The proposed Chuckwalla National Monument (and an expansion of the adjacent Joshua Tree National Park) would encompass some 627,000 acres of vital public land in the Southern California desert. At the junction of the Mojave, Sonoran and Colorado Deserts, the region holds an astonishing biodiversity, home to bighorn sheep, desert tortoises, American badgers, desert pupfish and a host of other rare and endangered animals. Iconic bird species like Golden Eagles, Verdin, and Greater Roadrunners rely on the habitat provided by the Chuckwalla area. Petroglyphs on the rocks surrounding the palm-fringed oases within the proposed boundaries attest that the area has been a special place to the ancestors of the local Cahuilla, Chemehuevi, Mohave, Quechan, and Serrano peoples for some 10,000 years. This is clearly land worth protecting.

Audubon is co-leading a coalition with more than a dozen Tribes, organizations, and community partners aiming to conserve these stunningly beautiful desert landscapes, backing proposed legislation to designate this unique region of palm oases, rocky mountain ranges, and lush desert woodlands in Imperial and Riverside Counties.

The designation would help:

• Safeguard critical biodiversity,
• Protect the sacred places of local Tribes,
• Boost the local economy, and
• Provide equitable access for local communities and future generations. 

A national monument designation would increase badly-needed access to nature for residents of the Eastern Coachella and Imperial Valleys, as well stimulate the economies of local communities as outdoor enthusiasts come to the area for hiking, picnicking, stargazing and recreational off-highway vehicle opportunities. The proposed protected area – named for a resident potbellied, oversized lizard -- fits within the goals of the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP), an agreement between various California and federal agencies which identifies areas suitable for renewable energy development, as well as lands worthy of protection.