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Sáttítla Highlands National Monument

Coordinates: 41°30′N 121°30′W / 41.5°N 121.5°W / 41.5; -121.5
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Sáttítla Highlands National Monument
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)
Obsidian rocks on Glass Mountain
Map showing the location of Sáttítla Highlands National Monument
Map showing the location of Sáttítla Highlands National Monument
Sáttítla National Monument
Map showing the location of Sáttítla Highlands National Monument
Map showing the location of Sáttítla Highlands National Monument
Sáttítla National Monument
LocationSiskiyou County, California, United States
Coordinates41°30′N 121°30′W / 41.5°N 121.5°W / 41.5; -121.5
Area224,676 acres (909.23 km2)
EstablishedJanuary 14, 2025
Governing bodyUnited States Forest Service
Websitehttps://www.fs.usda.gov/visit/national-monuments/sattitla-highlands-national-monument

Sáttítla Highlands National Monument is a national monument in the Medicine Lake Highlands of the Cascade Range of Northern California. The monument protects 224,676 acres (909.23 km2) of forest and mountain habitat in Siskiyou County from development. The name Sáttítla means "obsidian place" in the Achomawi language.[1]

In September 2024, Senator Alex Padilla introduced federal legislation to create the monument, with support from Senator Laphonza Butler.[2][3]

President Joe Biden established the monument by proclamation under the Antiquities Act on January 14, 2025.[4][5][1]

Features

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Satellite image of the monument, with Medicine Lake at center

The monument protects the Medicine Lake Volcano and surrounding highlands in Klamath National Forest, Shasta–Trinity National Forest, and Modoc National Forest northeast of Mount Shasta and south of Lava Beds National Monument. These highlands provide clean water for communities downstream through its extensive aquifers.[6] The area includes numerous cinder cones and lava fields. The Giant Crater has the world's longest lava tube system[1]

The Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway includes a segment that loops around Medicine Lake.[7]

Protection efforts

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The Pit River Tribe has spearheaded calls for land protection.[8] The tribe has opposed development of geothermal energy in the area.[3]

The California legislature unanimously passed a resolution in support of the monument.[9] The Forest Service hosted a public meeting about the proposed monument in December 2024.[10]

On January 2, 2025, the Washington Post reported that President Biden would establish Sáttítla Highlands National Monument along with Chuckwalla National Monument.[11] Biden planned to do so at an event in the Coachella Valley on January 7, but it was canceled due to a Santa Ana windstorm and rescheduled to be at the White House on January 14.[12][13] The proclamation calls for co-stewardship and management of the monument with Tribal Nations.[1]

On March 15, 2025, President Donald Trump signaled that he would rescinded the creation of the Sáttítla Highlands National Monument and Chuckwalla National Monument, saying that they "lock up vast amounts of land from economic development and energy production",[14] but no executive order was released.[15] There is no legal authority for undoing establishment of a national monument.[15]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Proclamation on the Establishment of the Sáttítla Highlands National Monument". The White House. January 15, 2025. Retrieved January 15, 2025.
  2. ^ Sen. Padilla, Alex (September 10, 2024). "S.5001 - 118th Congress (2023-2024): Sáttítla National Monument Establishment Act". United States Congress. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  3. ^ a b Alexander, Kurtis (August 30, 2024). "California lawmakers urge Biden to create new national monument near Mount Shasta". San Francisco Chronicle.
  4. ^ "FACT SHEET: President Biden Establishes Chuckwalla and Sáttítla Highlands National Monuments in California". The White House. January 7, 2025. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  5. ^ Friedman, Lisa (January 7, 2025). "Biden to Designate Chuckwalla and Sáttítla National Monuments in California". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  6. ^ Joselow, Maxine (January 2, 2025). "Biden to create two national monuments in California honoring tribes". Washington Post.
  7. ^ "Visitor Guide to the Medicine Lake Highlands Volcanic Area" (PDF). United States Forest Service.
  8. ^ Alexander, Kurtis (December 23, 2023). "California's next national monument could be this remote volcanic landscape". San Francisco Chronicle.
  9. ^ "SJR-17 The Sáttítla National Monument". leginfo.legislature.ca.gov. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  10. ^ "Public meeting draws large crowd in support of proposed Sáttítla National Monument in Northern California | The Wilderness Society". Wilderness Society. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  11. ^ Joselow, Maxine (January 2, 2025). "Biden to create two national monuments in California honoring tribes". Washington Post.
  12. ^ Reyes, Jesus (January 7, 2025). "President Biden's Coachella Valley visit canceled due to weather issues". KESQ. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  13. ^ Wilson, Janet. "Biden creates sweeping new California monuments at White House". The Desert Sun. Retrieved January 15, 2025.
  14. ^ "Trump Administration Live Updates". New York Times. March 15, 2025. Archived from the original on March 16, 2025. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  15. ^ a b Wilson, Janet (March 15, 2025). "Will Trump try to eliminate Chuckwalla, Sattitla national monuments or not?". Desert Sun. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
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