River Indian Tribes, the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, and the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians all called for the establishment of the monument. The National Congress of American Indians also passed a resolution in support of the monument.
Chuckwalla National Monument is a living landscape with interconnected cultural, natural, and spiritual significance that continues to sustain the well-being and survival of Indigenous peoples today. The monument helps protect important heritage values tied to the land, such as multi-use trail systems established by Indigenous peoples, sacred sites and objects, traditional cultural places, geoglyphs, petroglyphs, pictographs, native plants, and wildlife.
Boost the Local Economy
Over 300 businesses and business groups called for Chuckwalla National Monument. Tourism in the region already brings $9 billion to the local economy. The monument creates an opportunity to attract more visitors and boost the local economy, particularly for businesses in “gateway” communities like Coachella, Mecca, and Thermal near the monument that do not currently have easy access to trails or nature for recreation nearby. According to research done by Visit Greater Palm Springs, three of the top five experiences that potential visitors are seeking include activities in nature and the outdoors.
Protect Public Access and Outdoor Recreation
Locals and visitors enjoy hiking, camping, driving off-highway vehicles, hunting, and much more in the monument. Chuckwalla National Monument includes many places enjoyed for outdoor recreation activities, including Painted Canyon and Box Canyon in the Mecca Hills area, Corn Springs Campground, and the Bradshaw Trail. The monument ensures that these places are protected for current and future generations to experience and enjoy.
Preserve Military History
The monument protects places where American soldiers trained during World War II. During this time, the rugged lands and harsh conditions in the California desert played an essential role in preparing American troops for combat in the desert. In 1942, General George Patton established the Desert Training Center (DTC), composed of 18,000 square miles of desert. Chuckwalla National Monument includes Camp Young (located to the south of Joshua Tree National Park), one of several camps included in the larger Desert Training Center.
Protect Wildlife Habitat
This region is home to wildlife like the chuckwalla lizard, desert tortoise, desert bighorn sheep, and native plants and migratory birds. The name of the Chuckwalla National Monument is drawn from the Chuckwalla lizard, a charismatic and fascinating reptile native to the deserts of California. The lizard adapts to its surroundings to such a degree that each desert mountain range has its own unique and visually distinctive population featuring variations in color pattern, head shape, and body size.