Medhini Kumar, medhini.kumar@sierraclub.org
EL PASO, TX -- Today, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland visited Castner Range, where she was invited by local community groups belonging to the Castner Range Coalition, as they continue their 50 year campaign to permanently protect the site and advocate for its designation as a national monument.
In response, Laurence Gibson, Sierra Club’s El Paso Group Chair of the Rio Grande Chapter, released the following statement:
“We are thrilled to see Secretary Haaland prioritize a visit to Castner Range and its hopeful designation as a national monument through the Antiquities Act – a decision that would increase outdoor and recreational access to nearly 1 million people here in the greater El Paso metropolitan area.
By designating this monument, we would not only honor Castner’s 10,000 year archeological, geological, and cultural history, but also preserve this ecologically rich landscape that’s home to an abundance of wildlife – a step in the right direction to meet the Biden administration’s goal of protecting 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.