- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
California Senators Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla yesterday reintroduced legislation that would expand the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument and require the federal entities that manage the lands to improve tribal engagement and co-management of the area.
The legislation, led by California Congressmen John Garamendi and Mike Thompson would expand the National Monument designated by President Obama in 2015 to include 3,925 acres of an adjacent federally owned land parcel in Lake County known as the "Walker Ridge" tract.
It would also rename the BLM’s entire Walker Ridge tract in Lake and Colusa Counties to “Condor Ridge,” a name translated from “Molok Luyuk” in the Patwin language of the Yocha Dehe and other federally recognized tribes that call the area their ancestral homeland.
“Expanding the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument will help secure approximately 4,000 additional acres for federal protection,” Senator Feinstein said in a statement. “This area of California is rich with Native American cultural heritage and diverse ecosystems, which is why I’m happy to join Senator Padilla in building on the work started in 2015 to create the more than 330,000-acres national monument.”
“California has some of the most beautiful natural landscapes in the world—and it is our duty to preserve these pristine outdoor spaces and rare natural habitats to combat the climate crisis and benefit future generations,” said Senator Alex Padilla. “I am proud to be introducing this legislation to not only expand the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, but to usher in a new era of cooperative stewardship between our federal land management agencies and local tribes.”
Senator Alex Padilla said that he’s proud to be introducing legislation “to usher in a new era of cooperative stewardship between our federal land management agencies and local tribes.”
“For over 11,000 years, dozens of tribes have called ‘Molok Luyuk’ home, and with the enactment of our bill, we can ensure that their unique tribal knowledge, history, and cultural practices will permanently be part of the National Monument,” he said.
More Stories Like This
Lawmakers Launch Colorado River Caucus Amid Battle for Water RightsTribes’ Latest Challenge Thacker Pass Mine Rejected by Court; Construction Underway
‘This whole industry happens on Native land.’ Lakota Skier Spreads Message of Indigenous Stewardship in the Outdoor Industry
San Carlos Apache Tribe Signs $1.5M Water Agreement with Bureau of Reclamation
President Biden Creates Two New National Monuments from Sacred Spaces to Native Tribes
12 years of Native News
This month, we celebrate our 12th year of delivering Native News to readers throughout Indian Country and beyond. For the past dozen years, we’ve covered the most important news stories that are usually overlooked by other media. From the protests at Standing Rock and the rise of the American Indian Movement (AIM), to the ongoing epidemic of Murdered and Missing Indigenous People (MMIP) and the past-due reckoning related to assimilation, cultural genocide and Indian Boarding Schools.
Our news is free for everyone to read, but it is not free to produce. That’s why we’re asking you to make a donation this month to help support our efforts. Any contribution — big or small — helps. If you’re in a position to do so, we ask you to consider making a recurring donation of $12 per month to help us remain a force for change in Indian Country and to tell the stories that are so often ignored, erased or overlooked.
Donate to Native News Online today and support independent Indigenous journalism. Thank you.