Tribal communities in Northern California’s mountainous interior are celebrating the recent designation of Sáttítla Highlands National Monument after decades of advocacy work to increase land protections in the area.

Chuckwalla National Monument is a cornerstone in a vast network of protected landscapes across the Southwest. Stretching from Joshua Tree to the Grand Canyon to Bears Ears, this corridor forms the largest swath of protected lands in the continental U.

President Joe Biden flew to Los Angeles Monday, one day before traveling to the Coachella Valley to announce the creation of a national monument south of Joshua Tree National Park.