One of President Joe Biden’s endeavors that can be fairly described as awesome is his “30 by 30” initiative to conserve and protect 30% of America’s land and water by 2030. Currently, just 12% falls into the protected category. The key question: Where do we find the rest and how do we protect it? Designating additional national monuments provides one way, with choices available from coast to coast.
As Mike Painter from Californians for Western Wilderness points out in an email, there are campaigns right now in California to designate three new national monuments in the state and expand two existing ones. He says, “One of the exciting aspects of these proposals is that all are being led by California tribes or have significant tribal involvement.” The Los Angeles Times published a supportive editorial in December, titled “Biden should protect more of California’s mountains and deserts as national monuments.”
Legislation has been introduced in Congress for some of these. But the current Congress is brimming with representatives who don’t even like the size of the current roster of national monuments or the fact that some of them are huge. That puts chances for approving new or expanded monuments in any state pretty much off the table for the time being. However,…
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