Photo of Mojave Trails by BLM California
After years of dedicated work from activists both on the ground and in Congress, California Senator Dianne Feinstein has sought the support of President Obama to preserve three extraordinary places in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. Sen. Feinstein has been an active champion of this cause since 2010, generating huge amounts of constituent support across countless communities. However, her preservation proposals have yet to gain any real traction during a congressional session.The proposal provides an opportunity for President Obama to work with Senator Feinstein in protecting these lands, a successful partnership that resulted in the designation of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument in 2014.
These monuments -- individually known as Mojave Trails, Sand to Snow, and Castle Mountains -- each recognize geologically, ecologically, and historically unique sites. The Mojave Trails section encapsulates desert vistas and a historic section of Route 66; the Sand to Snow section connects the San Gorgonio Wilderness, Joshua Tree National Park, and San Bernardino National Forest to one another; and the Castle Mountains section will preserve pristine habitat for the Golden Eagle and large swaths of desert filled with native flora and fauna. Surrounded by the Mojave National Preserve, the Castle Mountains Monument is a critical area of biological diversity deserving national protection.
And this area is home to many recognized tribal communities who have taken a communal leadership role on this project. Their continued leadership and partnership has created a unique and compelling movement that continues to gain momentum.
“This is not just an environmental issue,” said Allen Hernandez, a field organizer for the Sierra Club in California. “This area is so precious to our history. This land is sacred to the indigenous people. For those who appreciate nature and it's beauty, you can't get a more pristine site than the California Desert.”
Hernandez hails from the Inland Empire in Southern California, and has a vested interest in preserving the California Desert National Monuments. He is particularly connected to the Mojave Trails National Monument that will incorporate a section of Route 66 he traversed often as a young adult to visit his parents in San Bernardino County. He used Route 66 “on the days [he] was in less of a rush to get home to take detours and really enjoy the beautiful desert landscape by Ludlow.”
Ludlow, a quintessential Route 66 community, will be preserved under the Mojave Trails National Monument. Similar to many other Route 66 communities, it was abandoned when an interstate highway system bypassed it. What remains is reminiscent of an old Western frontier ideal that is rarely seen in modern day America. It is currently in a state of disrepair that speaks to the lack of funding available to preserve this historic community along a route that John Steinbeck himself deemed “the Mother Road.”
Hernandez is passionate about preserving towns like Ludlow.
“In the Inland Empire, you see places kept up to preserve the history of Route 66. And in Arizona, towns like Kingman and Seligman have been able to preserve their Route 66 history. But the stretch in between the Inland Empire and Arizona, the Mojave Trails, has not had the resources to preserve its rich route 66 history. Towns like Ludlow, which fall within the proposed monument, are so historic and yet almost look like ghost towns. I believe protecting these special places would bring a sense of pride to them and bring attention to the beautiful desert area surrounding them. In the Southwest, particularly in the California Desert, you cannot separate Route 66 from the desert. They are one in the same.”
Whether it’s the ubiquitous natural beauty of the desert that calls to you or a more personalized aspect of the landscape, these three proposed national monuments have a plethora of potential recreational activities and geological or historical sites of interest to offer potential tourists. Even lifelong residents can find new meaning in the area with repeated visits. Hernandez recalls fondly the exact moment that connected him emotionally to the region.
“I had just been broken up with and could not sleep. I was in Las Vegas, called off work, and started driving home. Instead, I drove into the desert near Needles, California. I stopped driving, went down a dirt road, and sat outside in silence. The cool breeze brought me peace, as did the sky filled with stars. I saw deer, a coyote, bats, and owls in the short moment I sat in silence. What I initially thought would be a pity party turned out to be a moment of tranquility and peace. I knew at that moment the desert was a beautiful, living sacred place.”
Urge President Obama to create three new national monuments in the California Desert!