This Glorious Slice Of Bay Area Paradise Just Grew By 13,696 Acres

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — President Joe Biden was expected to sign a proclamation Thursday expanding not only the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument in Northern California but also the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument in Southern California.

"Together, these actions will protect nearly 120,000 acres of lands in California of scientific, cultural, ecological, and historical importance, adding unparalleled value to these already beloved national monuments and expanding outdoor access to nearby underserved and disadvantaged communities," according to a statement from the White House.

The proclamation for the Berryessa Snow Mountain expansion also renames the ridgeline at the heart of the expansion, previously known as Walker Ridge, to Molok Loyuk, which means Condor Ridge in the language of the area's Patwin people.

The actions are part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s "unprecedented commitment to protect America’s natural wonders for future generations, honor areas of cultural significance to Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples, and expand access to nature," the White House said.

Sacred Lands Split

The monument's lands fall within seven Northern California counties: Napa, Colusa, Glenn, Lake, Mendocino, Solano and Yolo counties. The initial presidential proclamation to create Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument was signed on July 10, 2015. However, the sacred lands that make up the Molok Luyuk were split by proclamation with only part of the ridge inside the national monument.

The Expand Berryessa coalition— a group of tribes, and environmental and conservation organizations— pushed to protect the entirety of Molok Luyuk by expanding the monument to include the remaining 13,000-plus acres of the ridge.

• PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Biden May Expand Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument

The Molok Luyuk, a mountainous ridge in Lake and Colusa counties at the eastern edge of the national monument, was the site of religious ceremonies and trade routes. It was also where Native American ancestors hunted game and gathered plants for food and medicine. The ridge also provides a habitat for many plant and animal species threatened by development and climate change.

"Many of the plant and animal species within Molok Luyuk are traditionally important to the lifeways of the Patwin people, and we consider their protection and stewardship to be part of our sacred responsibility to the land," said Yocha Dehe Tribal Chairman Anthony Roberts.

In September, the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation joined U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, Tribal and community leaders, U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson and U.S. Rep. John Garamendi for a tour of Molok Luyuk.

Thompson and Garamendi, who led legislation for tribal co-management of the expanded national monument, joined Biden Thursday at the White House to announce the expansion. The proclamation adds 13,696 acres of public lands managed by the Department of the Interior to the monument’s original 330,000 acres which are jointly managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S Forest Service.

"The expansion area includes the portion of Molok Luyuk that is outside the boundary of the existing monument," the White House said. "The striking 11-mile north-to-south ridgeline, sacred to the Patwin people, is dotted with a mosaic of unique geologic and hydrologic features."

New Era Of Tribal Co-Stewardship

The expansion of the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument honors the Cachil Dehe Band of Wintun Indians, Kletsel Dehe Wintun Nation, Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, and other Tribal Nations and Indigenous leaders who worked tirelessly to ensure protection of these sacred lands for generations to come, the White House said.

To further honor the ties of the Patwin people to these lands, Biden's proclamation also directs the Secretary of the Interior to explore co-stewardship of the area with Tribal Nations.

"As suggested in the Representatives' legislation, President Biden’s proclamation directs the federal Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service to improve tribal engagement and co-management of the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, including for historic preservation, archaeological sites, and forest health," Garamendi's office said in a statement.

"I am thrilled that President Biden has issued this presidential proclamation to expand the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument and preserve the tribal wisdom, heritage, and cultural traditions that 'Molok Luyuk' or Condor Ridge has been home to for over 11,000 years," Garamendi said. "I thank President Biden and Interior Secretary Haaland for conserving this special place forever."

In addition to Garamendi and Thompson, long-term advocates for the expansion included U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla; federal, tribal, and local officials representing Northern California; and nongovernmental organizations, including environmental conservation, public access, outdoor recreation, and off-highway vehicle groups.

In 2022, when Garamendi and Thompson first introduced legislation for the expansion, it was at the behest of Woodland, California-based Tuleyome, a nonprofit conservation advocacy organization co-founded by constituent Bob Schneider in 2002.

"I was honored to join President Biden today to see these efforts through," Thompson said. "Molok Luyuk is culturally significant to numerous tribes and other Native peoples and this expansion begins a new era of tribal co-stewardship of ancestral public lands. Today’s expansion will ensure the region’s biodiversity, geological formations, and cultural connections are preserved for generations to come."

Irreplaceable Resources

According to the White House, the two expansions solidified Thursday honor Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples by protecting sacred ancestral places and their historically important features, while conserving our public lands, protecting scientific features, including critical wildlife habitat and migration corridors, safeguarding clean water, and supporting local economies.

"Federal, state, and local leaders, Tribal governments, Indigenous communities, and a coalition of community-based and conservation organizations came together to advocate for the additional protections for both of these national monuments," the White House said. "The sites protected through these expansions will ensure that future generations can experience, learn from, and enjoy these irreplaceable resources."