PALM DESERT, Calif.— A coalition of Coachella Valley-based, state-wide and national groups followed the Ft. Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe, Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians and three other Tribal Nations in filing motions today to intervene in a lawsuit to defend the Chuckwalla National Monument.

The lawsuit challenging the monument was filed by the Texas Public Policy Foundation on behalf of an Idaho-based motorized recreation special interest group, Blue Ribbon Coalition, and an individual miner from Michigan against the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Established in January 2025, the Chuckwalla National Monument is located on desert lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management in California’s Riverside and Imperial Counties.

The organizations seeking to defend the monument spent years carefully vetting boundaries and collaborating with Tribes, veterans, business owners, local elected officials, recreation and conservation groups, and community members to identify and document Chuckwalla’s unique resources and values worthy of monument-level protections.

These organizations each have interests and expertise in the monument’s designation, and intervention by interested parties is critical. Even if the U.S. government vigorously defends the monument, it does not have the same interests as local Tribes or this intervening coalition.

“Chuckwalla National Monument is more than just land to me — it's a part of my personal story,” said Colin Barrows, co-founder of CactusToCloud Institute. “I grew up exploring the winding Painted Canyon on foot and continue to find new adventures driving along the network of off-highway vehicle trails on the Chuckwalla Bench. It has become a sanctuary where I have found solitude, shared special moments with my wife, and introduced countless others to the unique beauty of our desert. This monument is a living classroom for geology, rare plants and climate change, and a vital, sustainable economic driver for the Coachella Valley. Its designation ensures that everyone, especially those who might not otherwise have the opportunity, can experience the exceptional beauty and rich culture of our desert.”

Chuckwalla National Monument benefits local economies, protects lands significant to 13 Tribal Nations, ensures equitable access and outdoor recreation (including camping, picnicking, driving off-highway vehicles, hunting and more) and safeguards numerous historical, scientific and ecological values. The monument designation was called for and celebrated by local Tribes, local and state governments, state and federal elected officials, veterans, 300 businesses, business groups and Chambers of Commerce, 370 scientists, and residents of surrounding communities.

“California veterans spent years advocating for the designation of Chuckwalla National Monument not just because of its breathtaking landscapes, but because it tells the story of our service. From the World War II training grounds scattered across the desert to its proximity to active duty bases, Chuckwalla is a place where military families can reconnect with each other, with the land, and with their sense of purpose,” said Janessa Goldbeck, U.S. Marine Corps veteran and CEO of Vet Voice Foundation. “Veterans have a long history of protecting America’s public lands, going all the way back to Teddy Roosevelt, who was both a soldier and an outdoorsman. This monument continues that legacy of service.”

Democrats and Republicans have used the Antiquities Act to designate monuments for more than 100 years. The Supreme Court a century ago and other courts in the decades since have consistently upheld the president’s authority to determine whether and how much area to protect. Lands protected as national monuments have included important stretches of public lands in California like Joshua Tree and Death Valley, which were designated as national monuments in the 1930s by presidential proclamation.

“Chuckwalla National Monument is a critical lifeline for some of the Mojave Desert’s most at-risk creatures, and we have to protect it from reckless attacks,” said Ileene Anderson, California desert director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “It’s home to the genetically unique southernmost population of the Mojave Desert tortoise and more than a dozen bat species. It’s also been identified as the best site to reintroduce the beleaguered Sonoran Desert pronghorn. We worked hard in support of this monument’s designation, and we'll fight like hell to ensure it remains protected.”

The applicants filing this motion to intervene include CactusToCloud Institute, California Native Plant Society, CalWild, the Center for Biological Diversity, Conservation Lands Foundation, the National Parks Conservation Association, Sierra Club, Vet Voice Foundation, and The Wilderness Society. They are represented by Earthjustice.

See all client quotes.