PUBLIC MEETING ON PROPOSED NATIONAL MONUMENTS AT WHITEWATER TOMORROW

A public meeting will be held tomorrow on the proposed three national monuments designations in the California desert. The meeting is set for 2 p.m. Tuesday, October 13 at the Whitewater Preserve. The proposed Mojave Trails National Monument would preserve desert lands linking Joshua Tree National Park and the Mojave National Preserve. It features the most intact stretch of Historic Route 66, and is habitat for desert tortoises and bighorn sheep. The proposed Sand to Snow National Monument rises from the Sonoran Desert floor to the top of southern California’s highest mountain, Mount San Gorgonio. It includes 25 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail. The proposed Castle Mountains National Monument includes the historic gold mining ghost town of Hart, and is rich with wildlife such as golden eagles, bighorn sheep, mountain lions, and bobcats. This meeting will consider whether President Obama should create the monuments through the Antiquities Act. Members of the public are encouraged to attend to express their views. The Wildlands Conservancy Whitewater Preserve is located at 9160 Whitewater Canyon Road in Whitewater, just west of Highway 62 off of Interstate 10.