Mission

We took off to examine the 109,167 acre proposed expansion to the San Gabriel National Monument, on the doorstep of the busy Los Angeles Basin, flying with city of Montebello officials, conservation NGOs, and groups working to increase outdoor access for all people including COFEM, API Forward, and LA Nature for All. We also flew college-level Student Ambassadors working with these NGOs!

The natural areas included in the proposal are important for clean air, clean water, and wildlife habitat, and help improve quality of life for the millions of people who live nearby. If designated, this national monument will protect and connect the San Gabriel Mountains, preserve thousands of acres of land and water for future generations, and will honor the cultural and historical significance of the landscape.

The region is the ancestral homelands of Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians and Gabrieleño Peoples. The protection of these lands ensures that remnants from ancient civilizations like petroglyphs and contemporary cultural uses are preserved in perpetuity.

The existing 346,177 acre San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, designated in 2014, contains sprawling forests, fields of chaparral, rugged mountains, and is home to 160+ rare and endangered species. The San Gabriels also supply 30% of the drinking water for LA county. The national monument provides a beloved natural space for the Los Angeles metro area. Access to outside spaces and recreation is invaluable for physical and mental health and the San Gabriels provide critical outdoor access for 18 million people less than an hour's drive away.

EcoFlight and our partners are calling on the Biden Administration to use its powers under the Antiquities Act to solidify this timely and broadly-supported monument expansion to protect the LA Basin's remaining wild spaces, and help California reach its ambitious goal of conserving 30% of lands and waters by 2030. It is a landscape close to our hearts, that we have all been working on for many years. It is worthy of protection!