On July 10, President Obama designated 330,780 acres of California’s stunning wildlands as one of our nation’s newest national monuments, “Berryessa Snow Mountain.”

The new monument stretches across parts of seven counties, ranging 100 miles from south of Berryessa Peak to the Snow Mountain Wilderness. The new monument is the second largest in California.

Our nation’s newest monument is far more than beautiful landscapes and pristine rivers and lakes; Berryessa Snow Mountain was home to at least five Native American tribes, hosts cultural sites dating back thousands of years, and reveals a geologic history of more than 140 million years of tectonic plate activity.

The Yuki, Patwin, Pomo, Nomlaki and Lake Miwok Native American tribes all called areas within the new monument home.

We are still discovering cultural sites and learning about these five distinct tribes. By ensuring that this area will remain undeveloped, we can continue to examine evidence and learn about these people and how they adapted to cultural and environmental changes.

Members of the Patwin and Lake Miwok tribes are believed to have resided in semi-subterranean houses in the Cache Creek watershed.

These tribes established permanent territories and communities that were part of a large regional trade and exchange system designed to distribute critical resources throughout the area.

What transpired between these communities has been referred to as a cultural apex, further highlighting the significance of the designation of this area as a national monument.

Located within the monument is the Cache Creek Archeological District (listed on the National Register of Historic Places). Besides being a region of critical environmental concern, Cache Creek and the Cache Creek Wilderness also protect archaeological sites that are still being studied.

Ancient cultural sites in the Cache Creek area contain archaeological evidence of the oldest human occupation in California.

The Yuki and Pomo languages are part of the Yukian and Hokan language families, the two oldest language families in the New World.

Recent archaeological discoveries in the region indicate that people (most likely Yukian speakers) were already residing in the area about 20,000 years ago.

The discovery of 14,000 year-old spear points suggests that the Hokan speakers may have arrived and settled parts of the area at that time.

The present-day Pomo are direct descendants of those early Hokan speaking people. Clovis and Folsom style spear points have also been discovered in the area suggesting 10,000- to 12,000-year-old hunting activities.

The Patwin, Nomlaki and Miwok are more recent arrivals in the area. Linguistic studies suggest that they entered and settled parts of the area about 2,000 years ago.

It is not just the historical sites that make Berryessa Snow Mountain a significant region; it is also a scientifically important area representing 140 million years of tectonic plate activity.

Three plates intersect this region: the North American, Farallon and Pacific. The formations are so significant that geologists are flown to the Berryessa region merely to study certain outcrops.

The rocks found in this new monument are of “profound importance” to our understanding of the geological process that caused this dazzling landscape.

By permanently protecting this ecologically and historically significant region, President Obama has also created a likely economic boon for the area.

With its close proximity to Sacramento, San Francisco, and Santa Rosa, Berryessa Snow Mountain will become a wonderful recreation site, with some studies estimating it could bring in up to $26 million in new economic activity and $500,000 in tax revenue for the surrounding communities in the next five years alone.

President Obama’s designation of Berryessa Snow Mountain as one of our country’s newest national monuments was a historic day.

With this permanent protection, we can continue to examine cultural resources found in the region, uncover details about the formations created from tectonic activity, and enjoy the picturesque landscapes found throughout the monument.

Dr. John Parker is vice president, project review coordinator and collections manager for the Lake County Historical Society based in Kelseyville, Calif.