RANCHO MIRAGE - (INT) - President Obama has invoked the Antiquities Act of 1906 to designate three national monuments in the Southern California desert during his visit here.
They are the Mojave Trails National Monument, the Sand to Snow National Monument, and the Castle Mountains National Monument.
Located in San Bernardino and Riverside counties, the monuments protect approximately 1.8 million acres of spectacular landscapes, fragile wildlife habitat, unique historic resources, and important cultural sites. They connect Mojave National Preserve, Joshua Tree National Park, San Bernardino National Forest, and fifteen wilderness areas previously designated by Congress, creating a series of protected lands stretching hundreds of miles. Mount San Gorgonio, Southern California's highest peak, is included.
The monuments protect current uses of the land, including military training operations, off-highway vehicle recreation, transportation, utility corridors, and existing mining operations.
Mojave Trails National Monument:
A critical linkage between Mojave National Preserve and Joshua Tree National Park
Refuge for bighorn sheep, desert tortoises and fringe-toed lizards.
Sensitive underground springs
Amboy Crater – one of North America’s youngest volcanoes
550 million-year-old fossil beds of the Marble Mountains
World War II desert training center, Iron Mountain
Largest intact, open stretch of historic Route 66
Castle Mountains National Monument:
Critical pathways for endangered wildlife
Native American archaeological sites
Historic gold mining ghost town of Hart
Native desert grasslands and Joshua tree, pinion pine and juniper forests
Target area for reintroduction of pronghorn, the second fastest species of land mammal in the world
Spectacular views of California and Nevada peaks, including Nevada’s Spirit Mountain

Sand to Snow National Monument:
Headwaters of the Whitewater and Santa Ana Rivers
Black Lava Butte and Flat Top Mesa Native American cultural sites
Home to more than 240 types of migrating birds, including yellow chat and vermilion flycatchers
Wildlife paths for mule deer, mountain lions, black bears, bighorn sheep, and desert tortoise
25 miles of the iconic Pacific Crest Trail
Home to one of the most botanically diverse mountains in the United States

Story Date: February 15, 2016