California Lawmakers Seek to Expand Joshua Tree National Park, Create New National Monument

The bill would add 18,000 acres of public land to Joshua Tree and create a monument in eastern Imperial and Riverside counties.

A sign marks an entrance to Joshua Tree National Park on May 18, 2020. Mario Tama/Getty Images/TNS

Three California lawmakers introduced a bill in Congress April 16 to expand Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California.

The authors, U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.) and Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-Palm Desert), also urged President Joe Biden to use his authority under the Antiquities Act of 1906 to designate the Chuckwalla National Monument in eastern Imperial and Riverside counties.