Update: Protecting Sáttítla: A Sacred Land’s Journey to National Monument Status

In the heart of Northern California, an important gathering took place this December as U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Torres Small arrived in the town of Weed, an exquisite place near Mount Shasta. The purpose? To hear from the public about a proposed designation that could change the fate of one of California’s most precious landscapes – the Sáttítla National Monument, an area also known as the Medicine Lake Highlands.

For thousands of years, these lands have been sacred to the Pit River Nation and other Native American tribes who have called this region home. Also, these natural reservoirs discharge more than 1.2 million acre-feet of pristine snowmelt each year, providing essential drinking water to millions of Californians.

However, this precious place has faced threats from mining, logging and other industrial activities, which threaten to contaminate drinking water, release toxic substances into the air, and disturb critical wildlife habitats that have thrived here for many years.

Now, a coalition of businesses, landowners, hunters and anglers, community leaders, and members of the public are calling on President Biden to use his authority under the Antiquities Act to protect over 206,000 acres of this culturally rich and ecologically vital landscape. As a Conservation Associate who attended the December 7th gathering, I witnessed firsthand the passion and dedication of those working to protect this irreplaceable landscape. 

Environment California staff, Mio Senzaki and Casey Miller at the public meeting in Weed, CA on December 7thPhoto by Mio Senzaki | TPIN

Looking to the Future

This designation would do more than just preserve a beautiful landscape – it would represent a significant step toward the Administration’s ambitious goal of permanently conserving 30% of U.S. lands and coastal waters by 2030. Importantly, it would also honor the deep cultural heritage of the Indigenous peoples who have been stewards of this land for millennia.

The voices of supporters have grown stronger, all united in the belief that this sacred landscape deserves the highest level of protection. Through the power of the Antiquities Act, President Biden has the opportunity to preserve not just a piece of land, but a vital part of America’s natural and cultural heritage for generations to come.