An effort is underway to create a new national monument next to Joshua Tree National Park that would preserve almost 700,000 desert acres for recreation while protecting plants, animals and cultural and historic sites.
The proposed Chuckwalla National Monument — named for the lizard found in the Sonoran and Mojave Desert and northwestern Mexico — would need a presidential order or a vote by Congress to become reality.
“What’s really important in this case is we want the national monument to be a resource for the community,” said Colin Barrows, founding board member of CactusToCloud Institute, an organization that is part of the Protect California Deserts campaign that’s behind the proposal.
