July 10, 2023
This map showcases both the existing national monument areas and the newly proposed ones. These areas are of great significance due to their natural beauty, cultural heritage, and ecological importance.
President Obama established the 346,000-acre San Gabriel Mountains National Monument almost a decade ago. It was the culmination of years of organizing by the Angeles Chapter, its Forest Committee, environmental allies like Nature for All, electeds, and community groups.
Building on this legacy Senator Alex Padilla and Rep. Judy Chu recently announced a joint effort to encourage President Biden to use his executive authority to expand the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument by 109,000 acres. The welcome news came in late June during a rally and press conference at the Eaton Canyon Nature Center in Pasadena. The steep, chaparral-covered slopes of the San Gabriel Mountains served as the backdrop for an enthusiastic crowd of about 90 guests who cheered every speaker.
LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger with (from left) Steve Messer, Sandra Cattell, Juana Torres, John Monsen, and Daniel Rossman. Photo credit: Morgan Goodwin.
The proposed addition to the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument will cover forest areas east and south of Santa Clarita as well as national forest north of foothill communities from Sylmar east to all the way to Azusa. When the expansion is completed all of the San Gabriel Mountains in Los Angeles County will be in the monument, adding well-known forest landmarks like Chantry Flats, Echo Mountain, Switzer Falls, and the Gabrielino Trail.
Native American prayers and music opened the program, setting the stage for remarks by Rep. Chu, Senator Padilla and other public officials including LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger and California Natural Resources Agency Secretary Wade Crowfoot. They all extolled the virtues of the San Gabriel Mountains as a biodiversity hotspot and stressed the importance of the monument given its unique proximity to the residents of the second largest urban area in the United States.
Alex Padilla speaking at the San Gabriels Event. On left, Wade Crowfoot, Secretary of CA Natural Resources Agency, and Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo. Photo Credit: Morgan Goodwin.
“For Angelenos, the San Gabriel Mountains have been a lifelong connection to nature,” said Senator Padilla. “For many low-income families in the Los Angeles area, this is the only access they have to green space and health benefits that come with it.” “I'm so grateful to the diverse, vibrant group of leaders of this more than 20-year movement to protect the San Gabriel Mountains,” said Rep.Chu.
“The Angeles Chapter Forest Committee has been proud to be a leader in forest protection efforts for all of those 20-plus years,” observed Sierra Club Forest Committee Chair Juana Torres who attended the event. “We need more volunteers to support the monument expansion.” Juana was joined at the Eaton Canyon rally by volunteers John Monsen and Sandra Cattell and Senior Chapter Director Morgan Goodwin.
Given congressional gridlock on public lands legislation, President Biden is being asked to exercise his authority under the Antiquities Act of 1906 to accomplish the expansion. The prospects of presidential action seem quite good since the President has already established three new national monuments this year, including Camp Hale in Colorado, a World War II training camp, and the 506,000 acre Avi Kwa Ami National Monument in southern Nevada.
The Angeles National Forest, which includes the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, is an oasis of the wild adjacent to millions of people who live less than an hour away.The Angeles National Forest covers 23% of Los Angeles County’s land area. It provides 70% of the county’s open space and much of its drinking water. Historically, the forest has hosted hundreds of Sierra Club hikes each year, from the Bridge to Nowhere along the San Gabriel River to 10,000 foot Mt. San Antonio. Last year attendance topped 4.5 million visitors, which is more than Yosemite National Park or Yellowstone.
Congress member Chu with Jenny Binstock, Juana Torres, and John Monsen (left to right) by John Monsen
A small group was invited to an after-event informal luncheon-in-the-park roundtable near the Rose Bowl with California State Secretary of Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot. Local tribal, environmental and community leaders were asked for their input on not only their vision, but problems they would like to see ameliorated. Secretary Crowfoot listened carefully and intently, leaning in with pertinent questions, and creating an effective space for sharing.
“One of the biggest problems is the decrease in funding of our National Forests,” mentioned by Sandra Cattell, which had everyone nodding their heads in agreement. Additionally, she reminded everyone that when benefits are distributed, the San Gabriels have a north side too. Sandra is Chair of the Santa Clarita Regional Group that also supports monument status for the 180,000 acres of national forest north of Santa Clarita.
John Monsen is a member of the Angeles Chapter Executive Committee and he was co-founder of the Angeles Chapter Forest Committee 22 years ago. He was awarded the Sierra Club California Award for Public Lands Activism in 2022. He has been a leader in 25 environmental and equity campaigns over the last two decades, from taking on the desert-damaging Cadiz water mining project to helping to establish the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument.