By Tom Molloy
Three New CA Nat’l Monuments
In addition to the 265 million acres of land and water that Obama has already protected, on February 12 this year, he designated an additional 1.8 million acres of the Mojave Desert as three separate National Monuments.
Along 105 miles of old Route 66 between Ludlow and Needles, Mojave Trails National Monument (1.6 million acres) links Joshua Tree National Part and the Mojave National Preserve.
About 45 miles east of Riverside, Sand to Snow National Monument (154,000 acres), lies between Joshua Tree National Park and the San Bernardino National Forest and includes 24 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, petroglyphs, and Big Morongo Canyon.
About 100 miles south of Las Vegas, Castle Mountains National Monument (20,920 acres) features a row of jagged peaks between Interstates 15 and 40, about 100 miles south of Las Vegas. The area includes the historic mining camp of Hart, about 10 miles from the Nevada border.
The 1906 Antiquities Act authorizes presidents to create national monuments on federal land to protect “objects of historic and scientific interest.” National Parks are created through an Act of Congress.
Many GLSers are familiar with the Wildlands Conservancy. Over the years, we have had outings at Wind Wolves Preserve and Whitewater Preserve, both owned by the Wildlands Conservancy. Vast areas of desert land that are included in these new National Monuments were acquired privately and donated to the Department of the Interior by the Wildlands Conservancy.
