Assembly Standing Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife

The old people.

Inflation.

So we're going to take roll while we wait for authors to come and to ensure that Members of the media and public have access to our proceedings today, this hearing will be streamed on the Assembly's website, and Members of the public can provide testimony in person here in Capitol room 444, witnesses for each Bill.

We are allowing up to two main witnesses in support, two main witnesses in opposition. Following the primary witnesses, we ask remaining witnesses to limit their testimony to their name, organization, and position on the Bill only. Thank you for your cooperation and authors. If you hear me, we're waiting. Okay, thank you, Assembly Member Bennett. We're gonna take just. We're gonna take roll before you go.

[Roll call]

So we have a quorum, and we're waiting for Senators Padilla and Allen.

Well, good morning. Come on down. Senator Padilla, nice to see you.

Likewise, Madam Chair.

Take it away.

I have... Always good. Caffeine.

I will move the bill.

I'm grateful. Madam Chair and... Wait a minute. Here we are. Yeah. I'm happy to present SDR 16, which urges the President, as you know, to use the Antiquities Act of 1906 to establish the Chuckwalla National Monument, to establish National Park Service managed Joshua Tree National Monument adjacent to Joshua Tree National Park, and established Kw'tsán National Monument.

I think you know that climate change threatens important cultural sites and fragile ecosystems. We must do all we can to protect it. Local organizations and the first peoples sovereign nations in my district and throughout the region, in cooperation with regional and national organizations, are working to designate these lands as national monuments.

This designation would protect approximately 627,000 acres reaching west from Coachella Valley region to the east near the Colorado River, and also proposes to protect approximately 17,000 acres of public lands that are adjacent to the east side of Joshua Tree. These efforts would also protect more than 390,000 acres in Imperial County.

Permanently protecting these public lands is a historic opportunity that would significantly advance state and federal 30 by 30 goals and would ensure equitable access to nature for a community that is definitely in dire need of it. Through this designation, we can honor the cultural significance of these lands represent, that they represent for the tribal sovereign nations that have called these places home.

They are a thriving landscape of interconnected cultural, natural, and spiritual significance, sustained well being and survival of indigenous peoples today. Please join me in urging the President to utilize this authority to establish Chuckwalla National Monument. With me today is Council Member Donald Medart Jr. of Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe.

Virgil Smith.

Oh, hello, Virgil. They gave me the wrong member, but welcome. It's a little bit of a walk. Virgil, please.

We have two that will be speaking, so I'm going to defer to my fellow Council Member, Gloria McGee, first.

Hello, I'm Gloria McGee, Councilwoman for Quechan. California has always been near and dear to me all my life. Its natural beauty and wonders are breathtaking, from the bottom of it to the top of it and all in between. But traditional native thought is that life is a circle.

Our creator provided the processes and labor to achieve clean air and water to sustain life. All creatures, big and small, along with plant life, play a part in the process of life. In that vein, we as native people have been stewards of the land since time immemorial, protecting animals and plants because they are key to a healthy earth for future generations to come. Help us to continue to be stewards over this land.

For all of us, establishing the Gwitzan National Monument will be a step toward that goal, as well as providing recreation for outdoor enthusiasts. It will literally be a breath of fresh air for generations to come. And I have a letter from President Joaquin to the Honorable Diane Papan, chair, Assembly Water Parks and Wildlife Committee.

And I have a letter from President Joaquin to the Honorable Diane Papan, Chair, Assembly Water Parks and Wildlife Committee. Dear Assembly Member Papan, I'm writing on behalf of the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe in support of Senate Joint Resolution 16, which encourages the proposed designation of the Kw'tsán National Monument, as well as the Chuckwalla National Monument and expansion of Joshua Tree National park In California.

In California, the Fort Yima Khutan Indian tribe is leading the effort to establish Kutsan National Monument, which would protect more than 390,000 acres of the tribe's homelands. Located in California's imperial County. The land proposed for the national monument designation contained credible cultural, ecological, recreational, and historic values, including trails, delicate desert ecosystems, petroglyphs, geoglyphs, and lithics.

The establishment of a national monument would protect the wildlife, sacred sites, and scenic creatures that make this our home. The proposed national monument is part of a greater cultural landscape connecting Ubilal Palaverty peak, the proposed Chickwalan National Monument, and Spirit Mountain in Iwiquame National Monument. The boundary incorporates the Indian pass area of critical environmental concern.

Pilot Knob, Singer Geoglyphs, Buzzards Peak, and Picacho Peak wilderness areas. The Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe is proud to support SJR 16, and we thank Senator Padilla for authoring this resolution in support of the establishment of the Kw'tsán National Monument for the protection and preservation of the profound cultural and natural resources these lands hold. Sincerely, Jordan D. Joaquin, Tribal President, Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe.

Thank you so much. Do we have any folks in favor of the audience? Please come forward. Name, organization, and position.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Steve Baker with Erin Reed and Associates for Resources Legacy Fund in support.

Good morning. Kim Delfino on behalf of Audubon California and the California Native Plant Society in support.

Fatima Iqbal-Zubair with California Environmental Voters in strong support.

Erin Woolley with Sierra Club California in support.

My name is Angelina Hinojosa. My tribe is Pinoleville Pomo Nation, my organization's Native Sisters Circle, and I'm support.

Good morning. I'm Kasil Willie. I am Pomo, Paiute, Wintun, and Wailaki tribal member, and I am here with Save California Salmon, and I offer my support.

Thank you so much. Do we have witnesses that will be testifying in opposition? Seeing none. I'll bring it back to the Committee for any questions. I know we have a motion and a second. No questions? Okay. Would you like to close?

Madam Chair and Members, respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you so much. With that, let's go ahead and take a vote. Thank you.

[Roll Call]

Okay, congratulations. You're out. Thank you all for being here. And I see Senator Allen has joined us, so come on down.

This is a similar measure to the one you just heard, except involving different lands. The beautiful lands of Sattitla, which is basically medicine Lake highlands region. And we're urging the Federal Government to establish a national monument there as well, which would represent 200,000 acres of additional conservation lands critical to meeting our 30 by 30 goals.

It's important for our water supply. It's got a volcanic geological infrastructure, which helps with both the capturing, filtering, and storing of, I think, 40 million acre feet of water, which is equivalent to about 200 surface reservoirs. Beautiful territory, lots of wonderful species.

And we've got Yatch Bamford here, who's from the Pitt River he's the tribal Chairman for the Pitt River folks.

Greetings, everybody. Thank you guys for hearing us out this morning. My name is Yatch Bamford. I am Chairman of the Pit River Tribe. The Pit River Nation has asked President Biden and California's federal delegation to put in place a national monument protections for a little more than 200,000 acres in an area known as Sattitla.

This important area includes what is commonly known as the Medicine Lake highlands, located about 30 miles from Mount Shasta. Being one of our most sacred places and the location of our creation narrative of our people, we have maintained our deep connections with this tribal cultural landscape since time immemorial.

Our people have worked tirelessly to protect and defend Sattitla from ongoing threats which aim to destroy and cause degradation to numerous important resources that we and millions of others rely on daily. These vital resources include, but are not limited to, pure water resources for drinking and agriculture, habitats, ecosystems, and fisheries that all depend on Sattitla.

Sattitla is culturally, historically, spiritually, and environmentally important. Designating Sattitla as a national monument enables federal agencies to collaborate with tribal nations to steward and preserve cultural resources and lands in a responsible manner. The Pitt River Nation thanks Senator Allen for his authorship and urges you to support this national monument proposal. Thank you guys.

Thank you so very much for being here. Any Members of the audience would like to come forward to state their support.

Hi, this is Fatima with California Environmental, Fatima Iqbal-Zubair with California environmental voters and strong support.

Good morning. Kim Delfino, representing not defenders, but Audubon, California and California Native Plant Society. Still a little early.

Steve Baker with Erin Reed Associates for resources, legacy Fund in support.

Gloria McGee, Councilwoman for the Quechan tribe in Southern California. We affirm this, too. Thank you.

Good morning. Christina Scaringe with the Center for Biological Diversity in support. We also support the earlier resolution but couldn't be here. Thank you.

Erin Woolley, on behalf of Sierra Club California, in support.

Annalise Rivera, on behalf of California Trout, in support. Thank you.

Angelina Hinojosa, hosted on behalf of Native Sister Circle, in support. Thank you.

Kasil Willie for Save California salmon, in support.

Pamela Lopez, on behalf of Redding Rancheria, Santa Rosa Rancheria, Tachi Yokuts tribe and the Tule River Tribe in support.

Excellent. Thank you all so much. Any witnesses in opposition? Seeing none, and I don't think there's anybody in the audience. Any opposition? Nope. So we'll bring it back to the Committee. Any questions? We have a motion and a second and a third. So let's go ahead and take a vote, please. Thank you.

[roll call]

Thank you so much, Senator. Thank you. Thank you. Godspeed to all of you. And we will leave the roll open for people that need to add on, like Assembly Member Bennett.

SGR 16, motion is due. [Second Roll]

Almost all the time. Because I don't want to screw around with the witness not having access to the microphone, and here everybody has to press their button to speak, so I don't do a lot of like. Okay. Both matters are out. With the vote of 10 - 0, this Committee shall stand in adjournment.