Entry sign to San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, California. (Photo by: Marli Miller/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The San Gabriel Mountains National Monument will be expanded by nearly 106,000 acres in a proclamation signed Thursday by President Joe Biden.
The proclamation adds 105,919 acres of U.S. Forest Service lands to the 346,000 acres designated as a national monument in 2014. The expansion area is to the west and southwest of the original land.
What is the land's history?
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The expanded areas in the San Gabriel Mountains were once home to indigenous tribes, the Gabrielino, Kizh, or Tongva, and the Chumash, Kitanemuk, Serrano, and Tataviam peoples. The designated areas of expansion are part of Tribal Nations and other indigenous peoples in the region, and are used for ceremonial purposes, as well as for collecting traditional plants important for basketry, food and medicine.
The dramatic landscape in the San Gabriel Mountains is also home to the endangered California condors. It provides key habitats that support wetland dependent plant species, fish and amphibians, and animal migrant corridors. The area features about 500 native plants and fungi, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Sierra Club Executive Director Ben Jealous said expanding the monuments areas will have significant and immediate benefits for the communities, wildlife, and ecosystems.
"National monuments protect more than landscapes. They preserve the historical, cultural, and spiritual legacies of the people who have made this country what it is," he said. "Millions of people will have greater access to nature, vital habitat will be preserved for imperiled species, and critical water resources will be safeguarded for those who rely on them."
Sights in the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument
The land also includes ruins of recreation resorts that once stood on peak in the San Gabriel Mountains and the remains of historic Mount Lowe Railway trestles. The Railway operated from 1893 to 1936, transporting about 3.1 million visitors. Parts of the railroad can be seen on the hike to Echo Mountain.
Several 19th Century homesteads dotted the area, including the home to Robert Owens, a formerly enslaved person who built a wood and building supply business in the mid-1800s.
The area also was home to a Cold War-era Nike missile site.
Outdoor activities allowed in the Monument area include hiking, cycling, horseback riding, backpacking, scenic drives and more. The Monument's hiking trails include part of the nearly 2,500-mile Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail.
