(Washington, D.C.—March 18, 2025)— Just two months after being designated a national monument, Chuckwalla, an area of nearly 625,000 square miles of California desert adjacent to Joshua Tree National Park, is facing potential revocation despite widespread support by Tribal groups, businesses, and local community leaders.
“National monument status helps protect our country’s most cherished landscapes, and in doing so provides countless benefits to the birds and other wildlife who call them home, Tribes to whom they are sacred, and local communities and economies that depend on them,” said Felice Stadler, vice president of government affairs for the National Audubon Society. “We remain committed to protecting these rare and beautiful sites now and in the future, as they are places that are wildly popular with Americans and have always enjoyed strong bipartisan support from our elected leaders.”
In fact, America’s national parks and monuments are the product of a long history of bipartisanship, with nine Republican and nine Democratic presidents responsible for the creation or expansion of 160 national monuments. Additionally, studies of the economic impact of national monuments have found they create local jobs and spur economies in nearby towns, with outdoor recreation contributing more than two percent ($639.5 billion) of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023.
“Californians recognize that Chuckwalla is a place worthy of protection,” said Andrea Jones, executive director of Audubon California and senior director of conservation. “The designation conserves this area as a vital buffer for wildlife against a changing climate, a sacred place for Indigenous peoples who have lived here for millennia, and as a path outside for thousands living nearby in some of California’s most nature-deprived communities.”
Audubon worked with the Protect California Deserts Coalition to drive grassroots and political support for a Chuckwalla national monument declaration. Audubon also partnered with the energy and transmission industries to help align the national monument declaration with the responsible siting and location of energy development.
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Media Contact: Jason Howe, jason.howe@audubon.org
About Audubon
The National Audubon Society is a leading nonprofit conservation organization with 120 years of science-based, community-driven impact, dedicated to protecting birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Birds are powerful indicators of our planet’s health, acting as sentinels that warn us of environmental change and inspire action. Audubon works across the Western Hemisphere, driven by the understanding that what is good for birds is good for the planet. Through a collaborative, bipartisan approach across habitats, borders, and the political spectrum, Audubon drives meaningful and lasting conservation outcomes. With 800 staff and over 1.9 million supporters, Audubon is a dynamic and ever-growing force committed to ensuring a better planet for both birds and people for generations to come. Learn more at www.audubon.org and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @audubonsociety.
