The recent designation of three national monuments in California — including the Mojave Trails National Monument that includes Route 66 — was formally celebrated Thursday by conservationists and the Secretary of the Interior.
Interior Secretary Sally Jewell attended the celebration, according to The Desert Sun newspaper in Palm Springs. The other two monuments are the Sand to Snow National Monument and the Castle Mountains National Monument.
According to a news release Thursday from the Center for Biological Diversity, Jewell was joined by U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein — who proposed the monuments more than six years ago — and hundreds of local leaders and conservationists.
The Desert Sun provided some details from the ceremony at the Whitewater Preserve, including a certain prominent Route 66 advocate:
“It’s so important that we work together to protect special places — not just now, not just for our children and grandchildren, but forever,” said Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, who choked back tears several times during her brief remarks at the Whitewater Preserve on Thursday. “That’s what’s been done here.” […]
Then there was Jim Conkle, the Route 66 historian who led the charge to create the Mother Road National Monument, which eventually became the 1.6-million-acre Mojave Trails monument.
“We’ve crisscrossed this desert many times trying to get these monuments passed. I can’t tell you how important in my life — I’ve accomplished some things, but this is the biggest,” he said. “This to me is the ‘forever.'”
Here is the Department of the Interior’s description of the Mojave Trails National Monument:
The Mojave Trails National Monument spans 1.6 million acres of federal lands, including more than 350,000 acres of already Congressionally-designated wilderness, managed by the Bureau of Land Management between Barstow and Needles, Calif. It is a stunning mosaic of rugged mountain ranges, ancient lava flows, and spectacular sand dunes. The monument contains the longest remaining undeveloped stretch of Route 66 and some of the best preserved sites from the World War II-era Desert Training Center. Connecting the Mojave National Preserve with Joshua Tree National Park, the Mojave Trails National Monument ensures the biological connectivity of this landscape while preserving traditional uses such hunting and off-highway vehicle recreation.
The Desert Sun also shot this video from the ceremony:
The Department of the Interior posted an excellent set of current and historical photos of the Mojave Trails National Monument on Flickr
President Obama made the declarations under the 1906 Antiquities Act in February. His act was expected since required hearings were held in those areas in the fall. Feinstein asked the president to invoke the law after efforts to shepherd the bill through Congress failed, despite strong bipartisan support in California.
Republicans criticized Obama’s move as overreach and vowed an investigation. Fourteen of the last 19 presidents, however, have declared national monuments, including Obama’s GOP predecessor, George W. Bush. The Antiquities Act also has been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.
(Image of Amboy Crater and Route 66 by blmcalifornia via Flickr)