The California State Legislature has passed a resolution in response to a federal review ordered by the president of 22 national monuments, six of them in California.

On Friday, Assembly Joint Resolution 15 cleared the last hurdle in the legislative process, passing the State Senate by a margin of 27-8. 

Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters), whose district includes Lake County, was joined by coauthors Assemblymember Jim Wood (D-Santa Rosa), and Senators Bill Dodd (D-Napa) and Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg), introduced the measure after President Trump ordered a review of national monuments in April.

Executive Order 13792 of April 26 directs the secretary of the Department of the Interior to conduct a review of all Presidential designations or expansions of designations under the Antiquities Act of 1906 made since January 1, 1996, where the designation covers more than 100,000 acres, where the designation after expansion covers more than 100,000 acres, or where the secretary determines that the designation or expansion was made without adequate public outreach and coordination with relevant stakeholders, to determine whether each designation or expansion conforms to the policy set forth in section 1 of the order.

The resolution, passed on the 111th Anniversary of the Federal Antiquities Act, memorializes a call by the California State Legislature for the Federal Government to continue protecting California’s national monuments.

California has 22 national monuments. Under the president’s executive order, six of these federally-protected lands in California will be subject to review: Giant Sequoia, Carrizo Plain, San Gabriel Mountains, Berryessa Snow Mountain, Mojave Trails and Sand to Snow National Monuments. Cascade Siskiyou, which is located in both Oregon and California, also is under review.

The Legislature sees no reason to review the status these public lands.

Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry, joined by some of the bill’s coauthors, spoke to a crowd of National Monuments and Parks supporters at a rally in Sacramento on Friday.

“Instead of wasting federal resources on an unwanted ‘review’ of protections for California’s public lands,” she said, “the president should use the money to protect our environment, provide health care to America’s working families, restore meals on wheels to the elderly, or grant college tuitions and job training to our country’s young people.”

“National Monuments protect our environment and support our local economy,” said Sen. Dodd. “I was honored to play a part in the successful effort to create the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, which will enhance recreational opportunities and visitation to the region. Preserving our region’s natural splendor for future generations is absolutely essential, and we can’t afford to move backward.”

“Millions travel from across the planet to enjoy the beauty of our state’s national monuments, which generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for our communities. I’m grateful to Assemblywoman Aguiar-Curry and Sen. Dodd for advancing this important resolution which draws a line in the sand and will help California protect these natural wonders,” Sen. Mike McGuire said.

The national monuments in California provide open spaces to the public for recreational and educational activities, as well as job opportunities. Outdoor recreation in California generates $85 billion annually in consumer spending, and has added over 730,000 jobs to the state’s economy.

“Designating and protecting public lands has been one of our country’s best tools in our fight to protect our environment,” said Wood who represents California’s North Coast. “One of the newest National Monuments, the Stornetta Point Arena Public Lands on the Mendocino Coast, was designated a national monument in 2014 after years of effort by the community and it would be a tragedy to have all of that hard work undone.”

AJR 15 is supported by over 70 environmental, land protection, conservation, and recreational advocates and organizations who argue that national monuments are integral to preserving California’s historical, cultural, and ecological values.

“It took us years to designate Berryessa Snow Mountain as a national monument,” Assemblymember-Aguiar-Curry said. “We worked with hundreds of people throughout Northern California to show the federal government that we were truly invested in protecting our natural and cultural resources. This resolution shows Washington that we want to continue protecting our precious lands.”

“There is a passion in America for those special places that tell the stories of who we are and from whence we came.  Our parks, our forests, our deserts, our plants and wildlife, plate tectonics, outdoor recreation, economic opportunities; These are  our national monuments,” said Bob Schneider of the conservation group, Tuleyome.  “We value them, we care for them, and we will fight to protect them.  Thank you to Assemblymembers Aguiar-Curry and Wood and Senators Dodd and McGuire for championing this effort.”

AJR 15 was presented on the Assembly Floor last week where forty-five Assemblymembers asked to be listed as coauthors of the resolution.

"AJR 15 shows that Californians stand strong against any federal efforts to rollback national monuments protections. From the Mojave Desert to the Coastal Range Mountains to the grassy Carrizo Plains, these monuments are loved for many reasons, including the opportunity to view iconic wildlife such as desert tortoise, San Joaquin kit fox and Tule elk," said Kim Delfino, California program director for Defenders of Wildlife.

“Our coastline, mountains, forests, parks, national monuments – our protected public lands – are California's calling card to the world and part of a deeply rooted legacy of conservation that is essential to our tourism and recreation economy, to our quality of life, and to achieving climate resilience and environmental justice in our state,” said Mariana Maguire with the Conservation Lands Foundation.

AJR 15 will now be transmitted to Washington D.C., where it will be submitted to the federal government for comment under the ongoing federal review of the nation’s public lands.

Congressman John Garamendi has written to the Department of the Interior to express his support of maintaining the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument designation, as has California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, as Lake County News has reported.

The Lakeport City Council last week also passed a resolution reaffirming its support of the designation.

The public comment period on the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument designation closes on July 10.

Tuleyome, the group that helped champion the monument’s formation, is offering online postcards for community members who want to support maintaining the designation. Letters also can be submitted directly to the federal government online.