This measure would urge the President of the United States to use the federal Antiquities Act of 1906 to establish the Sattitla National Monument.

This measure would urge the President of the United States to use the federal Antiquities Act of 1906 to establish the Sattitla National Monument.

This measure would urge the President and the Congress of the United States to use the federal Antiquities Act of 1906 to establish the Sattitla National Monument and the Kwtsan National Monument.

This measure would urge the President and the Congress of the United States to establish the Medicine Lake Highlands Sattitla National Monument and the Kwtsan National Monument.

This measure would urge the President and the Congress of the United States to establish the Medicine Lake Highlands National Monument and the Kwtsan National Monument.

WHEREAS, Approximately 60 percent of land in the continental United States is in a natural state, but we are losing a football field worth of it every 30 seconds, and the decline of nature threatens wildlife as approximately 1,000,000 animal and plant species are at risk of extinction in the coming decades across the globe, including one-third of United States wildlife; and

WHEREAS, The United States Geological Survey reports that only 12.9 percent of United States lands are permanently protected, and other studies show that roughly 23 percent of the ocean waters under United States jurisdiction are currently strongly protected, with the vast majority of these protected waters being in the Pacific Ocean along the Western United States; and

WHEREAS, On January 27, 2021, President Biden signed Executive Order No. 14008, which launched a governmentwide effort to confront climate change, restore balance on our nations public lands and waters, create jobs, and provide a path to align the management of our nations public lands and waters with national climate, conservation, and clean energy goals; and

WHEREAS, Executive Order No. 14008 directs the United States Department of the Interior to outline steps to achieve the Presidents commitment to conserve at least 30 percent each of our lands and waters by the year 2030, known as the 30x30 goal, in order to safeguard our health, food supplies, biodiversity, and the prosperity of every community and to undertake the process with broad engagement, including agricultural and forest landowners, fishermen, outdoor enthusiasts, sovereign tribal nations, states, territories, local officials, and others to identify strategies that reflect the priorities of all communities; and

WHEREAS, In October 2020, Governor Newsom outlined a comprehensive and results-oriented agenda to expand nature-based solutions across California through Executive Order No. N-82-20, elevating the role of natural and working lands in the fight against climate change and advancing biodiversity conservation as an administration priority and committing the state to the goal of conserving 30 percent of state lands and coastal waters by 2030; and

WHEREAS, Executive Order No. N-82-20 directs the Natural Resources Agency to coordinate the execution of the 30x30 goal with other state agencies and stakeholders through a series of actions, including the development of a strategy document by February 2022 titled Pathways to 30x30, that sets California on the path to successfully implement our 30x30 conservation goal; and

WHEREAS, California tribal nations have protected and conserved their indigenous and aboriginal lands since time immemorial utilizing Traditional Ecological Knowledge, also known as Indigenous Knowledge or Native Science, evolved over hundreds of thousands of years through direct contact with the environment, and are continuing the tradition of stewardship by leading efforts to establish or expand national monument land protections in California; and

WHEREAS, The Pit River Tribe is leading the effort to establish a Sattitla National Monument, totaling approximately 205,000 acres so that the area will be recognized for its cultural, geologic, and ecological value, and its resources and wildlife preserved; and

WHEREAS, Sattitla is an irreplaceable resource as a major source of water for the state of California, an area of singular geological features, and home to numerous endangered species, including the bald eagle and the northern spotted owl, and is also culturally significant to the Pit River, Modoc, Shasta, Karuk, and Wintu peoples of northeastern California, and is a spiritual center for the Pit River and Modoc Tribes who gather there for ceremonies and other important gatherings; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate and the Assembly of the State of California, jointly, That the State of California urges the President to use the Antiquities Act of 1906 (54 U.S.C. Sec. 320101 et seq.) to establish the Sattitla National Monument; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States, the United States Secretary of the Interior, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, the Minority Leader of the United States Senate, and to each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the United States.

WHEREAS, Approximately 60 percent of land in the continental United States is in a natural state, but we are losing a football field worth of it every 30 seconds, and the decline of nature threatens wildlife as approximately 1,000,000 animal and plant species are at risk of extinction in the coming decades across the globe, including one-third of United States wildlife; and

WHEREAS, The United States Geological Survey reports that only 12.9 percent of United States lands are permanently protected, and other studies show that roughly 23 percent of the ocean waters under United States jurisdiction are currently strongly protected, with the vast majority of these protected waters being in the Pacific Ocean along the Western United States; and

WHEREAS, On January 27, 2021, President Biden signed Executive Order No. 14008, which launched a governmentwide effort to confront climate change, restore balance on our nations public lands and waters, create jobs, and provide a path to align the management of our nations public lands and waters with national climate, conservation, and clean energy goals; and

WHEREAS, Executive Order No. 14008 directs the United States Department of the Interior to outline steps to achieve the Presidents commitment to conserve at least 30 percent each of our lands and waters by the year 2030, known as the 30x30 goal, in order to safeguard our health, food supplies, biodiversity, and the prosperity of every community and to undertake the process with broad engagement, including agricultural and forest landowners, fishermen, outdoor enthusiasts, sovereign tribal nations, states, territories, local officials, and others to identify strategies that reflect the priorities of all communities; and

WHEREAS, In October 2020, Governor Newsom outlined a comprehensive and results-oriented agenda to expand nature-based solutions across California through Executive Order No. N-82-20, elevating the role of natural and working lands in the fight against climate change and advancing biodiversity conservation as an administration priority and committing the state to the goal of conserving 30 percent of state lands and coastal waters by 2030; and

WHEREAS, Executive Order No. N-82-20 directs the Natural Resources Agency to coordinate the execution of the 30x30 goal with other state agencies and stakeholders through a series of actions, including the development of a strategy document by February 2022 titled Pathways to 30x30, that sets California on the path to successfully implement our 30x30 conservation goal; and

WHEREAS, California tribal nations have protected and conserved their indigenous and aboriginal lands since time immemorial utilizing Traditional Ecological Knowledge, also known as Indigenous Knowledge or Native Science, evolved over hundreds of thousands of years through direct contact with the environment, and are continuing the tradition of stewardship by leading efforts to establish or expand national monument land protections in California; and

WHEREAS, The Pit River Tribe is leading the effort to establish a Sattitla National Monument, totaling approximately 205,000 acres so that the area will be recognized for its cultural, geologic, and ecological value, and its resources and wildlife preserved; and

WHEREAS, Sattitla is an irreplaceable resource as a major source of water for the state of California, an area of singular geological features, and home to numerous endangered species, including the bald eagle and the northern spotted owl, and is also culturally significant to the Pit River, Modoc, Shasta, Karuk, and Wintu peoples of northeastern California, and is a spiritual center for the Pit River and Modoc Tribes who gather there for ceremonies and other important gatherings; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate and the Assembly of the State of California, jointly, That the State of California urges the President to use the Antiquities Act of 1906 (54 U.S.C. Sec. 320101 et seq.) to establish the Sattitla National Monument; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States, the United States Secretary of the Interior, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, the Minority Leader of the United States Senate, and to each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the United States.

WHEREAS, Approximately 60 percent of land in the continental United States is in a natural state, but we are losing a football field worth of it every 30 seconds, and the decline of nature threatens wildlife as approximately 1,000,000 animal and plant species are at risk of extinction in the coming decades across the globe, including one-third of United States wildlife; and

WHEREAS, The United States Geological Survey reports that only 12.9 percent of United States lands are permanently protected, and other studies show that roughly 23 percent of the ocean waters under United States jurisdiction are currently strongly protected, with the vast majority of these protected waters being in the Pacific Ocean along the Western United States; and

WHEREAS, On January 27, 2021, President Biden signed Executive Order No. 14008, which launched a governmentwide effort to confront climate change, restore balance on our nations public lands and waters, create jobs, and provide a path to align the management of our nations public lands and waters with national climate, conservation, and clean energy goals; and

WHEREAS, Executive Order No. 14008 directs the United States Department of the Interior to outline steps to achieve the Presidents commitment to conserve at least 30 percent each of our lands and waters by the year 2030, known as the 30x30 goal, in order to safeguard our health, food supplies, biodiversity, and the prosperity of every community and to undertake the process with broad engagement, including agricultural and forest landowners, fishermen, outdoor enthusiasts, sovereign tribal nations, states, territories, local officials, and others to identify strategies that reflect the priorities of all communities; and

WHEREAS, In October 2020, Governor Newsom outlined a comprehensive and results-oriented agenda to expand nature-based solutions across California through Executive Order No. N-82-20, elevating the role of natural and working lands in the fight against climate change and advancing biodiversity conservation as an administration priority and committing the state to the goal of conserving 30 percent of our state lands and coastal waters by 2030; and

WHEREAS, Executive Order No. N-82-20 directs the Natural Resources Agency to coordinate the execution of the 30x30 goal with other state agencies and stakeholders through a series of actions, including the development of a strategy document by February 2022 titled Pathways to 30x30, that sets California on the path to successfully implement our 30x30 conservation goal; and

WHEREAS, California Tribal Nations tribal nations have protected and conserved their indigenous and aboriginal lands since time immemorial utilizing Traditional Ecological Knowledge, also known as Indigenous Knowledge or Native Science, evolved over hundreds of thousands of years through direct contact with the environment, and are continuing the tradition of stewardship by leading efforts to establish or expand national monument land protections in California; and

WHEREAS, The Pit River Tribe is leading the effort to establish a Sattitla National Monument, totaling approximately 205,000 acres so that the area will be recognized for its cultural, geologic, and ecological value, and its resources and wildlife preserved; and

WHEREAS, Sattitla is an irreplaceable resource as a major source of water for the state of California, an area of singular geological features, and home to numerous endangered species, including the bald eagle and the northern spotted owl, and is also culturally significant to the Pit River, Modoc, Shasta, Karuk, and Wintu peoples of northeastern California, and is a spiritual center for the Pit River and Modoc Tribes who gather there for ceremonies and other important gatherings; and now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate and the Assembly of the State of California, jointly, That the State of California urges the President to use the Antiquities Act of 1906 (54 U.S.C. Sec. 320101 et seq.) to establish the Sattitla National Monument and the Kwtsan National Monument; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States, the United States Secretary of the Interior, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, the Minority Leader of the United States Senate, and to each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the United States.

WHEREAS, Approximately 60 percent of land in the continental United States is in a natural state, but we are losing a football field worth of it every 30 seconds, and the decline of nature threatens wildlife as approximately 1,000,000 animal and plant species are at risk of extinction in the coming decades across the globe, including one-third of United States wildlife; and

WHEREAS, The United States Geological Survey reports that only 12.9 percent of United States lands are permanently protected, and other studies show that roughly 23 percent of the ocean waters under United States jurisdiction are currently strongly protected, with the vast majority of these protected waters being in the Pacific Ocean along the Western United States; and

WHEREAS, On January 27, 2021, President Biden signed Executive Order No. 14008, which launched a governmentwide effort to confront climate change, restore balance on our nations public lands and waters, create jobs, and provide a path to align the management of our nations public lands and waters with national climate, conservation, and clean energy goals; and

WHEREAS, Executive Order No. 14008 directs the United States Department of the Interior to outline steps to achieve the Presidents commitment to conserve at least 30 percent each of our lands and waters by the year 2030, known as the 30x30 goal, in order to safeguard our health, food supplies, biodiversity, and the prosperity of every community and to undertake the process with broad engagement, including agricultural and forest landowners, fishermen, outdoor enthusiasts, sovereign tribal nations, states, territories, local officials, and others to identify strategies that reflect the priorities of all communities; and

WHEREAS, In October 2020, Governor Newsom outlined a comprehensive and results-oriented agenda to expand nature-based solutions across California through Executive Order No. N-82-20, elevating the role of natural and working lands in the fight against climate change and advancing biodiversity conservation as an administration priority and committing the state to the goal of conserving 30 percent of our lands and coastal waters by 2030; and

WHEREAS, Executive Order No. N-82-20 directs the Natural Resources Agency to coordinate the execution of the 30x30 goal with other state agencies and stakeholders through a series of actions, including the development of a strategy document by February 2022 titled Pathways to 30x30, that sets California on the path to successfully implement our 30x30 conservation goal; and

WHEREAS, California Tribal Nations have protected and conserved their indigenous and aboriginal lands since time immemorial utilizing Traditional Ecological Knowledge, also known as Indigenous Knowledge or Native Science, evolved over hundreds of thousands of years through direct contact with the environment, and are continuing the tradition of stewardship by leading efforts to establish or expand national monument land protections in California; and

WHEREAS, The Pit River Tribe is leading the effort to establish a Sattitla Medicine Lake Highlands National Monument, totaling approximately 205,000 acres so that the area will be recognized for its cultural, geologic, and ecological value, and its resources and wildlife preserved; and

WHEREAS, The Medicine Lake Highlands are Sattitla is an irreplaceable resource as a major source of water for the state of California, an area of singular geological features, and home to numerous endangered species, including the bald eagle and the northern spotted owl, and are is also culturally significant to the Pit River, Modoc, Shasta, Karuk, and Wintu peoples of northeastern California, and are is a spiritual center for the Pit River and Modoc Tribes who gather there for ceremonies and other important gatherings; and

WHEREAS, The Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe is leading the effort to establish the Kwtsan National Monument, which would protect more than 390,000 acres of the Tribes aboriginal homelands located in The County of Imperial, California; and

WHEREAS, The proposed Kwtsan National Monument lands contain incredible cultural, ecological, recreational, scenic, and historic values, including trails, desert life, petroglyphs, geoglyphs, and lithics, and the establishment of a national monument would provide protections for wildlife, cultural places, sacred sites, and scenic features; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate and the Assembly of the State of California, jointly, That the State of California urges the President to use the Antiquities Act of 1906 (54 U.S.C. Sec. 320101 et seq.) to establish the Medicine Lake Highlands Sattitla National Monument and the Kwtsan National Monument; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States, the United States Secretary of the Interior, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, the Minority Leader of the United States Senate, and to each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the United States.

WHEREAS, Approximately 60 percent of land in the continental United States is in a natural state, but we are losing a football field worth of it every 30 seconds, and the decline of nature threatens wildlife as approximately 1,000,000 animal and plant species are at risk of extinction in the coming decades across the globe, including one-third of United States wildlife; and

WHEREAS, The United States Geological Survey reports that only 12.9 percent of United States lands are permanently protected, and other studies show that roughly 23 percent of the ocean waters under United States jurisdiction are currently strongly protected, with the vast majority of these protected waters being in the Pacific Ocean along the Western United States; and

WHEREAS, On January 27, 2021, President Biden signed Executive Order No. 14008, which launched a governmentwide effort to confront climate change, restore balance on our nations public lands and waters, create jobs, and provide a path to align the management of our nations public lands and waters with national climate, conservation, and clean energy goals; and

WHEREAS, Executive Order No. 14008 directs the United States Department of the Interior to outline steps to achieve the Presidents commitment to conserve at least 30 percent each of our lands and waters by the year 2030, known as the 30x30 goal, in order to safeguard our health, food supplies, biodiversity, and the prosperity of every community and to undertake the process with broad engagement, including agricultural and forest landowners, fishermen, outdoor enthusiasts, sovereign tribal nations, states, territories, local officials, and others to identify strategies that reflect the priorities of all communities; and

WHEREAS, In October 2020, Governor Newsom outlined a comprehensive and results-oriented agenda to expand nature-based solutions across California through Executive Order No. N-82-20, elevating the role of natural and working lands in the fight against climate change and advancing biodiversity conservation as an administration priority and committing the state to the goal of conserving 30 percent of our lands and coastal waters by 2030; and

WHEREAS, Executive Order No. N-82-20 directs the Natural Resources Agency to coordinate the execution of the 30x30 goal with other state agencies and stakeholders through a series of actions, including the development of a strategy document by February 2022 titled Pathways to 30x30, that sets California on the path to successfully implement our 30x30 conservation goal; and

WHEREAS, California Tribal Nations have protected and conserved their indigenous and aboriginal lands since time immemorial utilizing Traditional Ecological Knowledge, also known as Indigenous Knowledge or Native Science, evolved over hundreds of thousands of years through direct contact with the environment, and are continuing the tradition of stewardship by leading efforts to establish or expand national monument land protections in California; and

WHEREAS, The Pit River Tribe is leading the effort to establish a Sattitla Medicine Lake Highlands National Monument, totaling approximately 205,000 acres so that the area will be recognized for its cultural, geologic, and ecological value, and its resources and wildlife preserved; and

WHEREAS, The Medicine Lake Highlands are an irreplaceable resource as a major source of water for the state of California, an area of singular geological features, and home to numerous endangered species, including the bald eagle and the northern spotted owl, and are also culturally significant to the Pit River, Modoc, Shasta, Karuk, and Wintu peoples of northeastern California, and are a spiritual center for the Pit River and Modoc Tribes who gather there for ceremonies and other important gatherings; and

WHEREAS, The Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe is leading the effort to establish the Kwtsan National Monument, which would protect more than 390,000 acres of the Tribes aboriginal homelands located in The County of Imperial, California; and

WHEREAS, The proposed Kwtsan National Monument lands contain incredible cultural, ecological, recreational, scenic, and historic values, including trails, desert life, petroglyphs, geoglyphs, and lithics, and the establishment of a national monument would provide protections for wildlife, cultural places, sacred sites, and scenic features; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate and the Assembly of the State of California, jointly, That the State of California urges the President to use the Antiquities Act of 1906 (54 U.S.C. Sec. 320101 et seq.) to establish the Medicine Lake Highlands National Monument and the Kwtsan National Monument; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States, the United States Secretary of the Interior, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, the Minority Leader of the United States Senate, and to each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the United States.

 UNFINISHED BUSINESS  

Bill No: SJR 17

Author: Allen (D), et al.

Amended: 8/12/24

Vote: 21

SENATE NATURAL RES. & WATER COMMITTEE: 10-0, 6/17/24

AYES: Min, Seyarto, Allen, Eggman, Grove, Hurtado, Laird, Limón, Padilla, Stern

NO VOTE RECORDED: Dahle

SENATE FLOOR: 37-0, 6/24/24

AYES: Alvarado-Gil, Archuleta, Ashby, Atkins, Becker, Blakespear, Bradford, Caballero, Cortese, Dodd, Durazo, Eggman, Glazer, Gonzalez, Grove, Hurtado, Laird, Limón, McGuire, Menjivar, Min, Newman, Nguyen, Niello, Ochoa Bogh, Padilla, Portantino, Roth, Rubio, Seyarto, Skinner, Smallwood-Cuevas, Stern, Umberg, Wahab, Wiener, Wilk

NO VOTE RECORDED: Allen, Dahle, Jones

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 74-0, 8/26/24 - See last page for vote

SUBJECT: The Sáttítla National Monument

SOURCE: Pit River Tribe

DIGEST:

This resolution urges the President of the United States to use the Antiquities Act to establish the Sáttítla National Monument.

Assembly Amendments

removed language urging the President to use the Antiquities Act to establish the Kw’tsán National Monument.

ANALYSIS:

Existing federal law:

1. Declares that it is a national policy to preserve for public use historic sites, buildings, and objects of national significance for the inspiration and benefit of the people of the United States. (54 USC §320101.)
2. Authorizes the President to declare by public proclamation historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest that are situated on land owned or controlled by the Federal Government to be national monuments. 54 USC §320301.

Existing state law:

1. Establishes a goal of the state to conserve at least 30% of California’s lands and coastal waters by 2030. Public Resources Code (PRC) §71450.
2. Directs the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA), in implementing the 10 pathways and specific near-term priority actions described in the Pathways to 30x30 Report to achieve the 30x30 goal, to prioritize certain actions, including supporting tribal engagement and leadership in implementing the 30x30 goal. PRC §71451.

This resolution would urge the President to use the Antiquities Act to establish the Sáttítla National Monument.

Background

Federal Antiquities Act. This act, which passed in 1906, seeks to preserve America’s archeological places and historical sites, including the information they contain, on federal lands. Among other things, this act authorizes the President to establish national monuments. Specifically, the act gives the President the authority to “declare by public proclamation historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest that are situated on land owned or controlled by the Federal Government to be national monuments” (Title 54 U.S. Codes (54 USC) §320301(a)). National monuments may be administered by the National Park Service (NPS), the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), or the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Since 1906, U.S. presidents have used their authority under the Antiquities Act to set aside land almost 300 times.

In California, there are at least 17 national monuments, including Berryessa Snow Mountain, Cabrillo, California Coastal, Carrizo Plain, Castle Mountains, César E. Chávez, Devils Postpile, Fort Ord, Giant Sequoia, Lava Beds, Mojave Trails, Muir Woods, Saint Francis Dam Disaster, Sand to Snow, San Gabriel Mountains, Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains, and Tule Lake.

Comments

Sáttítla National Monument proposal. The Pit River Tribe and supporters are calling on President Biden to establish a national monument in Northern California to protect approximately 200,000 acres of land managed by the USFS in an area commonly known as the Medicine Lake Highlands, but designated as Sáttítla by Native Americans in the area.

Located 30 miles northeast of Mount Shasta and nestled within the Shasta-Trinity, Klamath, and Modoc National Forests of northeastern California, Sáttítla is a culturally significant, geologically unique, water rich, and life sustaining region. The area’s mature forests help to sequester carbon and provide habitat for wildlife. It is home to bald eagles, osprey, goshawks, deer, elk, black bear, imperiled northern spotted owls, Sierra martens, Pacific fishers, rare bats, and sensitive plants. For thousands of years the forested lands and waters have been sacred to numerous tribes including the Pit River, Modoc, Shasta, Karuk, and Wintu. Sáttítla is a spiritual center for the Pit River and Modoc Tribes, who continue to use the area for religious activities, ceremonies, and gatherings.

Sáttítla is located in a headwater area of the state, which helps to provide water to the state’s residents, agriculture, and wildlife. The Medicine Lake Volcano is an enormous hydrological recharge and storage area for California’s water supply. It captures and discharges over 1.2 million acre-feet of snowmelt annually, emerging as the Fall River Springs, the largest spring system in the state, which sustains a trout fishery before it flows into Shasta Lake Reservoir and the Sacramento River, serving millions of residents downstream. The volcanically formed aquifers below the surface capture snow melt and are estimated to store 20 to 40 million acre-feet of water, which is on the same order of magnitude as California’s 200 largest surface reservoirs. A 2014 hydrogeological study pointed out the need to protect this groundwater resource for farms, cities, and people.^[1]

Connection to 30x30 initiative. According to CNRA, the proposed Sáttítla National Monument would add roughly 210,000 acres to the state's 30x30 target. This number may change upon final designation.

FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No Local: No

SUPPORT: (Verified 8/26/24)

Pit River Tribe (source)

Allensworth Progressive Association

CactusToClouds Institute

California Botanic Garden

California Environmental Voters

California Trout

Californians for Western Wilderness

California Wilderness Coalition

Central Valley Partnership

Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks

Conservation Lands Foundation

Council of Mexican Federations in North America

Defenders of Wildlife

Endangered Habitats League

Environment California

Environmental Center of San Diego

Environmental Protection Information Center

Forests Forever

ForEverGreen Forestry

Friends of Amargosa Basin

Friends of Plumas Wilderness

Friends of the Inyo

Great Old Broads for Wilderness

Latino Outdoors

LEGACY – The Landscape Connection

Mount Shasta Bioregional Ecology Center

Native American Lands Conservancy

Resource Renewal Institute

Robert Redford Conservancy at Pitzer College

Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society

Save California Salmon

Sierra Business Council

Sierra Club California

Sierra Nevada Alliance

The Mountain Pact

The Wilderness Society

Trout Unlimited

Tuleyome

Vet Voice Foundation

Western Watersheds Project

OPPOSITION: (Verified 8/26/24)

None received

ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT: According to the author, "In order to reach our state's 30x30 goals and ensure that future generations have access to California's remarkable landscape, we must permanently protect the irreplaceable resource of our natural lands. The establishment of the Sáttítla National Monument will safeguard California's endangered species and biodiversity, ecological sustainability, and rich cultural history. As national monuments, these lands will benefit from the same tribal stewardship that kept them pristine over the centuries."

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 74-0, 8/26/24

AYES: Addis, Aguiar-Curry, Alanis, Alvarez, Arambula, Bains, Bauer-Kahan, Bennett, Berman, Boerner, Bonta, Bryan, Calderon, Juan Carrillo, Wendy Carrillo, Chen, Connolly, Megan Dahle, Davies, Dixon, Flora, Mike Fong, Friedman, Gabriel, Gallagher, Garcia, Gipson, Grayson, Haney, Hart, Holden, Hoover, Irwin, Jackson, Jones-Sawyer, Kalra, Lackey, Lee, Low, Lowenthal, Maienschein, Mathis, McCarty, McKinnor, Muratsuchi, Stephanie Nguyen, Pacheco, Papan, Jim Patterson, Pellerin, Petrie-Norris, Quirk-Silva, Ramos, Rendon, Reyes, Luz Rivas, Rodriguez, Blanca Rubio, Santiago, Schiavo, Soria, Ta, Ting, Valencia, Villapudua, Waldron, Wallis, Ward, Weber, Wicks, Wilson, Wood, Zbur, Robert Rivas

NO VOTE RECORDED: Cervantes, Essayli, Ortega, Joe Patterson, Sanchez

Click here to enter text.

Prepared by: Catherine Baxter / N.R. & W. / (916) 651-4116

8/26/24 21:34:26

**** END ****

1. See Dr. Robert R. Curry. California’s Water Future: Hydrological Report on the Risks to the Medicine Lake Volcano Aquifers Associated with Geothermal Development, March 2014. https://mountshastaecology.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/CurryHydroReport.pdf ↑

SENATE THIRD READING

STR Bill Id:SJR 17

Author:(Allen)

As Amended Ver:August 12, 2024

Majority vote

SUMMARY

Urges the President to use the Antiquities Act of 1906 to establish the Sáttítla National Monument and makes findings regarding the history and value of the land that would be included in the Sáttítla National Monument.

Major Provisions

COMMENTS

The Federal Antiquities Act, passed in 1906, seeks to preserve America's archeological places and historical sites, including the information they contain, on federal lands. Among other things, this act authorizes the President to establish national monuments. Specifically, the act gives the President the authority to "declare by public proclamation historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest that are situated on land owned or controlled by the Federal Government to be national monuments" [54 USC Section 320301(a)]. National monuments may be administered by the National Park Service (NPS), the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, or the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Since 1906, U.S. presidents have used their authority under the Antiquities Act to set aside land almost 300 times.

In California, there are at least 17 national monuments, including Berryessa Snow Mountain, Cabrillo, California Coastal, Carrizo Plain, Castle Mountains, César E. Chávez, Devils Postpile, Fort Ord, Giant Sequoia, Lava Beds, Mojave Trails, Muir Woods, Saint Francis Dam Disaster, Sand to Snow, San Gabriel Mountains, Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains, and Tule Lake.

Sáttítla National Monument proposal. The Pit River Tribe and supporters are calling on President Biden to establish a national monument in Northern California to protect approximately 200,000 acres of land managed by the USFS and BLM in an area commonly known as the Medicine Lake Highlands, but designated as Sáttítla by Native Americans in the area.

Located 30 miles northeast of Mount Shasta and nestled within the Shasta-Trinity, Klamath, and Modoc National Forests of northeastern California, Sáttítla is a culturally significant, geologically unique, water rich, and life sustaining region. The area's mature forests help to sequester carbon and provide habitat for wildlife. It is home to bald eagles, osprey, goshawks, deer, elk, black bear, imperiled northern spotted owls, Sierra martens, Pacific fishers, rare bats, and sensitive plants. For thousands of years the forested lands and waters have been sacred to numerous tribes including the Pit River, Modoc, Shasta, Karuk, and Wintu. Sáttítla is a spiritual center for the Pit River and Modoc Tribes, who continue to use the area for religious activities, ceremonies, and gatherings.

Sáttítla is located in a headwater area of the state, which helps to provide water to the state's residents, agriculture, and wildlife. The Medicine Lake Volcano is an enormous hydrological recharge and storage area for California's water supply. It captures and discharges over 1.2 million acre-feet of snowmelt annually, emerging as the Fall River Springs, the largest spring system in the state, which sustains a trout fishery before it flows into Shasta Lake Reservoir and the Sacramento River, serving millions of residents downstream. The volcanically formed aquifers below the surface capture snow melt and are estimated to store 20 to 40 million acre-feet of water, which is on the same order of magnitude as California's 200 largest surface reservoirs. A 2014 hydrogeological study pointed out the need to protect this groundwater resource for farms, cities, and people.

Connection to 30x30 initiative. According to the California Natural Resources Agency, the proposed Sáttítla National Monument would add roughly 210,000 acres to the state's 30x30 target. This numbers may change upon final designation.

According to the Author

According to the author, "In order to reach our state's 30x30 goals and ensure that future generations have access to California's remarkable landscape, we must permanently protect the irreplaceable resource of our natural lands. The establishment of the Sáttítla National Monument will safeguard California's endangered species and biodiversity, ecological sustainability, and rich cultural history. As national monuments, these lands will benefit from the same tribal stewardship that kept them pristine over the centuries."

Arguments in Support

The Pit River Nation (sponsors) write that Sáttítla is "culturally significant to the Pit River, Modoc, Shasta, Karuk, and Wintu peoples of northeastern California, and is a spiritual epicenter for the Pit River and Modoc Tribes who meet there for ceremonies and other important cultural activities." They also indicate that the land is home to numerous threatened species and other singular geological and ecological resources.

Arguments in Opposition

None on file

FISCAL COMMENTS

None. This bill is keyed non-fiscal.

VOTES

SENATE FLOOR: 37-0-3

YES: Alvarado-Gil, Archuleta, Ashby, Atkins, Becker, Blakespear, Bradford, Caballero, Cortese, Dodd, Durazo, Eggman, Glazer, Gonzalez, Grove, Hurtado, Laird, Limón, McGuire, Menjivar, Min, Newman, Nguyen, Niello, Ochoa Bogh, Padilla, Portantino, Roth, Rubio, Seyarto, Skinner, Smallwood-Cuevas, Stern, Umberg, Wahab, Wiener, Wilk

ABS, ABST OR NV: Allen, Dahle, Jones

ASM WATER, PARKS, AND WILDLIFE: 10-0-5

YES: Papan, Mathis, Addis, Alanis, Bennett, Bonta, Gallagher, Davies, Hart, Weber

ABS, ABST OR NV: Alvarez, Garcia, Luz Rivas, Schiavo, Villapudua

UPDATED

VERSION: August 12, 2024

CONSULTANT: Stephanie Mitchell / W., P., & W. / (916) 319-2096 FN: 0003947

Date of Hearing: August 15, 2024

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON WATER, PARKS, AND WILDLIFE

Diane Papan, Chair

SBPCA Bill Id:SJR 17

Author:(Allen) – As Amended Ver:August 12, 2024

SENATE VOTE: 37-0

SUBJECT: The Sáttítla National Monument

SUMMARY: Urges the President to use the Antiquities Act of 1906 to establish the Sáttítla National Monument and makes findings regarding the history and value of the land that would be included in the Sáttítla National Monument.

EXISTING LAW:

1. Declares that it is a national policy to preserve for public use historic sites, buildings, and objects of national significance for the inspiration and benefit of the people of the United States [54 United States Code (USC) § 320101].
2. Authorizes the President to declare by public proclamation historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest that are situated on land owned or controlled by the Federal Government to be national monuments (54 USC § 320301).
3. Directs the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) to combat the biodiversity and climate crisis by, among other things, establishing the California Biodiversity Collaborative and establishes a goal to conserve at least 30% of the state’s lands and coastal waters by 2030 (30x30) [Public Resources Code § 71450].

FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown. This resolution is keyed non-fiscal.

COMMENTS:

1. Purpose of this bill. According to the author, “In order to reach our state’s 30x30 goals and ensure that future generations have access to California’s remarkable landscape, we must permanently protect the irreplaceable resource of our natural lands. The establishment of the Sáttítla National Monument will safeguard California’s endangered species and biodiversity, ecological sustainability, and rich cultural history. As national monuments, these lands will benefit from the same tribal stewardship that kept them pristine over the centuries.”
2. Background. The Federal Antiquities Act, passed in 1906, seeks to preserve America’s archeological places and historical sites, including the information they contain, on federal lands. Among other things, this act authorizes the President to establish national monuments. Specifically, the act gives the President the authority to “declare by public proclamation historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest that are situated on land owned or controlled by the Federal Government to be national monuments” [54 USC § 320301(a)]. National monuments may be administered by the National Park Service (NPS), the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, or the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Since 1906, U.S. presidents have used their authority under the Antiquities Act to set aside land almost 300 times.

In California, there are at least 17 national monuments, including Berryessa Snow Mountain, Cabrillo, California Coastal, Carrizo Plain, Castle Mountains, César E. Chávez, Devils Postpile, Fort Ord, Giant Sequoia, Lava Beds, Mojave Trails, Muir Woods, Saint Francis Dam Disaster, Sand to Snow, San Gabriel Mountains, Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains, and Tule Lake.

Sáttítla National Monument proposal. The Pit River Tribe and supporters are calling on President Biden to establish a national monument in Northern California to protect approximately 200,000 acres of land managed by the USFS and BLM in an area commonly known as the Medicine Lake Highlands, but designated as Sáttítla by Native Americans in the area (see map).

Located 30 miles northeast of Mount Shasta and nestled within the Shasta-Trinity, Klamath, and Modoc National Forests of northeastern California, Sáttítla is a culturally significant, geologically unique, water rich, and life sustaining region. The area’s mature forests help to sequester carbon and provide habitat for wildlife. It is home to bald eagles, osprey, goshawks, deer, elk, black bear, imperiled northern spotted owls, Sierra martens, Pacific fishers, rare bats, and sensitive plants. For thousands of years the forested lands and waters have been sacred to numerous tribes including the Pit River, Modoc, Shasta, Karuk, and Wintu. Sáttítla is a spiritual center for the Pit River and Modoc Tribes, who continue to use the area for religious activities, ceremonies, and gatherings.

Sáttítla is located in a headwater area of the state, which helps to provide water to the state’s residents, agriculture, and wildlife. The Medicine Lake Volcano is an enormous hydrological recharge and storage area for California’s water supply. It captures and discharges over 1.2 million acre-feet of snowmelt annually, emerging as the Fall River Springs, the largest spring system in the state, which sustains a trout fishery before it flows into Shasta Lake Reservoir and the Sacramento River, serving millions of residents downstream. The volcanically formed aquifers below the surface capture snow melt and are estimated to store 20 to 40 million acre-feet of water, which is on the same order of magnitude as California’s 200 largest surface reservoirs. A 2014 hydrogeological study pointed out the need to protect this groundwater resource for farms, cities, and people.

Connection to 30x30 initiative. In October 2020, Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-82-20, which establishes a state goal of conserving 30% of California’s lands and coastal waters by 2030 – known as 30x30. The 30x30 goal is intended to help conserve state lands and coastal waters through voluntary, collaborative action with partners across the state to meet three objectives: conserve and restore biodiversity, expand access to nature, and mitigate and build resilience to climate change. The 30x30 goal was codified by SB 337 (Min), Chapter 392, Statutes of 2023.

As of May 2023, the state has conserved 24.4% of lands and 16.2% of coastal waters for 30x30. California’s strategy to conserve an additional six million acres of land and half a million acres of coastal waters is organized into ten pathways that are specific state actions that will help achieve 30x30.

According to CNRA, the proposed Sáttítla National Monument would add roughly 210,000 acres to the state’s 30x30 target. This numbers may change upon final designation.

1. Arguments in support. The Pit River Nation (sponsors) write that Sáttítla is “culturally significant to the Pit River, Modoc, Shasta, Karuk, and Wintu peoples of northeastern California, and is a spiritual epicenter for the Pit River and Modoc Tribes who meet there for ceremonies and other important cultural activities.” They also indicate that the land is home to numerous threatened species and other singular geological and ecological resources.
2. Related legislation. H.R.8031 (Ruiz, 2023–2024) and S.4132 (Padilla, 2023–2024) both, would establish the Chuckwalla National Monument, consisting of approximately 621,000 acres of federal land administered by the BLM. Further, the bill would amend the California Desert Protection Act of 1994 to add approximately 17,842 acres of land to Joshua Tree National Park. H.R.8031 is pending in the House Committee on Natural Resources. S.4132 is pending in the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

SJR 10 (Dodd) of the current legislative session urges the President and Congress to expand the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument to include the Walker Ridge (Molok Luyuk) Addition. SJR 10 was held in this Committee by the request of the author in response to the Presidents proclamation on May 2, 2024 expanding the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument.

SJR 16 (Padilla) of the current legislative session urges the President to use the Antiquities Act of 1906 to establish the Chuckwalla, Joshua Tree, and Kw’tsán National Monuments. SJR 16 is set for hearing in this Committee.

AB 1183 (Ramos), Chapter 380, Statutes of 2021, establishes the California Desert Conservation Program at the Wildlife Conservation Board.

AJR 4 (Dodd), Res. Chapter 19, Statutes of 2015, urges the President to use his authority under the Antiquities Act to establish a federal monument in the region known as Berryessa Snow Mountain.

REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:

Support

Pit River Tribe (Sponsor)
Allensworth Progressive Association
CactusToClouds Institute
California Botanic Garden
California Environmental Voters
California Trout
Californians for Western Wilderness
CalWild
Central Valley Partnership
Coalition to Protect Americas National Parks
Conservation Lands Foundation
Council of Mexican Federations
Defenders of Wildlife
Endangered Habitats League
Environment California
Environmental Center of San Diego
Environmental Protection Information Center
Forests Forever
Forevergreen Forestry
Friends of Plumas Wilderness
Friends of The Amargosa Basin
Friends of The Inyo
Great Old Broads for Wilderness
Latino Outdoors
Legacy - the Landscape Connection
Mount Shasta Bioregional Ecology Center
Native American Land Conservancy
Resource Renewal Institute
Robert Redford Conservancy At Pitzer College
Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society
Save California Salmon
Sierra Business Council
Sierra Club California
Sierra Nevada Alliance
The Mountain PACT
The Wilderness Society
Trout Unlimited
Tuleyome
Vet Voice Foundation
Western Watersheds Project

Opposition

None on file

Analysis Prepared by: Stephanie Mitchell / W., P., & W. / (916) 319-2096

 THIRD READING  

Bill No: SJR 17

Author: Allen (D)

Amended: 6/6/24

Vote: 21

SENATE NATURAL RES. & WATER COMMITTEE: 10-0, 6/17/24

AYES: Min, Seyarto, Allen, Eggman, Grove, Hurtado, Laird, Limón, Padilla, Stern

NO VOTE RECORDED: Dahle

SUBJECT: The Sáttítla National Monument and the Kw’tsán National Monument

SOURCE: Pit River Tribe

Quechan Indian Tribe

DIGEST:

This resolution urges the President of the United States to use the Antiquities Act to establish the Sáttítla National Monument and the Kw’tsán National Monument.

ANALYSIS: Existing federal law:

1. Declares that it is a national policy to preserve for public use historic sites, buildings, and objects of national significance for the inspiration and benefit of the people of the United States. 54 USC §320101.
2. Authorizes the President to declare by public proclamation historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest that are situated on land owned or controlled by the Federal Government to be national monuments. 54 USC §320301.

Existing state law:

1. Establishes a goal of the state to conserve at least 30% of California’s lands and coastal waters by 2030. Public Resources Code (PRC) §71450.
2. Directs the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA), in implementing the 10 pathways and specific near-term priority actions described in the Pathways to 30x30 Report to achieve the 30x30 goal, to prioritize certain actions, including supporting tribal engagement and leadership in implementing the 30x30 goal. PRC §71451.

This resolution would urge the President to use the Antiquities Act to establish the Sáttítla National Monument and the Kw’tsán National Monument.

Background

Federal Antiquities Act. This act, which passed in 1906, seeks to preserve America’s archeological places and historical sites, including the information they contain, on federal lands. Among other things, this act authorizes the President to establish national monuments. Specifically, the act gives the President the authority to “declare by public proclamation historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest that are situated on land owned or controlled by the Federal Government to be national monuments” (Title 54 U.S. Codes (54 USC) §320301(a)). National monuments may be administered by the National Park Service (NPS), the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), or the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Since 1906, U.S. presidents have used their authority under the Antiquities Act to set aside land almost 300 times.

In California, there are at least 17 national monuments, including Berryessa Snow Mountain, Cabrillo, California Coastal, Carrizo Plain, Castle Mountains, César E. Chávez, Devils Postpile, Fort Ord, Giant Sequoia, Lava Beds, Mojave Trails, Muir Woods, Saint Francis Dam Disaster, Sand to Snow, San Gabriel Mountains, Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains, and Tule Lake.

30x30 initiative. 30x30 is an international movement to protect 30% of the world’s land and waters as intact natural ecosystems by 2030. It is a milestone to a larger goal to protect 50% of these areas by 2050 in order to halt and reverse the world’s extinction crisis. Almost 200 countries agreed to protect 30% of the planet by 2030 at the 2022 United Nations Biodiversity Conference of the Parties in Montreal, Canada under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

At the federal level, the Biden Administration launched the “America the Beautiful” initiative in 2021, which includes the first national conservation goal to conserve at least 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030. In California, Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-82-20 in 2020, which adopted a goal to conserve at least 30% of California’s land and coastal waters by 2030. SB 337 (Min, Chapter 392, Statutes of 2023) later codified this goal. As of May 2023, the state has conserved 24.4% of lands and 16.2% of its coastal waters. To reach the goal, it must conserve approximately 5.6 million more acres of land and approximately 500,000 more acres of coastal waters.

Comments

Sáttítla National Monument proposal. The Pit River Tribe and supporters are calling on President Biden to establish a national monument in Northern California to protect approximately 200,000 acres of land managed by the USFS in an area commonly known as the Medicine Lake Highlands, but designated as Sáttítla by Native Americans in the area. Map I on page 6 of the committee analysis depicts the area proposed for inclusion in the monument.

Located 30 miles northeast of Mount Shasta and nestled within the Shasta-Trinity, Klamath, and Modoc National Forests of northeastern California, Sáttítla is a culturally significant, geologically unique, water rich, and life sustaining region. The area’s mature forests help to sequester carbon and provide habitat for wildlife. It is home to bald eagles, osprey, goshawks, deer, elk, black bear, imperiled northern spotted owls, Sierra martens, Pacific fishers, rare bats, and sensitive plants. For thousands of years the forested lands and waters have been sacred to numerous tribes including the Pit River, Modoc, Shasta, Karuk, and Wintu. Sáttítla is a spiritual center for the Pit River and Modoc Tribes, who continue to use the area for religious activities, ceremonies, and gatherings.

Sáttítla is located in a headwater area of the state, which helps to provide water to the state’s residents, agriculture, and wildlife. The Medicine Lake Volcano is an enormous hydrological recharge and storage area for California’s water supply. It captures and discharges over 1.2 million acre-feet of snowmelt annually, emerging as the Fall River Springs, the largest spring system in the state, which sustains a trout fishery before it flows into Shasta Lake Reservoir and the Sacramento River, serving millions of residents downstream. The volcanically formed aquifers below the surface capture snow melt and are estimated to store 20 to 40 million acre-feet of water, which is on the same order of magnitude as California’s 200 largest surface reservoirs. A 2014 hydrogeological study pointed out the need to protect this groundwater resource for farms, cities, and people.^[1]

This resolution would urge the President to use the Antiquities Act to designate this area as a new national monument.

Kw’tsán National Monument proposal. The Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe (pronounced Kwatsáan) and supporters are calling for the permanent protection of the Kw’tsán cultural landscape as a national monument. This proposal to protect the tribe’s homelands encompasses more than 390,000 acres of lands managed by the BLM in Imperial County along the border with Mexico and Arizona. Map II on page 7 of the committee analysis depicts the area proposed for inclusion in the monument.

The proposed Kw'ts'án National Monument contains cultural, ecological, recreational, scenic, and historic values. The area is part of a greater cultural landscape, connecting together Avikwalal, Palo Verde Peak, the proposed Chuckwalla National Monument, and Spirit Mountain in Avi Kwa Ame National Monument. The boundary exhibits a portion of the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe’s ancestral homelands and incorporates the Indian Pass Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC), Pilot Knob (Avikwalal) ACEC, Singer Geoglyphs ACEC, Buzzards Peak, and Picacho Peak Wilderness areas.

The Colorado River runs along the eastern side of the proposed monument, and the water brings several species to the region including roadrunners, Woodhouse toads, desert tortoises, sidewinders, Yuma kingsnakes, black-tailed jackrabbits, kit foxes, roundtail ground squirrels, badgers, and chuckwallas. Plants in the area include the desert agave, saguaro, creosote, mesquite, desert milkweed, algodones dunes sunflower, arroweed, sand food, desert devil's claw, chocolate mountains coldenia, foxtail cactus, munz's and wiggins cholla, and the yellow palo verde.

This resolution would urge the President to use the Antiquities Act to designate this area as a new national monument.

Other National Monument proposals in California. President Biden has invoked the Antiquities Act 10 times since taking office, including to expand seven national monuments, like the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, and restore protections for three other national monuments. In particular, on May 2, 2024, President Biden expanded the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument via proclamation, placing nearly 120,000 acres under new protections. In addition to the two National Monument proposals included in this resolution, there is at least one other National Monument proposal in California that the Legislature is considering supporting. Specifically, SJR 16 (Padilla, 2024) urges the President of the United States to establish Chuckwalla National Monument and to create a Joshua Tree National Monument next to Joshua Tree National Park, for eventual inclusion in the park. This would add new protections to around 640,000 acres of lands in the state.

Connection to 30x30 initiative. According to CNRA, the exact boundaries for these two proposed national monuments are not yet finalized but based on preliminary maps the proposed Sáttítla National Monument would add roughly 210,000 acres to the state’s 30x30 target. The proposed Kw’tsan National Monument includes some land that already counts towards the state’s 30x30 due to existing land designation and management; however, this monument would add additional land that is not currently counted towards 30x30. That said, the exact number that the proposed Kw’tsan National Monument would add towards the state’s 30x30 goal is not yet known.

It is worth noting, however, that the state’s 30x30 strategy includes an action to monitor state and federal legislation to support, where appropriate, enhanced conservation on public lands, including new designations and expansion of wilderness areas, wild and scenic rivers, and national monuments.

Related/Prior Legislation

SJR 10 (Dodd, 2024) urges the President and Congress to expand the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument to include the Walker Ridge (Molok Luyuk) Addition. The resolution is pending in the Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee.

SJR 16 (Padilla, 2024) urges the President to use the Antiquities Act to establish the Chuckwalla National Monument and a National Park Service-managed Joshua Tree National Monument adjacent to Joshua Tree National Park. This resolution is pending on the Senate Floor.

AB 1183 (Ramos, Chapter 380, Statutes of 2021) established the California Desert Conservation Program at the Wildlife Conservation Board.

AJR 4 (Dodd, Resolution Chapter 19, Statutes of 2015) urged President Obama to use his authority under the Antiquities Act to establish a federal monument in the region known as Berryessa Snow Mountain.

FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No Local: No

SUPPORT: (Verified 6/18/24)

Pit River Tribe (co-source)

Quechan Indian Tribe (co-source)

Allensworth Progressive Association

CactusToClouds Institute

California Botanic Garden

California Environmental Voters

California Trout

Californians for Western Wilderness

CalWild

Central Valley Partnership

Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks

Conservation Lands Foundation

Council of Mexican Federations in North America

Defenders of Wildlife

Endangered Habitats League

Environment California

Environmental Center of San Diego

Environmental Protection Information Center

Forests Forever

ForEverGreen Forestry

Friends of Amargosa Basin

Friends of Plumas Wilderness

Friends of the Inyo

Great Old Broads for Wilderness

Latino Outdoors

LEGACY – The Landscape Connection

Mt Shasta Bioregional Ecology Center

Native American Lands Conservancy

Resource Renewal Institute

Robert Redford Conservancy at Pitzer College

Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society

Save California Salmon

Sierra Business Council

Sierra Club California

Sierra Nevada Alliance

The Mountain Pact

The Wilderness Society

Trout Unlimited

Tuleyome

Vet Voice Foundation

Western Watersheds Project

OPPOSITION: (Verified 6/18/24)

None received

ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT: According to the author, “In order to reach our state’s 30x30 goals and ensure that future generations have access to California’s remarkable landscape, we must permanently protect the irreplaceable resource of our natural lands. The establishment of the Sáttítla and Kw’tsán National Monuments will safeguard California’s endangered species and biodiversity, ecological sustainability, and rich cultural history. As national monuments, these lands will benefit from the same tribal stewardship that kept them pristine over the centuries.”

According to a coalition of supporters, “The Pit River Tribe is leading a local effort to establish a Sáttítla (Medicine Lake Highlands) National Monument in Siskiyou County which would protect over 200,000 acres of their traditional homelands containing irreplaceable cultural values and critical ground and surface water resources benefiting the state of California.”

“The Ft. Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe is leading a local effort [to] establish the Kw’tsán National Monument in Imperial County. This proposal would protect over 390,000 acres of their traditional homelands containing incredible cultural, ecological, recreational, scenic features, and other values that will be preserved for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations.”

“In both of these initiatives, [t]ribes are seeking co-stewardship of these national monuments which would enable a much stronger voice in their management from an indigenous perspective, and ensure tribal cultural values are protected.”

Prepared by: Catherine Baxter / N.R. & W. / (916) 651-4116

6/19/24 15:17:20

**** END ****

1. See Dr. Robert R. Curry. California’s Water Future: Hydrological Report on the Risks to the Medicine Lake Volcano Aquifers Associated with Geothermal Development, March 2014. https://mountshastaecology.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/CurryHydroReport.pdf ↑

SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES AND WATER

Senator Dave Min, Chair

2023 - 2024 Regular

Bill No: SJR 17 Hearing Date: June 17, 2024

Subject: The Sáttítla National Monument and the Kw’tsán National Monument

SUMMARY

This Senate Joint Resolution would urge the President to use the Antiquities Act to establish the Sáttítla National Monument and the Kw’tsán National Monument.

BACKGROUND AND EXISTING LAW

30x30 initiative. 30x30 is an international movement to protect 30% of the world’s land and waters as intact natural ecosystems by 2030. It is a milestone to a larger goal to protect 50% of these areas by 2050 in order to halt and reverse the world’s extinction crisis. Almost 200 countries agreed to protect 30% of the planet by 2030 at the 2022 United Nations Biodiversity Conference of the Parties in Montreal, Canada under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

At the federal level, the Biden Administration launched the “America the Beautiful” initiative in 2021, which includes the first national conservation goal to conserve at least 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030. In California, Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-82-20 in 2020, which adopted a goal to conserve at least 30% of California’s land and coastal waters by 2030. SB 337 (Min, Chapter 392, Statutes of 2023) later codified this goal. As of May 2023, the state has conserved 24.4% of lands and 16.2% of its coastal waters. To reach the goal, it must conserve approximately 5.6 million more acres of land and approximately 500,000 more acres of coastal waters.

Federal Antiquities Act. This act, which passed in 1906, seeks to preserve America’s archeological places and historical sites, including the information they contain, on federal lands. Among other things, this act authorizes the President to establish national monuments. Specifically, the act gives the President the authority to “declare by public proclamation historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest that are situated on land owned or controlled by the Federal Government to be national monuments” (Title 54 U.S. Codes (54 USC) §320301(a)). National monuments may be administered by the National Park Service (NPS), the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), or the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Since 1906, U.S. presidents have used their authority under the Antiquities Act to set aside land almost 300 times.

In California, there are at least 17 national monuments, including Berryessa Snow Mountain, Cabrillo, California Coastal, Carrizo Plain, Castle Mountains, César E. Chávez, Devils Postpile, Fort Ord, Giant Sequoia, Lava Beds, Mojave Trails, Muir Woods, Saint Francis Dam Disaster, Sand to Snow, San Gabriel Mountains, Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains, and Tule Lake.

Existing federal law:

1. Declares that it is a national policy to preserve for public use historic sites, buildings, and objects of national significance for the inspiration and benefit of the people of the United States. 54 USC §320101.
2. Authorizes the President to declare by public proclamation historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest that are situated on land owned or controlled by the Federal Government to be national monuments. 54 USC §320301.

Existing state law:

1. Establishes a goal of the state to conserve at least 30% of California’s lands and coastal waters by 2030. Public Resources Code (PRC) §71450.
2. Directs the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA), in implementing the 10 pathways and specific near-term priority actions described in the Pathways to 30x30 Report to achieve the 30x30 goal, to prioritize certain actions, including supporting tribal engagement and leadership in implementing the 30x30 goal. PRC §71451.

PROPOSED LAW

This Senate Joint Resolution would urge the President to use the Antiquities Act to establish the Sáttítla National Monument and the Kw’tsán National Monument.

ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT

According to the author, “In order to reach our state’s 30x30 goals and ensure that future generations have access to California’s remarkable landscape, we must permanently protect the irreplaceable resource of our natural lands. The establishment of the Sáttítla and Kw’tsán National Monuments will safeguard California’s endangered species and biodiversity, ecological sustainability, and rich cultural history. As national monuments, these lands will benefit from the same tribal stewardship that kept them pristine over the centuries.”

According to a coalition of supporters, “The Pit River Tribe is leading a local effort to establish a Sáttítla (Medicine Lake Highlands) National Monument in Siskiyou County which would protect over 200,000 acres of their traditional homelands containing irreplaceable cultural values and critical ground and surface water resources benefiting the state of California.”

“The Ft. Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe is leading a local effort [to] establish the Kw’tsán National Monument in Imperial County. This proposal would protect over 390,000 acres of their traditional homelands containing incredible cultural, ecological, recreational, scenic features, and other values that will be preserved for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations.”

“In both of these initiatives, [t]ribes are seeking co-stewardship of these national monuments which would enable a much stronger voice in their management from an indigenous perspective, and ensure tribal cultural values are protected.”

ARGUMENTS IN OPPOSITION

None received.

COMMENTS

Sáttítla National Monument proposal. The Pit River Tribe and supporters are calling on President Biden to establish a national monument in Northern California to protect approximately 200,000 acres of land managed by the USFS in an area commonly known as the Medicine Lake Highlands, but designated as Sáttítla by Native Americans in the area. Map I on page 6 of this analysis depicts the area proposed for inclusion in the monument.

Located 30 miles northeast of Mount Shasta and nestled within the Shasta-Trinity, Klamath, and Modoc National Forests of northeastern California, Sáttítla is a culturally significant, geologically unique, water rich, and life sustaining region. The area’s mature forests help to sequester carbon and provide habitat for wildlife. It is home to bald eagles, osprey, goshawks, deer, elk, black bear, imperiled northern spotted owls, Sierra martens, Pacific fishers, rare bats, and sensitive plants. For thousands of years the forested lands and waters have been sacred to numerous tribes including the Pit River, Modoc, Shasta, Karuk, and Wintu. Sáttítla is a spiritual center for the Pit River and Modoc Tribes, who continue to use the area for religious activities, ceremonies, and gatherings.

Sáttítla is located in a headwater area of the state, which helps to provide water to the state’s residents, agriculture, and wildlife. The Medicine Lake Volcano is an enormous hydrological recharge and storage area for California’s water supply. It captures and discharges over 1.2 million acre-feet of snowmelt annually, emerging as the Fall River Springs, the largest spring system in the state, which sustains a trout fishery before it flows into Shasta Lake Reservoir and the Sacramento River, serving millions of residents downstream. The volcanically formed aquifers below the surface capture snow melt and are estimated to store 20 to 40 million acre-feet of water, which is on the same order of magnitude as California’s 200 largest surface reservoirs. A 2014 hydrogeological study pointed out the need to protect this groundwater resource for farms, cities, and people.^[1]

This resolution would urge the President to use the Antiquities Act to designate this area as a new national monument.

Kw’tsán National Monument proposal. The Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe (pronounced Kwatsáan) and supporters are calling for the permanent protection of the Kw’tsán cultural landscape as a national monument. This proposal to protect the tribe’s homelands encompasses more than 390,000 acres of lands managed by the BLM in Imperial County along the border with Mexico and Arizona. Map II on page 7 of this analysis depicts the area proposed for inclusion in the monument.

The proposed Kw'ts'án National Monument contains cultural, ecological, recreational, scenic, and historic values. The area is part of a greater cultural landscape, connecting together Avikwalal, Palo Verde Peak, the proposed Chuckwalla National Monument, and Spirit Mountain in Avi Kwa Ame National Monument. The boundary exhibits a portion of the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe’s ancestral homelands and incorporates the Indian Pass Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC), Pilot Knob (Avikwalal) ACEC, Singer Geoglyphs ACEC, Buzzards Peak, and Picacho Peak Wilderness areas.

The Colorado River runs along the eastern side of the proposed monument, and the water brings several species to the region including roadrunners, Woodhouse toads, desert tortoises, sidewinders, Yuma kingsnakes, black-tailed jackrabbits, kit foxes, roundtail ground squirrels, badgers, and chuckwallas. Plants in the area include the desert agave, saguaro, creosote, mesquite, desert milkweed, algodones dunes sunflower, arroweed, sand food, desert devil's claw, chocolate mountains coldenia, foxtail cactus, munz's and wiggins cholla, and the yellow palo verde.

This resolution would urge the President to use the Antiquities Act to designate this area as a new national monument.

Other National Monument proposals in California. President Biden has invoked the Antiquities Act 10 times since taking office, including to expand seven national monuments, like the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, and restore protections for three other national monuments. In particular, on May 2, 2024, President Biden expanded the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument via proclamation, placing nearly 120,000 acres under new protections. In addition to the two National Monument proposals included in SJR 17, there is at least one other National Monument proposal in California that the Legislature is considering supporting. Specifically, SJR 16 (Padilla) would urge the President to establish Chuckwalla National Monument and to create a Joshua Tree National Monument next to Joshua Tree National Park, for eventual inclusion in the park. This would add new protections to around 640,000 acres of lands in the state.

Connection to 30x30 initiative. According to CNRA, the exact boundaries for these two proposed national monuments are not yet finalized but based on preliminary maps the proposed Sáttítla National Monument would add roughly 210,000 acres to the state’s 30x30 target. The proposed Kw’tsan National Monument includes some land that already counts towards the state’s 30x30 due to existing land designation and management; however, this monument would add additional land that is not currently counted towards 30x30. That said, the exact number that the proposed Kw’tsan National Monument would add towards the state’s 30x30 goal is not yet known.

It is worth noting, however, that the state’s 30x30 strategy includes an action to monitor state and federal legislation to support, where appropriate, enhanced conservation on public lands, including new designations and expansion of wilderness areas, wild and scenic rivers, and national monuments.

Related legislation.

SJR 10 (Dodd, 2024) would urge the President and Congress to expand the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument to include the Walker Ridge (Molok Luyuk) Addition. This resolution is pending in the Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee.

SJR 16 (Padilla, 2024) would urge the President to use the Antiquities Act to establish the Chuckwalla National Monument and a National Park Service-managed Joshua Tree National Monument adjacent to Joshua Tree National Park. This resolution is pending on the Senate Floor.

AB 1183 (Ramos, Chapter 380, Statutes of 2021) established the California Desert Conservation Program at the Wildlife Conservation Board.

AJR 4 (Dodd, Res. Chapter 19, Statutes of 2015) urged President Obama to use his authority under the Antiquities Act to establish a federal monument in the region known as Berryessa Snow Mountain.

SUPPORT

Pit River Tribe (sponsor)

Quechan Indian Tribe (sponsor)

Allensworth Progressive Association

CactusToClouds Institute

California Botanic Garden

California Environmental Voters

California Trout

Californians for Western Wilderness

CalWild

Central Valley Partnership

Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks

Conservation Lands Foundation

Council of Mexican Federations in North America

Defenders of Wildlife

Endangered Habitats League

Environment California

Environmental Center of San Diego

Environmental Protection Information Center

Forests Forever

ForEverGreen Forestry

Friends of Amargosa Basin

Friends of Plumas Wilderness

Friends of the Inyo

Great Old Broads for Wilderness

Latino Outdoors

LEGACY – The Landscape Connection

Mt Shasta Bioregional Ecology Center

Native American Lands Conservancy

Resource Renewal Institute

Robert Redford Conservancy at Pitzer College

Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society

Save California Salmon

Sierra Business Council

Sierra Club California

Sierra Nevada Alliance

The Mountain Pact

The Wilderness Society

Trout Unlimited

Tuleyome

Vet Voice Foundation

Western Watersheds Project

OPPOSITION

None Received

Map I. Proposed Sáttítla National Monument Boundary

Map II. Proposed Kw’tsán National Monument Boundary

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1. See Dr. Robert R. Curry. California’s Water Future: Hydrological Report on the Risks to the Medicine Lake Volcano Aquifers Associated with Geothermal Development, March 2014. https://mountshastaecology.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/CurryHydroReport.pdf ↑