(Photo – Mason Cummings, TWS)
Support for the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument expansion is gaining momentum. A recent public meeting hosted hundreds of local leaders, advocates and residents who met with officials from the Biden administration to voice their overwhelming support for this monument expansion.
By Brenda Kyle and Daniel Rossman
The proposed expansion would protect an additional 109,000 acres of existing public lands in an area known locally as the “gateway” to the Angeles National Forest; it would safeguard a critical source of drinking water, address the climate and biodiversity crisis, honor historical and cultural sites, improve public health and increase access to nature for more than 18 million people within a 90-mile radius.
The Angeles National Forest is affectionately known as L.A.’s “backyard.” This monument expansion underscores the need to preserve the close-to-home nature people and wildlife in our city depend on. It recognizes the unparalleled stewardship of the First Peoples of this region who continue to care for the San Gabriel Mountains. An expansion would provide long-term protections against new development like mining and access roads, while safeguarding the habitat, its inhabitants, and sacred cultural sites significant for Indigenous Peoples.
Since the monument’s designation in 2014, tangible improvements to the landscape have included a pedestrian bridge on the West Fork San Gabriel River and enhancements to campgrounds like Crystal Lake, Buckhorn, and others. We’re optimistic that implementation plans to add restrooms, safe parking, river access points, trash bins, and multilingual signage on the East Fork San Gabriel River can begin this year. We are also excited to see the renewal of the River Ranger program to engage visitors and promote responsible recreation. Progress is on the horizon, but the work is far from over.
A monument expansion is the clear next step to build upon these important efforts and ensure long-term protections for this richly diverse habitat, its wildlife, and neighboring communities. Public and private funding is also critical to enhancing visitor experiences, fostering environmental stewardship, and ensuring adequate staffing. With visitor numbers soaring above four million, urgent action is needed to create a sustainable path forward for a region deeply loved by locals and tourists.
We proudly stand alongside Senator Padilla and Representative Chu in calling on President Biden to expand the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument using the Antiquities Act.
Brenda Kyle is a Certified California Naturalist & Certified Interpretive Guide with a focus on Ethnobotany. Daniel Rossman lives in Pasadena with his family and has spent the last 15 years working to further protect the San Gabriel Mountains as the Southern California Mountains Landscape Director for The Wilderness Society.
> We invite you to join us and the thousands of others in support.
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