Tribal communities in Northern California’s mountainous interior are celebrating the recent designation of Sáttítla Highlands National Monument after decades of advocacy work to increase land protections in the area.

The new designation near Joshua Tree National Park protects wildlife and preserves Indigenous spiritual and cultural values tied to the land.

Chuckwalla National Monument is a cornerstone in a vast network of protected landscapes across the Southwest. Stretching from Joshua Tree to the Grand Canyon to Bears Ears, this corridor forms the largest swath of protected lands in the continental U.