Momentum is building to create a new national monument in the portion of the Colorado Desert in Eastern Riverside County where tribal ancestral homelands are under threat. Bordering the southern edge of Joshua Tree National Park, the proposed national monument will expand wilderness areas and designate a new wild and scenic river to preserve a portion of Mission Creek as a year-round desert water source.
The monument will help to ensure connectivity for wildlife and also protect recreation access to popular places such as the Bradshaw Trail and World War II historical sites. Local organizations are working closely with the Cahuilla, Chemehuevi, Mojave, Quechan, and Serrano peoples to ensure that these sacred landscapes are preserved in a proper and respectful manner.
The protections will also honor César Chávez, Dolores Huerta, and Larry Itliong, who formed the United Farm Workers Organizing Committee.
