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In northern California, the awe-inspiring geological wonders collectively described here as the Sáttítla Highlands have framed the homelands of Indigenous communities and cultures for millennia, and today this area continues to cradle historic and scientific treasures of our Nation.  At this area’s core rests a sleeping giant:  the Medicine Lake Volcano.  This massive volcano — one of the two largest volcanos in the Cascades Volcanic Arc — covers an expanse roughly 10 times that of Mount St. Helens, Washington.  “Medicine Lake,” as labeled in English on some maps since approximately 1890, is found within the summit caldera of the volcano for which it is named.  Far earlier and through the present day, however, these stunning and unusual lands have been known as “Sáttítla” in the Ajumawi language, which translates to “obsidian place.”  Sáttítla’s obsidian deposits formed by the volcano have long been important to Indigenous peoples, as shown by obsidian tools and sites they left here from their lives and travels.  The Sáttítla Highlands area as described here includes parts of the Modoc, Shasta-Trinity, and Klamath National Forests, and stretches from Sharp Mountain, Wild Horse Mountain, and Little Horse Peak in the west, to Cougar Butte, Glass Mountain, and Border Mountain in the east, and to encompass the cinder cones known as Porcupine Butte, Timber Hill, Snag Hill, and Powder Hill in the south.

Sáttítla includes portions of the ancestral homelands of the Pit River (Ajumawi – Atsugewi) and Modoc Peoples (Mo Wat Knii – Mo Docknii).   For them and many other Indigenous peoples — including the Karuk, Klamath, Shasta, Siletz, Wintu, and Yana and individual Tribes that are members of these groups — the volcanic landscape holds and reflects exceptional power and is central to their spiritual beliefs and cultural practices.  The Modoc believe Medicine Lake is a place of healing and have referred to the lake and its banks as “Lani’shwi.”  Plants and animals found within Sáttítla’s habitats include many that are rare or vulnerable and have long been important to the Indigenous peoples of the area for food, medicine, and ceremonies.  Sáttítla’s remarkable geologic formations and the ecosystems cultivated within and around them have shaped the history and cultures of generations of Indigenous peoples.

This area contains evidence of human occupancy dating back at least 5,000 years.  For members of the Pit River Tribe, Sáttítla, as part of the broader landscape within which it sits, is central to their creation stories and core to their physical, mental, spiritual, and cultural health.  Their cultural and spiritual connections to Sáttítla reach across time and space, linking a web of heritage sites near and far and underscoring the importance of this land to the Indigenous people who have lived here throughout history.  They believe that the people and the land are one in the same, not only that one cannot be separated from the other, but that one cannot exist without the other.  Sáttítla’s deep silence, local plants and animals, unobstructed views across the landscape, and pure water sources are necessary to carry out customs, traditions, and ceremonies of the Indigenous peoples connected to this area.  This area has long provided a place for vision quests, gathering of medicinal plants, spiritual training and purification ceremonies, obsidian gathering, and religious activities that demand privacy, solitude, and unobscured access to both day and night skies.  The night skies of Sáttítla, where distant galaxies and stars are visible, are renowned for being among the darkest in the United States.  

Located at the southern reaches of the Modoc Peoples’ ancestral homelands, Sáttítla could be seen from across Modoc territory.  The volcano and surrounding highlands were central to ceremonial life of the Modoc, and the area is an enduring place of historic and cultural significance.  The area continues to serve as a place of gathering, healing, and spiritual importance for surrounding Indigenous peoples — including the Karuk, Klamath, Shasta, Siletz, Wintu, and Yana.  Tribal Nations collaborate in some of these activities, including ceremonies in and around Medicine Lake.

At least 85 plant species found in Sáttítla are used by Indigenous peoples for healing, medicine, food, tools, building materials, and as ceremonial objects and are considered to have powerful medicinal and ceremonial uses.  For example, Indigenous people used lichen from this area to dye materials used to adorn clothes and ornaments.

Evidence of Indigenous peoples can be found throughout Sáttítla.  Sites in various parts of the area exhibit evidence of obsidian quarrying and use by Indigenous peoples, with some containing unique assemblages of flaked stone and obsidian tools, waste materials from tool manufacture, and blades and cutting implements.  Larger obsidian blades, including those quarried and found in Sáttítla, were highly prized as items of wealth and prestige in Indigenous cultures throughout the region.  Obsidian quarried within Sáttítla was an important resource in a broad Indigenous trade network throughout northern California and the California Coast, and within southern Oregon.  The Indigenous peoples of the region believe that distinct sources of Sáttítla obsidian — such as obsidian deposits in the central part of this area — retain special roles and significance in different uses.  In various locations, evidence of precontact hunting blinds and groundstone implements also highlight that Indigenous peoples have lived and hunted across Sáttítla.

In view of the importance of these lands to Indigenous peoples and the rich cultural resources found here, in 1999, the National Register of Historic Places determined approximately 33,000 acres of the Sáttítla area centered on Medicine Lake to be eligible as a Traditional Cultural Property District.  Further, in 2007, the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management developed the Medicine Lake Highlands Historic Property Management Program, which extended this district to encompass approximately 73,000 acres.

Indigenous peoples would likely have witnessed some of the more recent eruptions of the Medicine Lake Volcano — which have occurred multiple times in the past 12,500 years and as recently as 950 years ago — reshaping their sacred lands as they watched, and creating geologic formations and other objects still visible today.  Future volcanic activity will likely continue to shape these highlands.  As a result of its dynamic geology and millennia of human occupation, Sáttítla contains numerous objects of historic and scientific interest — some formed by the volcano and surrounding ecosystems and others, like obsidian tools and ceremonial sites, created by Indigenous peoples — and is integrally connected to the Indigenous Knowledge amassed by the Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples in the area over countless generations.  Some of the objects in this area are sacred to Tribal Nations, are sensitive, rare, or vulnerable to vandalism and theft, or are unsafe to visit.  Therefore, revealing their specific names or locations could pose a danger to the objects or to the public.

The lava flows emanating off the flanks of Medicine Lake Volcano extend in every direction for more than 30 miles, through and, in some places, even beyond Sáttítla.   Eons of historic geological activity provide visitors with vast panoramas of stark, unvegetated lava fields exemplified by the Burnt Lava Flow Geologic Special Interest Area in the southeast and the Callahan Flow in the north, and extending into Lava Beds National Monument along the northeast corner.  The area’s concentration of lava flows that are fewer than 13,000 years old makes Sáttítla one of the premier places to view geologically young lava flows in California — and in the United States.  

In addition to volcanologists who have come to Sáttítla to study and understand the depths of the earth’s core, astronauts have also learned from the area. Between 1965 and 1967, the area’s Pumice Crater –- located in the central portion of Sáttítla — was used by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for Apollo program astronauts who trained in the collection and identification of lunar-like geologic features to be prepared for observation and sampling on the moon.  Multiple groups of astronauts traveled to the Pumice Crater area, and four of those astronauts flew Apollo missions, making this crater an important piece of space exploration history. 

Many of the lava flows within Sáttítla created islands of remnant forests that were elevated enough to escape the deluge of lava.  In the north central area of Sáttítla, one such island is Black Lava Butte, which is dominated by shrubs, grasses, and old-growth ponderosa pine.  Isolated from historical logging and development, these islands of forest provide valuable laboratories for future study of enduring and unaltered ecosystems.

The southern portion of Sáttítla is home to miniature volcanoes known as spatter cones, a well-preserved and accessible handful of which appear adjacent to the Giant Crater Lava Flow located in the south-central portion of the area.  Sáttítla’s more than 100 cinder cones — which are formed when lava cools mid-air and falls as fragments creating mounds, including Pumice Stone Mountain, Paint Pot Crater, and Porcupine Butte — are intact, making them of particular scientific interest.

The Fourmile Hill Tree Molds Geologic Area, situated on the north flank of the Medicine Lake volcano, contains dozens of molds formed over 12,000 years ago when molten lava flowed through a conifer forest leaving behind casts of the ancient tree trunks.  These trace fossils can help improve scientists’ understanding of the complex geologic history of the region. 

Sáttítla also contains hundreds of cave-like lava tubes, which were formed over time when molten basaltic lava flows cooled.  Many of these formations are relatively unexplored, with more likely yet to be discovered through future scientific inquiry.  The Giant Crater lava tube originates just south of Medicine Lake, extends southward within Sáttítla, and ultimately forms the longest known lava tube system in the world.

Sáttítla is nearly devoid of surface water drainages, but its surface waters only hint at what is stored underground, as most of the precipitation that falls in this area filters down through the porous volcanic rock filling underground aquifers.   These aquifers supply water to spring systems in northern California — and ultimately to the Sacramento River to the south and the Lower Klamath and Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuges to the north.  

The first known Euro-American reports of Sáttítla emerged in 1826-27, with settler-driven development appearing in the region in the 1870s.  The Tickner Road, constructed in 1871, served as one of the earliest routes across Siskiyou County, and remnants of two tracks are still visible in isolated sections in the northeast portion of the area.

As Euro-Americans settled in the traditional homelands of the area’s Indigenous peoples, many Tribal Nations suffered dispossession and, often, forced removal.  The brutalities against them by Euro-Americans were systemic, as evidenced by California’s first Governor declaring a “war of extermination” against the Indigenous peoples, and the California State Legislature appropriating a half-million dollars to pay for militia campaigns to kill them.  By 1872, hostilities between the U.S. Army and the Modoc Peoples exploded into the Modoc War.  Tickner Road was used by the U.S. military during the Modoc War as a supply route, and its remnants serve as a physical marker of this war.  While battles took place in lava fields outside and to the north of the area, some Modoc people sought refuge in Sáttítla, where they successfully avoided relocation after the war and ultimately integrated with the Klamath Tribes.  For these members of the Modoc, their connection to and knowledge of the Sáttítla area proved life-saving.  Other members were less fortunate; following the war several Modoc leaders were captured and hanged, and the remaining approximately 150 survivors were forcibly relocated to Oklahoma.  In view of these atrocities and the resulting loss of homelands, Sáttítla and the objects it contains remain particularly significant both to the Modoc and to our Nation’s history.  

The area’s verdant forests and exceptional geology together have supported and still illustrate important parts of the region’s history.  For example, Sáttítla’s high quality and accessible stands of ponderosa pine attracted the development of railroad logging operations, which came to this area at the end of the 19th century.   Today, within the western and northern part of this area, visitors can see the remains of hundreds of miles of railroad grades, relics of logging camps, maintenance stations, loading and switchyards, and other traces from the railroad logging era. 

Near the center of Sáttítla, Little Mt. Hoffman Lookout Tower provides panoramic views across and outside of the area to distant Mt. Shasta, Mt. Lassen, and the Tule Lake Basin.  Constructed in the 1920s, and eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, the tower was actively used as a wildfire lookout until 1978 and today it provides a chance to see much of the Sáttítla Highlands from the edge of the volcano’s caldera.

Sáttítla’s exceptionally varied habitats also support high levels of biodiversity, including a variety of sensitive and endemic species.  For example, the Federally listed northern spotted owl relies on mature forest habitat, which is scattered throughout the southern and western portions of Sáttítla. The area also partially overlaps the historic range of the Federally listed Franklin’s bumblebee, which has one of the most limited geographic distributions of any bumblebee in the world.  The Townsend’s big-eared bat, a State of California Species of Concern, uses the region’s lava tube caves for roosting.  The Swainson’s hawk returns from South America in the spring to breed in the low-elevation juniper forests, sagebrush, and bitterbrush habitats found along the northwestern edge of area.  In the northern portion of Sáttítla, the Three Sisters Bald Eagle Winter Roost Area provides habitat for bald eagles, endangered in California.  Scattered aquatic and riparian habitats in the western portion of the area support two State of California Species of Special Concern, the Cascades frog and long-toed salamander.  Other species known to be north and south of Sáttítla, such as the Federally listed gray wolf, likely migrate through this area, with Sáttítla providing transitory habitat.

Sáttítla supports the survival of at least 16 plants considered threatened, endangered, or rare in California, including the Federally listed whitebark pine growing near Garner Mountain in the western portion of the area, as well as a diverse community of fungi, with 20 species considered rare or sparsely distributed.  Amongst host trees is the Pacific fuzzwort, a rare liverwort that is at the southern end of its habitat in northern California, andthe sugarstick, a parasitic plant associated with the roots of old-growth conifers.  As the climate continues to warm, high-elevation habitats within Sáttítla will remain critical refugia for species including the gray-headed pika and the Sierra Nevada red fox, a State of California threatened species. 

Sáttítla continues to provide traditional cultural resources used by Tribal and Indigenous communities, including food staples like sugar pine seeds and berries from gooseberry, currant, and manzanita, as well as plants collected for their medicinal properties, such as bitter cherry and Prince’s pine.  Various plants found in Sáttítla were historically used by Indigenous peoples for hunting, such as the blue elder­berry whose pithy stem-wood was fashioned into elk whistles and is still collected today.

Sáttítla’s soils, formed from lava over time, are home to several sensitive plants, including the sensitive talus collomia, the snow fleabane daisy, little hulsea, and pyrola-leaved buckwheat, all of which are restricted to fewer than four counties in Northern California.

At the lower elevations along the northwestern portion of Sáttítla, western juniper and ponderosa pine occur above a collection of Great Basin-type shrubs, including curl-leaf mountain-mahogany, bitterbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, and big sage.  The leaves, bark, flowers, and seeds from these shrubs were used by Indigenous peoples to make dye and medicines, and the dense wood of mountain-mahogany was used to make digging sticks, fire drills, bows, arrow shafts, and throwing sticks.  Two species uncommon in California are found in the dry, volcanic soils near the northern boundary of Sáttítla:  the tiny annual doublet and the cushion-like squarestem phlox.

Wet meadows and fens are infrequent within the landscape, but where they occur, they provide habitat for wetland plant species such as the California-endangered Boggs Lake hedge-hyssop and the three-ranked hump moss.  Traditional cultural plants found in these wetter habitats, including clover, yarrow, mountain strawberry, Baltic rush, and several grasses, were historically gathered for food, basket materials, and for their medicinal properties.  Further, sensitive vernal pools are situated southeast of Medicine Lake, supporting species including Oregon sedge.

Protection of Sáttítla will conserve the diverse array of cultural, precontact, historic, natural, and scientific resources — that the volcano at its core has shaped — for the benefit of all Americans.  It is vital to preserve this unique geologic landscape that holds sites and objects of historical, traditional, cultural, and spiritual significance for Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples who have gathered Indigenous Knowledge and practiced and shaped their cultures linked integrally to this area over countless generations.  In addition to containing numerous objects of historic and scientific interest as described above, this area also provides exceptional outdoor recreational opportunities, including hiking, biking, snowmobiling, camping, hunting, scenic driving, and canoeing.  

WHEREAS, section 320301 of title 54, United States Code (the “Antiquities Act”), authorizes the President, in the President’s discretion, to declare by public proclamation historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest that are situated upon the lands owned or controlled by the Federal Government to be national monuments, and to reserve as a part thereof parcels of land, the limits of which shall be confined to the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected; and

     WHEREAS, Sáttítla has long been profoundly sacred to Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples with ties to these highlands; and     Whereas, I find that all the objects identified above, and objects of the type identified above within the area described herein, are objects of historic or scientific interest in need of protection under section 320301 of title 54, United States Code, regardless of whether they are expressly identified as objects of historic or scientific interest in the text of this proclamation; and

     Whereas, I find that there are threats to the objects identified in this proclamation, and in the absence of a reservation under the Antiquities Act, these objects are not adequately protected by applicable law or administrative designations, thus making a national monument designation and reservation necessary to protect the objects of historic and scientific interest identified above for current and future generations; and

     Whereas, I find that the boundaries of the monument reserved by this proclamation represent the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects of scientific or historic interest identified above, as required by the Antiquities Act; and

     Whereas,it is in the public interest to ensure the preservation, restoration, and protection of the objects of scientific and historic interest identified above;

     Now, Therefore, I, Joseph R. Biden JR., President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by section 320301 of title 54, United States Code, hereby proclaim the objects identified above that are situated upon lands and interests in lands owned or controlled by the Federal Government to be the Sáttítla Highlands National Monument (monument) and, for the purpose of protecting those objects, reserve as part thereof all lands and interests in lands that are owned or controlled by the Federal Government within the boundaries described on the accompanying map, which is attached hereto and forms a part of this proclamation.  These reserved Federal lands and interests in lands encompass approximately 224,676 acres.  As a result of the distribution of the objects across the Sáttítla Highlands, the boundaries described on the accompanying map are confined to the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects of historic or scientific interest identified above.

     All Federal lands and interests in lands within the boundaries described of the monument are hereby appropriated and withdrawn from all forms of entry, location, selection, sale, or other disposition under the public land laws or laws applicable to the Forest Service other than by exchange that furthers the protective purposes of the monument; from location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and from disposition under all laws relating to mineral and geothermal leasing.

     The establishment of the monument is subject to valid existing rights.  If the Federal Government subsequently acquires any lands or interests in lands not currently owned or controlled by the Federal Government within the boundaries described on the accompanying map, such lands and interests in lands shall be reserved as a part of the monument, and objects of the type identified above that are situated upon those lands and interests in lands shall be part of the monument, upon acquisition of ownership or control by the Federal Government.

Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to alter the valid existing water rights of any party, including the United States.  This proclamation does not reserve water as a matter of Federal law.

     The Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary), through the Forest Service, shall manage the monument pursuant to applicable legal authorities, as part of the Modoc, Shasta-Trinity, and Klamath National Forests, and in accordance with the terms, conditions, and management direction provided by this proclamation.   

     For purposes of protecting and restoring the objects identified above, the Secretary shall prepare, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, within 3 years from the date of this proclamation, a management plan for the monument, which shall include provisions for continuing outdoor recreational opportunities consistent with the proper care and management of the objects identified above, and shall promulgate such rules and regulations for the management of the monument as the Secretary shall deem appropriate.  The Secretary, through the Forest Service, shall consult with other Federal land management agencies or agency components in the local area, including the Bureau of Land Management, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Department of Defense, and the National Park Service, in developing the management plan. 

The Secretary shall provide for maximum public involvement in the development of the management plan, as well as consultation with federally recognized Tribal Nations with cultural or historical connections to the monument, and conferral with State and local governments.  In preparing the management plan, the Secretary shall take into account, to the maximum extent practicable, maintaining the undeveloped character of the lands within the monument; minimizing impacts from surface-disturbing activities; providing appropriate and, where consistent with the proper care and management of the objects of historic or scientific interest identified above, improving access for recreation, hunting, fishing, wildfire risk reduction, wildlife management, and scientific research; and emphasizing the retention of natural quiet, dark night skies, and scenic values.  In the development and implementation of the management plan, the Secretary shall maximize opportunities, pursuant to applicable legal authorities, for shared resources, operational efficiency, and cooperation, and shall, to the maximum extent practicable, provide for the careful and full incorporation of the Indigenous Knowledge and special expertise of Tribal Nations.

The Secretary shall consider appropriate mechanisms to provide for temporary closures to the general public of specific portions of the monument to protect the privacy of cultural, religious, and gathering activities by members of Tribal Nations.

The Secretary, through the Forest Service, shall establish an advisory committee under chapter 10 of title 5, United States Code (commonly known as the Federal Advisory Committee Act), to provide advice or recommendations regarding the development of the management plan and, as appropriate, management of the monument.  The advisory committee shall consist of a fair and balanced representation of interested stakeholders, including State agencies and local governments; Tribal Nations; recreational users; conservation organizations; wildlife, hunting and fishing organizations; the scientific community; business owners; the forestry community; and the general public in the region.

In recognition of the value of collaboration with Tribal Nations for the proper care and management of the objects identified above, and to ensure that management of the monument is informed by, integrates, and reflects Tribal expertise and Indigenous Knowledge (including in regard to the practice of cultural burning), as appropriate, the Secretary shall meaningfully engage with Tribal Nations with cultural or historic affiliation to the Sáttítla region including by seeking opportunities for co-stewardship of the monument.

If Tribal Nations with cultural or historic affiliation to the Sáttítla region independently establish a commission or other similar entity (commission) comprised of elected officers or official designees from each participating Tribal Nation to engage in co-stewardship of the monument with the Federal Government through shared responsibilities or administration, then the Secretary shall meaningfully engage the commission in the development, revision, or amendment of the management plan and the management of the monument, including by considering and, as appropriate, integrating the Indigenous Knowledge and special expertise of the members of the commission in the planning and management of the monument.  The management plan for the monument shall also set forth parameters for continued meaningful engagement with the commission, if established, in the implementation of the management plan and, as appropriate, incorporate public education on and interpretation of traditional place names and the cultural significance of land within the monument into the management plan.  The Secretary shall explore opportunities to provide support to the commission, if established, to enable participation in the planning and management of the monument.

The Secretary shall also explore entering into cooperative agreements or contracts, pursuant to the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, 25 U.S.C. 5301 et seq., or other applicable authorities, with Tribes or Tribal organizations to perform administrative or management functions within the monument and providing technical and financial assistance to improve the capacity of Tribal Nations to develop, enter into, and carry out activities under such cooperative agreements or contracts.  The Secretary also shall explore opportunities for funding agreements with Tribal Nations relating to the management and protection of traditional cultural properties and other culturally significant programming associated with the monument.

     Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to alter, modify, abrogate, enlarge, or diminish the rights or jurisdiction of any Tribal Nation, including off-reservation reserved rights.  The Secretary shall, to the maximum extent permitted by law and in consultation with Tribal Nations, ensure the protection of sacred sites and cultural properties and sites in the monument and shall provide access to Tribal members for traditional cultural, spiritual, and customary uses, consistent with the American Indian Religious Freedom Act (42 U.S.C. 1996), the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (42 U.S.C. 2000bb et seq.), Executive Order 13007 of May 24, 1996 (Indian Sacred Sites), and the November 10, 2021, Memorandum of Understanding Regarding Interagency Coordination and Collaboration for the Protection of Indigenous Sacred Sites.  Such uses shall include but are not limited to, traditional hunting activities and the traditional collection of waters, medicines, berries and other vegetation, obsidian and other mineral products, forest products, and firewood for ceremonial practices, so long as each use is carried out consistent with applicable law and in a manner consistent with the proper care and management of the objects identified above.

The Secretary shall explore mechanisms, consistent with applicable law, to enable the protection of Indigenous Knowledge or other information relating to the nature and specific location of cultural resources within the monument and, to the extent practicable, shall explain to the holders of such knowledge or information any limitations on the ability to protect such information from disclosure before it is shared with the Department.

     Consistent with the care and management of the objects identified above, the Secretary shall manage livestock grazing as authorized under existing permits and allotments, and subject to appropriate terms and conditions in accordance with existing laws and regulations.  The Secretary shall not issue new grazing permits and shall not designate new allotments on Federal lands within the monument where livestock grazing is not currently allowed.

     Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to preclude the renewal or assignment of, or interfere with the operation, maintenance, replacement, modification, upgrade, or access to, existing or previously approved flood control, utility, pipeline, and telecommunications sites or facilities; roads or highway corridors; seismic monitoring facilities; or water infrastructure, including wildlife water developments or water district facilities, within the boundaries of existing or previously approved authorizations within the monument.  Existing or previously approved flood control, utility, pipeline, telecommunications, and seismic monitoring facilities, roads or highway corridors, and water infrastructure, including wildlife water developments or water district facilities, may be expanded, and new facilities of such kind may be constructed, to the extent consistent with the proper care and management of the objects identified above and subject to the Secretary’s authorities and other applicable law.

For purposes of protecting and restoring the objects identified above, the Secretary shall prepare a transportation plan that designates the roads and trails on which motorized and non-motorized mechanized vehicle use will be allowed.  The transportation plan shall include management decisions, including road closures and travel restrictions, necessary to protect the objects identified in this proclamation.  Except for emergency purposes and authorized administrative purposes, motorized vehicle use in the monument may be permitted only on roads and trails documented as existing in USDA Forest Service route inventories that exist as of the date of this proclamation.  Any additional roads or trails designated for motorized vehicle use by the general public must be designated only for the purposes of public safety needs or if necessary for the protection of the objects identified above.

     Nothing in this proclamation shall affect the ability of the Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management, after consultation with the Forest Service, to provide access to or to remediate or monitor contaminated lands within the monument, including to provide ancillary road and utility access or water control developments, or access for remediation of geothermal, mine, mill, or tailing sites, for the restoration of natural resources, or for the plugging and abandonment of wells.

Nothing in this proclamation shall preclude low-level overflights of military aircraft, military flight testing or evaluation, the designation of new units of special use airspace, or the use or establishment of military flight training routes after appropriate coordination between the Department of Defense and the Department of Agriculture.

Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to enlarge or diminish the jurisdiction of the State of California with respect to fish and wildlife management, including hunting and fishing, on the lands reserved by this proclamation. 

The Secretary may carry out vegetative management treatments within the monument to the extent consistent with the proper care and management of the objects identified above, including addressing ecological restoration, wildlife connectivity or the risk of wildfire, insect infestation, or disease that would endanger the objects identified in this proclamation or imperil public safety.  Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to affect the use of prescribed fire within the monument.  The Secretary shall evaluate opportunities to enter into one or more agreements with governments, including State, local, and Tribal, regarding the protection of the objects identified above during wildland fire prevention and response efforts.

Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to alter the authority or responsibility of any party with respect to emergency response activities within the monument, including wildland fire response and search and rescue.

Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to revoke any existing withdrawal, reservation, or appropriation; however, the monument shall be the dominant reservation.

     Warning is hereby given to all unauthorized persons not to appropriate, injure, destroy, or remove any feature of the monument and not to locate or settle upon any of the lands thereof.

     If any provision of this proclamation, including its application to a particular parcel of land, is held to be invalid, the remainder of this proclamation and its application to other parcels of land shall not be affected thereby.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.

                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

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In northern California, the awe-inspiring geological wonders collectively described here as the Sáttítla Highlands have framed the homelands of Indigenous communities and cultures for millennia, and today this area continues to cradle historic and scientific treasures of our Nation.  At this area’s core rests a sleeping giant:  the Medicine Lake Volcano.  This massive volcano — one of the two largest volcanos in the Cascades Volcanic Arc — covers an expanse roughly 10 times that of Mount St. Helens, Washington.  “Medicine Lake,” as labeled in English on some maps since approximately 1890, is found within the summit caldera of the volcano for which it is named.  Far earlier and through the present day, however, these stunning and unusual lands have been known as “Sáttítla” in the Ajumawi language, which translates to “obsidian place.”  Sáttítla’s obsidian deposits formed by the volcano have long been important to Indigenous peoples, as shown by obsidian tools and sites they left here from their lives and travels.  The Sáttítla Highlands area as described here includes parts of the Modoc, Shasta-Trinity, and Klamath National Forests, and stretches from Sharp Mountain, Wild Horse Mountain, and Little Horse Peak in the west, to Cougar Butte, Glass Mountain, and Border Mountain in the east, and to encompass the cinder cones known as Porcupine Butte, Timber Hill, Snag Hill, and Powder Hill in the south.

Sáttítla includes portions of the ancestral homelands of the Pit River (Ajumawi – Atsugewi) and Modoc Peoples (Mo Wat Knii – Mo Docknii).   For them and many other Indigenous peoples — including the Karuk, Klamath, Shasta, Siletz, Wintu, and Yana and individual Tribes that are members of these groups — the volcanic landscape holds and reflects exceptional power and is central to their spiritual beliefs and cultural practices.  The Modoc believe Medicine Lake is a place of healing and have referred to the lake and its banks as “Lani’shwi.”  Plants and animals found within Sáttítla’s habitats include many that are rare or vulnerable and have long been important to the Indigenous peoples of the area for food, medicine, and ceremonies.  Sáttítla’s remarkable geologic formations and the ecosystems cultivated within and around them have shaped the history and cultures of generations of Indigenous peoples.

This area contains evidence of human occupancy dating back at least 5,000 years.  For members of the Pit River Tribe, Sáttítla, as part of the broader landscape within which it sits, is central to their creation stories and core to their physical, mental, spiritual, and cultural health.  Their cultural and spiritual connections to Sáttítla reach across time and space, linking a web of heritage sites near and far and underscoring the importance of this land to the Indigenous people who have lived here throughout history.  They believe that the people and the land are one in the same, not only that one cannot be separated from the other, but that one cannot exist without the other.  Sáttítla’s deep silence, local plants and animals, unobstructed views across the landscape, and pure water sources are necessary to carry out customs, traditions, and ceremonies of the Indigenous peoples connected to this area.  This area has long provided a place for vision quests, gathering of medicinal plants, spiritual training and purification ceremonies, obsidian gathering, and religious activities that demand privacy, solitude, and unobscured access to both day and night skies.  The night skies of Sáttítla, where distant galaxies and stars are visible, are renowned for being among the darkest in the United States.  

Located at the southern reaches of the Modoc Peoples’ ancestral homelands, Sáttítla could be seen from across Modoc territory.  The volcano and surrounding highlands were central to ceremonial life of the Modoc, and the area is an enduring place of historic and cultural significance.  The area continues to serve as a place of gathering, healing, and spiritual importance for surrounding Indigenous peoples — including the Karuk, Klamath, Shasta, Siletz, Wintu, and Yana.  Tribal Nations collaborate in some of these activities, including ceremonies in and around Medicine Lake.

At least 85 plant species found in Sáttítla are used by Indigenous peoples for healing, medicine, food, tools, building materials, and as ceremonial objects and are considered to have powerful medicinal and ceremonial uses.  For example, Indigenous people used lichen from this area to dye materials used to adorn clothes and ornaments.

Evidence of Indigenous peoples can be found throughout Sáttítla.  Sites in various parts of the area exhibit evidence of obsidian quarrying and use by Indigenous peoples, with some containing unique assemblages of flaked stone and obsidian tools, waste materials from tool manufacture, and blades and cutting implements.  Larger obsidian blades, including those quarried and found in Sáttítla, were highly prized as items of wealth and prestige in Indigenous cultures throughout the region.  Obsidian quarried within Sáttítla was an important resource in a broad Indigenous trade network throughout northern California and the California Coast, and within southern Oregon.  The Indigenous peoples of the region believe that distinct sources of Sáttítla obsidian — such as obsidian deposits in the central part of this area — retain special roles and significance in different uses.  In various locations, evidence of precontact hunting blinds and groundstone implements also highlight that Indigenous peoples have lived and hunted across Sáttítla.

In view of the importance of these lands to Indigenous peoples and the rich cultural resources found here, in 1999, the National Register of Historic Places determined approximately 33,000 acres of the Sáttítla area centered on Medicine Lake to be eligible as a Traditional Cultural Property District.  Further, in 2007, the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management developed the Medicine Lake Highlands Historic Property Management Program, which extended this district to encompass approximately 73,000 acres.

Indigenous peoples would likely have witnessed some of the more recent eruptions of the Medicine Lake Volcano — which have occurred multiple times in the past 12,500 years and as recently as 950 years ago — reshaping their sacred lands as they watched, and creating geologic formations and other objects still visible today.  Future volcanic activity will likely continue to shape these highlands.  As a result of its dynamic geology and millennia of human occupation, Sáttítla contains numerous objects of historic and scientific interest — some formed by the volcano and surrounding ecosystems and others, like obsidian tools and ceremonial sites, created by Indigenous peoples — and is integrally connected to the Indigenous Knowledge amassed by the Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples in the area over countless generations.  Some of the objects in this area are sacred to Tribal Nations, are sensitive, rare, or vulnerable to vandalism and theft, or are unsafe to visit.  Therefore, revealing their specific names or locations could pose a danger to the objects or to the public.

The lava flows emanating off the flanks of Medicine Lake Volcano extend in every direction for more than 30 miles, through and, in some places, even beyond Sáttítla.   Eons of historic geological activity provide visitors with vast panoramas of stark, unvegetated lava fields exemplified by the Burnt Lava Flow Geologic Special Interest Area in the southeast and the Callahan Flow in the north, and extending into Lava Beds National Monument along the northeast corner.  The area’s concentration of lava flows that are fewer than 13,000 years old makes Sáttítla one of the premier places to view geologically young lava flows in California — and in the United States.  

In addition to volcanologists who have come to Sáttítla to study and understand the depths of the earth’s core, astronauts have also learned from the area. Between 1965 and 1967, the area’s Pumice Crater –- located in the central portion of Sáttítla — was used by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for Apollo program astronauts who trained in the collection and identification of lunar-like geologic features to be prepared for observation and sampling on the moon.  Multiple groups of astronauts traveled to the Pumice Crater area, and four of those astronauts flew Apollo missions, making this crater an important piece of space exploration history. 

Many of the lava flows within Sáttítla created islands of remnant forests that were elevated enough to escape the deluge of lava.  In the north central area of Sáttítla, one such island is Black Lava Butte, which is dominated by shrubs, grasses, and old-growth ponderosa pine.  Isolated from historical logging and development, these islands of forest provide valuable laboratories for future study of enduring and unaltered ecosystems.

The southern portion of Sáttítla is home to miniature volcanoes known as spatter cones, a well-preserved and accessible handful of which appear adjacent to the Giant Crater Lava Flow located in the south-central portion of the area.  Sáttítla’s more than 100 cinder cones — which are formed when lava cools mid-air and falls as fragments creating mounds, including Pumice Stone Mountain, Paint Pot Crater, and Porcupine Butte — are intact, making them of particular scientific interest.

The Fourmile Hill Tree Molds Geologic Area, situated on the north flank of the Medicine Lake volcano, contains dozens of molds formed over 12,000 years ago when molten lava flowed through a conifer forest leaving behind casts of the ancient tree trunks.  These trace fossils can help improve scientists’ understanding of the complex geologic history of the region. 

Sáttítla also contains hundreds of cave-like lava tubes, which were formed over time when molten basaltic lava flows cooled.  Many of these formations are relatively unexplored, with more likely yet to be discovered through future scientific inquiry.  The Giant Crater lava tube originates just south of Medicine Lake, extends southward within Sáttítla, and ultimately forms the longest known lava tube system in the world.

Sáttítla is nearly devoid of surface water drainages, but its surface waters only hint at what is stored underground, as most of the precipitation that falls in this area filters down through the porous volcanic rock filling underground aquifers.   These aquifers supply water to spring systems in northern California — and ultimately to the Sacramento River to the south and the Lower Klamath and Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuges to the north.  

The first known Euro-American reports of Sáttítla emerged in 1826-27, with settler-driven development appearing in the region in the 1870s.  The Tickner Road, constructed in 1871, served as one of the earliest routes across Siskiyou County, and remnants of two tracks are still visible in isolated sections in the northeast portion of the area.

As Euro-Americans settled in the traditional homelands of the area’s Indigenous peoples, many Tribal Nations suffered dispossession and, often, forced removal.  The brutalities against them by Euro-Americans were systemic, as evidenced by California’s first Governor declaring a “war of extermination” against the Indigenous peoples, and the California State Legislature appropriating a half-million dollars to pay for militia campaigns to kill them.  By 1872, hostilities between the U.S. Army and the Modoc Peoples exploded into the Modoc War.  Tickner Road was used by the U.S. military during the Modoc War as a supply route, and its remnants serve as a physical marker of this war.  While battles took place in lava fields outside and to the north of the area, some Modoc people sought refuge in Sáttítla, where they successfully avoided relocation after the war and ultimately integrated with the Klamath Tribes.  For these members of the Modoc, their connection to and knowledge of the Sáttítla area proved life-saving.  Other members were less fortunate; following the war several Modoc leaders were captured and hanged, and the remaining approximately 150 survivors were forcibly relocated to Oklahoma.  In view of these atrocities and the resulting loss of homelands, Sáttítla and the objects it contains remain particularly significant both to the Modoc and to our Nation’s history.  

The area’s verdant forests and exceptional geology together have supported and still illustrate important parts of the region’s history.  For example, Sáttítla’s high quality and accessible stands of ponderosa pine attracted the development of railroad logging operations, which came to this area at the end of the 19th century.   Today, within the western and northern part of this area, visitors can see the remains of hundreds of miles of railroad grades, relics of logging camps, maintenance stations, loading and switchyards, and other traces from the railroad logging era. 

Near the center of Sáttítla, Little Mt. Hoffman Lookout Tower provides panoramic views across and outside of the area to distant Mt. Shasta, Mt. Lassen, and the Tule Lake Basin.  Constructed in the 1920s, and eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, the tower was actively used as a wildfire lookout until 1978 and today it provides a chance to see much of the Sáttítla Highlands from the edge of the volcano’s caldera.

Sáttítla’s exceptionally varied habitats also support high levels of biodiversity, including a variety of sensitive and endemic species.  For example, the Federally listed northern spotted owl relies on mature forest habitat, which is scattered throughout the southern and western portions of Sáttítla. The area also partially overlaps the historic range of the Federally listed Franklin’s bumblebee, which has one of the most limited geographic distributions of any bumblebee in the world.  The Townsend’s big-eared bat, a State of California Species of Concern, uses the region’s lava tube caves for roosting.  The Swainson’s hawk returns from South America in the spring to breed in the low-elevation juniper forests, sagebrush, and bitterbrush habitats found along the northwestern edge of area.  In the northern portion of Sáttítla, the Three Sisters Bald Eagle Winter Roost Area provides habitat for bald eagles, endangered in California.  Scattered aquatic and riparian habitats in the western portion of the area support two State of California Species of Special Concern, the Cascades frog and long-toed salamander.  Other species known to be north and south of Sáttítla, such as the Federally listed gray wolf, likely migrate through this area, with Sáttítla providing transitory habitat.

Sáttítla supports the survival of at least 16 plants considered threatened, endangered, or rare in California, including the Federally listed whitebark pine growing near Garner Mountain in the western portion of the area, as well as a diverse community of fungi, with 20 species considered rare or sparsely distributed.  Amongst host trees is the Pacific fuzzwort, a rare liverwort that is at the southern end of its habitat in northern California, andthe sugarstick, a parasitic plant associated with the roots of old-growth conifers.  As the climate continues to warm, high-elevation habitats within Sáttítla will remain critical refugia for species including the gray-headed pika and the Sierra Nevada red fox, a State of California threatened species. 

Sáttítla continues to provide traditional cultural resources used by Tribal and Indigenous communities, including food staples like sugar pine seeds and berries from gooseberry, currant, and manzanita, as well as plants collected for their medicinal properties, such as bitter cherry and Prince’s pine.  Various plants found in Sáttítla were historically used by Indigenous peoples for hunting, such as the blue elder­berry whose pithy stem-wood was fashioned into elk whistles and is still collected today.

Sáttítla’s soils, formed from lava over time, are home to several sensitive plants, including the sensitive talus collomia, the snow fleabane daisy, little hulsea, and pyrola-leaved buckwheat, all of which are restricted to fewer than four counties in Northern California.

At the lower elevations along the northwestern portion of Sáttítla, western juniper and ponderosa pine occur above a collection of Great Basin-type shrubs, including curl-leaf mountain-mahogany, bitterbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, and big sage.  The leaves, bark, flowers, and seeds from these shrubs were used by Indigenous peoples to make dye and medicines, and the dense wood of mountain-mahogany was used to make digging sticks, fire drills, bows, arrow shafts, and throwing sticks.  Two species uncommon in California are found in the dry, volcanic soils near the northern boundary of Sáttítla:  the tiny annual doublet and the cushion-like squarestem phlox.

Wet meadows and fens are infrequent within the landscape, but where they occur, they provide habitat for wetland plant species such as the California-endangered Boggs Lake hedge-hyssop and the three-ranked hump moss.  Traditional cultural plants found in these wetter habitats, including clover, yarrow, mountain strawberry, Baltic rush, and several grasses, were historically gathered for food, basket materials, and for their medicinal properties.  Further, sensitive vernal pools are situated southeast of Medicine Lake, supporting species including Oregon sedge.

Protection of Sáttítla will conserve the diverse array of cultural, precontact, historic, natural, and scientific resources — that the volcano at its core has shaped — for the benefit of all Americans.  It is vital to preserve this unique geologic landscape that holds sites and objects of historical, traditional, cultural, and spiritual significance for Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples who have gathered Indigenous Knowledge and practiced and shaped their cultures linked integrally to this area over countless generations.  In addition to containing numerous objects of historic and scientific interest as described above, this area also provides exceptional outdoor recreational opportunities, including hiking, biking, snowmobiling, camping, hunting, scenic driving, and canoeing.  

WHEREAS, section 320301 of title 54, United States Code (the “Antiquities Act”), authorizes the President, in the President’s discretion, to declare by public proclamation historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest that are situated upon the lands owned or controlled by the Federal Government to be national monuments, and to reserve as a part thereof parcels of land, the limits of which shall be confined to the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected; and

     WHEREAS, Sáttítla has long been profoundly sacred to Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples with ties to these highlands; and     Whereas, I find that all the objects identified above, and objects of the type identified above within the area described herein, are objects of historic or scientific interest in need of protection under section 320301 of title 54, United States Code, regardless of whether they are expressly identified as objects of historic or scientific interest in the text of this proclamation; and

     Whereas, I find that there are threats to the objects identified in this proclamation, and in the absence of a reservation under the Antiquities Act, these objects are not adequately protected by applicable law or administrative designations, thus making a national monument designation and reservation necessary to protect the objects of historic and scientific interest identified above for current and future generations; and

     Whereas, I find that the boundaries of the monument reserved by this proclamation represent the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects of scientific or historic interest identified above, as required by the Antiquities Act; and

     Whereas,it is in the public interest to ensure the preservation, restoration, and protection of the objects of scientific and historic interest identified above;

     Now, Therefore, I, Joseph R. Biden JR., President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by section 320301 of title 54, United States Code, hereby proclaim the objects identified above that are situated upon lands and interests in lands owned or controlled by the Federal Government to be the Sáttítla Highlands National Monument (monument) and, for the purpose of protecting those objects, reserve as part thereof all lands and interests in lands that are owned or controlled by the Federal Government within the boundaries described on the accompanying map, which is attached hereto and forms a part of this proclamation.  These reserved Federal lands and interests in lands encompass approximately 224,676 acres.  As a result of the distribution of the objects across the Sáttítla Highlands, the boundaries described on the accompanying map are confined to the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects of historic or scientific interest identified above.

     All Federal lands and interests in lands within the boundaries described of the monument are hereby appropriated and withdrawn from all forms of entry, location, selection, sale, or other disposition under the public land laws or laws applicable to the Forest Service other than by exchange that furthers the protective purposes of the monument; from location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and from disposition under all laws relating to mineral and geothermal leasing.

     The establishment of the monument is subject to valid existing rights.  If the Federal Government subsequently acquires any lands or interests in lands not currently owned or controlled by the Federal Government within the boundaries described on the accompanying map, such lands and interests in lands shall be reserved as a part of the monument, and objects of the type identified above that are situated upon those lands and interests in lands shall be part of the monument, upon acquisition of ownership or control by the Federal Government.

Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to alter the valid existing water rights of any party, including the United States.  This proclamation does not reserve water as a matter of Federal law.

     The Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary), through the Forest Service, shall manage the monument pursuant to applicable legal authorities, as part of the Modoc, Shasta-Trinity, and Klamath National Forests, and in accordance with the terms, conditions, and management direction provided by this proclamation.   

     For purposes of protecting and restoring the objects identified above, the Secretary shall prepare, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, within 3 years from the date of this proclamation, a management plan for the monument, which shall include provisions for continuing outdoor recreational opportunities consistent with the proper care and management of the objects identified above, and shall promulgate such rules and regulations for the management of the monument as the Secretary shall deem appropriate.  The Secretary, through the Forest Service, shall consult with other Federal land management agencies or agency components in the local area, including the Bureau of Land Management, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Department of Defense, and the National Park Service, in developing the management plan. 

The Secretary shall provide for maximum public involvement in the development of the management plan, as well as consultation with federally recognized Tribal Nations with cultural or historical connections to the monument, and conferral with State and local governments.  In preparing the management plan, the Secretary shall take into account, to the maximum extent practicable, maintaining the undeveloped character of the lands within the monument; minimizing impacts from surface-disturbing activities; providing appropriate and, where consistent with the proper care and management of the objects of historic or scientific interest identified above, improving access for recreation, hunting, fishing, wildfire risk reduction, wildlife management, and scientific research; and emphasizing the retention of natural quiet, dark night skies, and scenic values.  In the development and implementation of the management plan, the Secretary shall maximize opportunities, pursuant to applicable legal authorities, for shared resources, operational efficiency, and cooperation, and shall, to the maximum extent practicable, provide for the careful and full incorporation of the Indigenous Knowledge and special expertise of Tribal Nations.

The Secretary shall consider appropriate mechanisms to provide for temporary closures to the general public of specific portions of the monument to protect the privacy of cultural, religious, and gathering activities by members of Tribal Nations.

The Secretary, through the Forest Service, shall establish an advisory committee under chapter 10 of title 5, United States Code (commonly known as the Federal Advisory Committee Act), to provide advice or recommendations regarding the development of the management plan and, as appropriate, management of the monument.  The advisory committee shall consist of a fair and balanced representation of interested stakeholders, including State agencies and local governments; Tribal Nations; recreational users; conservation organizations; wildlife, hunting and fishing organizations; the scientific community; business owners; the forestry community; and the general public in the region.

In recognition of the value of collaboration with Tribal Nations for the proper care and management of the objects identified above, and to ensure that management of the monument is informed by, integrates, and reflects Tribal expertise and Indigenous Knowledge (including in regard to the practice of cultural burning), as appropriate, the Secretary shall meaningfully engage with Tribal Nations with cultural or historic affiliation to the Sáttítla region including by seeking opportunities for co-stewardship of the monument.

If Tribal Nations with cultural or historic affiliation to the Sáttítla region independently establish a commission or other similar entity (commission) comprised of elected officers or official designees from each participating Tribal Nation to engage in co-stewardship of the monument with the Federal Government through shared responsibilities or administration, then the Secretary shall meaningfully engage the commission in the development, revision, or amendment of the management plan and the management of the monument, including by considering and, as appropriate, integrating the Indigenous Knowledge and special expertise of the members of the commission in the planning and management of the monument.  The management plan for the monument shall also set forth parameters for continued meaningful engagement with the commission, if established, in the implementation of the management plan and, as appropriate, incorporate public education on and interpretation of traditional place names and the cultural significance of land within the monument into the management plan.  The Secretary shall explore opportunities to provide support to the commission, if established, to enable participation in the planning and management of the monument.

The Secretary shall also explore entering into cooperative agreements or contracts, pursuant to the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, 25 U.S.C. 5301 et seq., or other applicable authorities, with Tribes or Tribal organizations to perform administrative or management functions within the monument and providing technical and financial assistance to improve the capacity of Tribal Nations to develop, enter into, and carry out activities under such cooperative agreements or contracts.  The Secretary also shall explore opportunities for funding agreements with Tribal Nations relating to the management and protection of traditional cultural properties and other culturally significant programming associated with the monument.

     Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to alter, modify, abrogate, enlarge, or diminish the rights or jurisdiction of any Tribal Nation, including off-reservation reserved rights.  The Secretary shall, to the maximum extent permitted by law and in consultation with Tribal Nations, ensure the protection of sacred sites and cultural properties and sites in the monument and shall provide access to Tribal members for traditional cultural, spiritual, and customary uses, consistent with the American Indian Religious Freedom Act (42 U.S.C. 1996), the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (42 U.S.C. 2000bb et seq.), Executive Order 13007 of May 24, 1996 (Indian Sacred Sites), and the November 10, 2021, Memorandum of Understanding Regarding Interagency Coordination and Collaboration for the Protection of Indigenous Sacred Sites.  Such uses shall include but are not limited to, traditional hunting activities and the traditional collection of waters, medicines, berries and other vegetation, obsidian and other mineral products, forest products, and firewood for ceremonial practices, so long as each use is carried out consistent with applicable law and in a manner consistent with the proper care and management of the objects identified above.

The Secretary shall explore mechanisms, consistent with applicable law, to enable the protection of Indigenous Knowledge or other information relating to the nature and specific location of cultural resources within the monument and, to the extent practicable, shall explain to the holders of such knowledge or information any limitations on the ability to protect such information from disclosure before it is shared with the Department.

     Consistent with the care and management of the objects identified above, the Secretary shall manage livestock grazing as authorized under existing permits and allotments, and subject to appropriate terms and conditions in accordance with existing laws and regulations.  The Secretary shall not issue new grazing permits and shall not designate new allotments on Federal lands within the monument where livestock grazing is not currently allowed.

     Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to preclude the renewal or assignment of, or interfere with the operation, maintenance, replacement, modification, upgrade, or access to, existing or previously approved flood control, utility, pipeline, and telecommunications sites or facilities; roads or highway corridors; seismic monitoring facilities; or water infrastructure, including wildlife water developments or water district facilities, within the boundaries of existing or previously approved authorizations within the monument.  Existing or previously approved flood control, utility, pipeline, telecommunications, and seismic monitoring facilities, roads or highway corridors, and water infrastructure, including wildlife water developments or water district facilities, may be expanded, and new facilities of such kind may be constructed, to the extent consistent with the proper care and management of the objects identified above and subject to the Secretary’s authorities and other applicable law.

For purposes of protecting and restoring the objects identified above, the Secretary shall prepare a transportation plan that designates the roads and trails on which motorized and non-motorized mechanized vehicle use will be allowed.  The transportation plan shall include management decisions, including road closures and travel restrictions, necessary to protect the objects identified in this proclamation.  Except for emergency purposes and authorized administrative purposes, motorized vehicle use in the monument may be permitted only on roads and trails documented as existing in USDA Forest Service route inventories that exist as of the date of this proclamation.  Any additional roads or trails designated for motorized vehicle use by the general public must be designated only for the purposes of public safety needs or if necessary for the protection of the objects identified above.

     Nothing in this proclamation shall affect the ability of the Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management, after consultation with the Forest Service, to provide access to or to remediate or monitor contaminated lands within the monument, including to provide ancillary road and utility access or water control developments, or access for remediation of geothermal, mine, mill, or tailing sites, for the restoration of natural resources, or for the plugging and abandonment of wells.

Nothing in this proclamation shall preclude low-level overflights of military aircraft, military flight testing or evaluation, the designation of new units of special use airspace, or the use or establishment of military flight training routes after appropriate coordination between the Department of Defense and the Department of Agriculture.

Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to enlarge or diminish the jurisdiction of the State of California with respect to fish and wildlife management, including hunting and fishing, on the lands reserved by this proclamation. 

The Secretary may carry out vegetative management treatments within the monument to the extent consistent with the proper care and management of the objects identified above, including addressing ecological restoration, wildlife connectivity or the risk of wildfire, insect infestation, or disease that would endanger the objects identified in this proclamation or imperil public safety.  Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to affect the use of prescribed fire within the monument.  The Secretary shall evaluate opportunities to enter into one or more agreements with governments, including State, local, and Tribal, regarding the protection of the objects identified above during wildland fire prevention and response efforts.

Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to alter the authority or responsibility of any party with respect to emergency response activities within the monument, including wildland fire response and search and rescue.

Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to revoke any existing withdrawal, reservation, or appropriation; however, the monument shall be the dominant reservation.

     Warning is hereby given to all unauthorized persons not to appropriate, injure, destroy, or remove any feature of the monument and not to locate or settle upon any of the lands thereof.

     If any provision of this proclamation, including its application to a particular parcel of land, is held to be invalid, the remainder of this proclamation and its application to other parcels of land shall not be affected thereby.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.

                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

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In southeastern California, where the Mojave and Colorado Deserts intersect, ancient trails weave through a land of canyon-carved mountain ranges bound together by radiating alluvial bajadas and dark tendrils of dry wash woodlands.  Sharing a name with the wide-bodied lizard that is commonly found here and derived from the Cahuilla word “čáxwal,” the Chuckwalla region is a place of wonder that lies within the traditional homelands of the Iviatim (Cahuilla), Nüwü (Chemehuevi), Pipa Aha Macav (Mojave), Kwatsáan (Quechan), Maara’yam and Marringayam (Serrano), and other Indigenous peoples.  It is imbued with religious, spiritual, historic, and cultural significance for Tribal Nations that trace their origins to these lands.  The area contains an abundance of artifacts attesting to its connection to diverse human communities over thousands of years.  The region’s mosaic of habitats is also home to a remarkable array of plant and animal species.  The dramatic contortions of its mountain ranges embody a fundamental story about the shaping of our world that scientists are still learning to decipher.  The cultural, geologic, and ecological resources on Federal lands in the Chuckwalla region will continue to inspire and fascinate people and provide a scientific research trove for generations to come.

The Chuckwalla region comprises five geographically discrete areas located between Joshua Tree National Park and the Palen/McCoy Wilderness to the north, California State Route 78 to the east, the Chocolate Mountain Aerial Gunnery Range to the south, and the western boundary of the Mecca Hills Wilderness to the west.  Woven together by the physical threads of Indigenous trails that radiate outward connecting peoples and places throughout the Southwest, the region carries significant cultural and sacred meaning for many Tribal Nations.  The southern area is a vast and intact expanse of austere, beautiful mountain ranges and desert valleys stretching from the Mecca Hills and Orocopia Mountains in the northwest, to the Mule and Palo Verde Mountains in the northeast, and to the mesquite-studded draws of the Milpitas Wash in the southeast.  The other four areas, which lie in the transition zone between the Mojave and Colorado deserts, are located at the base of the Cottonwood, Eagle, Coxcomb, and Palen Mountains.

The imprints of generations of Indigenous peoples are found throughout the region in the trails, tools, habitation sites, and spectacular petroglyphs and pictographs they left behind.  The Chuckwalla region has also been marked by the passage of people on the major prehistoric and historic travel corridors that connected the region to the Pacific coast and the interior southwest.  While only a small fraction of the region has been formally inventoried, myriad cultural resources have been documented, and there are likely similar historic sites and objects yet to be discovered.  A few sites are well-known and easily accessible to the public; many others are concealed in labyrinths of rugged canyons and have not yet been formally studied.

Trails within the area helped to link important resources and people across the Indigenous homelands of the Chuckwalla region.  For centuries, they facilitated trade and cultural exchange between peoples throughout the Southwest.  Weaving through canyons, the trails connected indispensable water and other resources throughout the area.  They were, and are, essential to the people who trace their origins to these lands, and provide a sense of connection between generations and between the physical and spiritual worlds.

In some places, the footfalls of past generations have etched these trails into the region’s surface, wearing a clear path into desert pavement.  Ceramics and lithic scatter are also commonly found along trail routes within the Chuckwalla region.  The endless shifting of sand and alluvium have likely obscured artifacts in some locations.  A prehistoric travel route ran through the core of the northern area between the Eagle and Coxcomb Mountains, connecting the Pinto Basin, where some of California’s oldest artifacts have been found, and the Chuckwalla Valley.  The relatively narrow gap between the Eagle and Coxcomb Mountains traversed by the corridor also creates the conditions for flash floods; as a result, artifacts are likely to be found below the surface of the wash rather than on its surface.

At least two trails that traverse the Chuckwalla region are sacred to Tribal Nations and bind their members to the land and to generations past.  These trails, of which physical traces remain, are both ancient and modern, tangible places and passages that Tribes and Indigenous peoples evoke and visit through songs and dreams.  Two versions of the Salt Song Trail pass through the region, connecting it to Tribal communities and sacred sites throughout the Southwest physically and through songs describing corridors, viewsheds, and the related geography and resources.  While the Salt Song Trail can be traveled by foot, traditional singers also travel this trail by voice through songs passed down across generations and that Tribes and Indigenous peoples believe assist the transport of the spirits of the recently deceased.  

The Xam Kwatchan Trail, which parallels the Colorado River in the vicinity of the Mule and Palo Verde Mountains along the eastern edge of the southern area, is maintained by the Quechan people and recognized by many other Tribes of the Lower Colorado River.  Portions of the Xam Kwatchan Trail are still visible and may be traveled physically as the trail weaves through the area and links together three sacred peaks of the Southwest:  Avi Kwa Ame to the north of the Chuckwalla region near Lake Mead, Palo Verde Peak within the southern Chuckwalla region and overlooking the Colorado River, and Pilot Knob to the south of the Chuckwalla region near Yuma, Arizona.  It is a belief of the Quechan people that they also travel this trail through dreams to transport the living and deceased, and to tie them to these lands and to their origin at Avi Kwa Ame.  The Palo Verde and Mule Mountains encompass sites of particular significance along this trail.  The eastern side of the Palo Verde Mountains is particularly dense with evidence of human habitation, including trails, camp spots, and ceremonial fire hearths. 

The Chuckwalla region has no perennial streams or lakes, but hidden within the southern area’s mountain ranges are springs and natural seasonal water catchments (often referred to as tanks).  Knowledge of these water sources has allowed Indigenous people to survive within this arid environment for thousands of years.  The locations surrounding these springs and tanks are replete with artifacts, including stone tools, ceramics, remnants of habitations, and a dazzling array of petroglyphs and pictographs.  In some places, the patina of naturally created desert pavement has been scraped away to form circles and images known as geoglyphs.

In a wide canyon at the heart of the Chuckwalla Mountains lies Corn Springs, a well-known cultural site.  Amid the mountain range’s rugged peaks and dry washes, the oasis at Corn Springs, which supports a stand of more than 60 California fan palms, has long been a beacon to the area’s human occupants. Corn Springs contains extensive petroglyphs encompassing a diverse array of elements and representing contributions by many people over thousands of years.  These petroglyphs, which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, are carved into flat planes on the golden rocks found near Corn Springs.  

Jutting from the desert floor north of Corn Springs, in an area just south of the community of Desert Center, sits Alligator Rock.  A salient ridge containing dikes of aplite, Alligator Rock was both a milestone on the major Indigenous travel and trade route that passed through Chuckwalla Valley and an important prehistoric source of lithic materials.  Flakes and tools crafted from the area’s distinctive speckled stone have been documented in sites throughout Chuckwalla Valley. 

In the eastern area, northeast of Alligator Rock and Corn Springs and north of the Little Chuckwalla Mountain Wilderness, Ford Dry Lake is now a sparsely vegetated playa in the Chuckwalla Valley at the base of the Palen and McCoy Mountains.  Dense cultural sites have been documented along the lake’s ancient shorelines, attesting to its use by generations of Indigenous peoples.  Artifacts uncovered here include a variety of stone tools, ceramics, and other evidence of Indigenous habitation sites. 

While seemingly inhospitable to humans, the Chuckwalla region has provided sustenance and material resources to the Indigenous peoples who have inhabited and traversed it for generations.  Many of the region’s native plants were gathered for food, including mesquite and ironwood seeds, wild grasses, and cacti.  Mesquite, which thrives in the dry washes of the southern area between the Chocolate and Palo Verde Mountains, was a particularly important source of sustenance.  Large quantities of the beans were collected in the summer and stored for use throughout the year.  In 1972, a large ceramic olla (an earthenware vessel) containing mesquite beans was discovered in a rock shelter in the canyon-striated Mecca Hills of the far western corner of the southern area.

By the mid-1800s, the Chuckwalla region had caught the attention of non-Indigenous Americans seeking wealth in the underbelly of its mountains.  In the 1860s, the Mule Mountains — near the California-Arizona border — were the site of one of the first discoveries of gold in Riverside County.  Two decades later, the largest gold rush in Riverside County’s history occurred when gold and silver were discovered in the Chuckwalla Mountains.  Relics of historic mines, including shafts, trenches, equipment, and remnants of buildings, are present throughout the region’s mountain ranges.  A mining shaft, conveyor, and loading dock associated with the Model Mine, which operated around the turn of the last century, are located in the western foothills of the Chuckwalla Mountains.  

In 1862, as gold seekers spread throughout the region, a miner named William Bradshaw sought to develop a route to connect the Coachella Valley with expanding mines on the east side of the Colorado River.  A Cahuilla leader and another Indigenous trail runner provided Bradshaw with a map of existing Indigenous routes linking springs and tanks along the southern edge of the Orocopia, Chuckwalla, and Little Chuckwalla Mountains.  He used the knowledge shared with him of these existing Indigenous trails to identify what became known as the “Bradshaw Trail,” an overland route that traverses the Chuckwalla Bench through the heart of the southern area.  Some of the springs and tanks, which had long been used by Indigenous peoples, became stagecoach stations associated with the Bradshaw Trail.  Intrepid visitors can still drive the unpaved Bradshaw Trail, which the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) designated as a National Backcountry Byway in 1992.

In 1942, shortly after the United States entered World War II, the Department of the Army established a presence in the Chuckwalla region, reminders of which can still be seen across the terrain.  In March of 1942, Major General George Patton selected a large swath of desert in California and Nevada, including a substantial amount of land in the Chuckwalla Valley, for a Desert Training Center to prepare United States Army units for desert combat.  By the end of World War II, over a million soldiers had been trained at the facility.  Small unit training exercises were held in Chuckwalla Valley, which the Army believed provided the best approximation of terrain they might face in parts of North Africa.  The scars of tank tracks across the southern area’s desert pavement can still be seen today, along with berms, trenches, and foxholes.

The Chuckwalla region includes the footprint of Camp Young, the Desert Training Center’s first camp and its administrative core.  Camp Young was primarily located south of present-day Joshua Tree National Park and north of Interstate 10 in the western area.  While none remain standing, Camp Young boasted almost 100 administrative buildings, two hospitals, 50 warehouses, a theater, an officers’ club, and a post office.  Traces of the soldiers’ lives at Camp Young can still be seen here, including rock-lined walkways and remnants of concrete foundations.

During his tenure at the Desert Training Center, General Patton lived at Camp Young but was in the field on a daily basis, including to review small unit training exercises in the Chuckwalla Valley.  He would often shout orders into a radio while observing tank maneuvers from a hill overlooking the valley between the Orocopia and Chuckwalla Mountains, in the center of the Chuckwalla region’s southern area.  The road bulldozed for Patton’s use to the top of this hill, known as “The King’s Throne,” remains clearly visible.

Against this backdrop of human history, the Chuckwalla region’s many and varied plant and animal inhabitants have continued to persevere in the harsh desert environment.  The region provides a refuge for more than 50 rare plants and animals, as well as 21 vulnerable vegetation communities.  The diversity of biota has attracted numerous scientists over many decades who have conducted research into topics as varied as testing translocation methods for bighorn sheep, studying ant colony forming behavior, and documenting the demographic patterns of the Orocopia sage, a shrub with delicate lavender flowers that is only known to grow in the Mecca Hills and Orocopia and Chocolate Mountains. 

The broad bajadas of the southern area radiate out from a series of small mountain ranges, whose sinuous canyons and ragged peaks provide habitat to a variety of species.  The washes and sandy slopes of the Orocopia Mountains are home to Orocopia sage.  The Mecca aster is endemic to only a small area, with more than half of its known occurrences located in the Mecca Hills.  Mountain areas in the Chuckwalla region are also the only known locations of the recently described Chuckwalla cholla, a relatively low-lying cactus with reddish flowers.

Desert bighorn sheep, a sensitive species with declining numbers, live year-round on the craggy slopes of the Orocopia and Chuckwalla Mountains and are occasionally glimpsed in the Palo Verde and Little Chuckwalla Mountains.  The broad, sandy washes that connect the mountains — unbroken by paved roads or large developments — provide the habitat connectivity necessary to preserve genetic diversity among bighorn sheep populations.

The region’s expanse of gently sloping shrubby terrain is also vital to the survival of the threatened Agassiz’s desert tortoise, encompassing key components of an essential corridor connecting the tortoise’s Chuckwalla and Chemehuevi populations.  Much of the region is critical habitat for this charismatic desert dweller.

Located in the southern area of the Chuckwalla region, the Chuckwalla Bench is an elevated area of alluvial fans that provided a setting for extensive study and monitoring of desert tortoises for decades.  It is also home to over 150 native plant species.  The specific species present change with elevation as the bench’s slopes climb to an 80,000-acre expanse that rises to approximately 2,000 feet in elevation, resulting in an environment that is notably cooler and wetter than is typical for the Sonoran Desert.  At the higher elevations, Mojave yucca and cholla become increasingly common.  The Munz’s cholla, a species endemic to the Chuckwalla Bench whose spiny, branching arms often reach a height of six feet, grows here.

In part because of the relative availability of forage and water, the Chuckwalla Bench is included in the United States Fish and Wildlife Service’s primary area of interest for Sonoran Desert pronghorn reintroduction in California.  In 1941, around the time that the United States Army began desert training in the area, the endangered Sonoran Desert pronghorn was last observed in the Colorado Desert in the vicinity of Salt Creek Wash, which runs between the Orocopia and Chocolate Mountains.

Dry washes in the Chuckwalla region are threaded with populations of desert trees including ironwood, blue palo verde, smoketree, and mesquite.  These are known as microphyll woodlands, and they provide migration corridors for desert wildlife, as well as crucial habitat for migratory birds.  Milpitas Wash, located south of the Palo Verde Mountains in the southern area near the Arizona border, is one of the largest remaining microphyll woodlands in the Colorado Desert.  It is identified as a component of the National Audubon Society’s Colorado Desert Microphyll Woodlands Important Bird Area.  Old-growth blue palo verde trees in Milpitas Wash provide nesting cavities for an important population of Gila woodpeckers, which are listed as endangered under the California Endangered Species Act.  Rare long-eared owls, Crissal thrashers, and black-tailed gnatcatchers also nest in Milpitas Wash.

Dense pockets of palo verde microphyll woodland occur in the northeast portion of the southern Chuckwalla region and are reported to have the highest winter bird densities in the California Desert.  Sand dunes have dammed several small washes in the area, creating relatively wet conditions that are conducive to dense vegetative growth.  These sand dunes in Chuckwalla Valley are fed by aeolian (windblown) sand transport corridors.  In addition to the rich cultural sites associated with Ford Dry Lake, the portion of the Chuckwalla Valley in the eastern Chuckwalla region protects part of these sand transport corridors.  The dunes in this area also provide habitat for the rare Mojave fringe-toed lizard.

Nightfall reveals another dimension of the Chuckwalla region.  Kit foxes and sensitive species such as burrowing owls and elf owls emerge from dens, while a variety of rare bats including the California leaf-nosed bat, the western mastiff bat, and the western yellow bat dart through the desert sky.  Mountain lions are also known to prowl the Chuckwalla region at night.  A population of mountain lions in southern California and the central coast of California, which includes those in the Chuckwalla region, is currently a candidate species under consideration for listing under the California Endangered Species Act.  

The Chuckwalla region encompasses striking geologic diversity, which both underpins the rich ecological and cultural values and is itself the focus of extensive research.  In the far western reach of the southern area of this region, the Mecca Hills, shaped by the unquiet presence of the San Andreas Fault, attract not only hikers eager to explore their intricate canyons but a long line of geologists seeking to better understand fault dynamics.  There is an exposure of Pliocene-Pleistocene terrestrial sedimentary rocks along the fault, and recent uplift and erosion have allowed the opportunity for its detailed analysis.  Researchers have analyzed the Painted Canyon Fault, which lies within the San Andreas strike-slip fault zone in the Mecca Hills, to better understand tectonic processes along faults as far away as Denmark.  

Just to the east of the Mecca Hills, the Orocopia Mountains have been the site of extensive study of the geologic mechanisms that shape the earth, including deposition, metamorphism, uplift, and exposure.  In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Orocopia Mountains were the site of field training for the Apollo 13 and 15 crews, preparing them to observe and document lunar geology.

In 1986, scientists documented five new species of mollusks from the Eocene epoch that were found in samples taken from the Orocopia Mountains, which helped clarify scientists’ understanding of the timing of the westward migration of Eurasian mollusk species during the early Eocene and late Paleocene epochs.  In the Palo Verde Mountains, at the southeastern edge of the Chuckwalla region, outcroppings of the Bouse Formation are helping scientists unlock mysteries around the formation of the Colorado River. 

Protecting the Chuckwalla region will preserve an important spiritual, cultural, prehistoric, and historic legacy and protect places inscribed with history for future generations; maintain a diverse array of natural and scientific resources; and help ensure that the prehistoric, historic, and scientific resources and values of the region endure for the benefit of all Americans.  As described above, the region contains numerous objects of historic and scientific interest, and it provides exceptional outdoor recreational opportunities, including hiking, camping, backpacking, rockhounding, sightseeing, nature study, birding, horseback riding, hunting, climbing, mountain biking, and motorized recreation, all of which are important to the travel- and tourism-based economy of the region.

WHEREAS, section 320301 of title 54, United States Code (the “Antiquities Act”), authorizes the President, in the President’s discretion, to declare by public proclamation historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest that are situated upon the lands owned or controlled by the Federal Government to be national monuments, and to reserve as a part thereof parcels of land, the limits of which shall be confined to the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected; and

     WHEREAS, the Chuckwalla region has been profoundly sacred to Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples with ties to the Colorado and Mojave Deserts since time immemorial; and

WHEREAS, it is in the public interest both to ensure the preservation, restoration, and protection of the objects of scientific and historic interest identified above and to advance renewable energy in Development Focus Areas (DFAs) that were identified by the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) as of the date of this proclamation; and

     Whereas, I find that all the objects identified above, and objects of the type identified above within the area described herein, are objects of historic or scientific interest in need of protection under section 320301 of title 54, United States Code, regardless of whether they are expressly identified as objects of historic or scientific interest in the text of this proclamation; and

     Whereas, I find that there are threats to the objects identified in this proclamation, and, in the absence of a reservation under the Antiquities Act, the objects identified in this proclamation are not adequately protected by applicable law or administrative designations, thus making a national monument designation and reservation necessary to protect the objects of historic and scientific interest identified above for current and future generations; and

     Whereas, I find that the boundaries of the monument reserved by this proclamation represent the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects of historic or scientific interest identified above, as required by the Antiquities Act; and

     Whereas, it is in the public interest to ensure the preservation, restoration, and protection of the objects of historic and scientific interest identified above;

     Now, Therefore, I, Joseph R. Biden JR., President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by section 320301 of title 54, United States Code, hereby proclaim the objects identified above that are situated upon lands and interests in lands owned or controlled by the Federal Government to be the Chuckwalla National Monument (monument) and, for the purpose of protecting those objects, reserve as part thereof all lands and interests in lands that are owned or controlled by the Federal Government within the boundaries described on the accompanying map, which is attached hereto and forms a part of this proclamation.  These reserved Federal lands and interests in lands encompass approximately 624,270 acres.  As a result of the distribution of the objects across the Chuckwalla region, the boundaries described on the accompanying map are confined to the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects of historic or scientific interest identified above.

     All Federal lands and interests in lands within the boundaries of the monument are hereby appropriated and withdrawn from all forms of entry, location, selection, sale, or other disposition under the public land laws, other than by exchange that furthers the protective purposes of the monument or that facilitates the remediation, monitoring, or reclamation of historic mining operations on public or private land within the monument boundary; from location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and from disposition under all laws relating to mineral and geothermal leasing.

     The establishment of the monument is subject to valid existing rights.  If the Federal Government subsequently acquires any lands or interests in lands not currently owned or controlled by the Federal Government within the boundaries described on the accompanying map, such lands and interests in lands shall be reserved as a part of the monument, and objects of the type identified above that are situated upon those lands and interests in lands shall be part of the monument, upon acquisition of ownership or control by the Federal Government.

Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to alter the valid existing water rights of any party, including the United States, or to alter or affect agreements governing the management and administration of the Colorado River, including any existing interstate water compact.  This proclamation does not reserve water as a matter of Federal law. 

     The Secretary of the Interior (Secretary), through the BLM, shall manage the monument pursuant to applicable legal authorities, as a unit of the National Landscape Conservation System, and in accordance with the terms, conditions, and management direction provided by this proclamation.

     For purposes of protecting and restoring the objects identified above, the Secretary shall within 3 years from the date of this proclamation prepare a management plan for the monument and shall promulgate such rules and regulations for the management of the monument as deemed appropriate.  The Secretary, through the BLM, shall consult with other Federal land management agencies or agency components in the local area, including the Bureau of Reclamation, Department of Defense, and National Park Service, in developing the management plan. 

The Secretary shall provide for maximum public involvement in the development of the management plan, as well as consultation with Tribal Nations affiliated culturally or historically with the Chuckwalla Region and conferral with State and local governments.  In preparing the management plan, the Secretary shall take into account, to the maximum extent practicable, maintaining the undeveloped character of the lands within the monument; minimizing impacts from surface-disturbing activities; providing appropriate and, where consistent with the proper care and management of the objects of historic or scientific interest identified above, improving access for recreation, hunting, dispersed camping, wildlife management, scientific research, and the permissible casual collection of rocks; and emphasizing the retention of natural quiet, dark night skies, and scenic attributes of the region.

The Secretary shall consider appropriate mechanisms to provide for temporary closures to the general public of specific portions of the monument to protect the privacy of cultural, religious, and gathering activities of members of Tribal Nations.

The Secretary, through the BLM, shall establish an advisory committee under chapter 10 of title 5, United States Code (commonly known as the Federal Advisory Committee Act), to provide advice or recommendations regarding the development of the management plan and, as appropriate, management of the monument.  The advisory committee shall consist of a fair and balanced representation of interested stakeholders, including State agencies and local governments; Tribal Nations; recreational users; conservation organizations; the scientific community; the renewable energy and electric utility industry; and the general public in the region.

In recognition of the value of collaboration with Tribal Nations for the proper care and management of the objects identified above and to ensure that management of the monument is informed by, integrates, and reflects Tribal expertise and Indigenous Knowledge, as appropriate, the Secretary shall meaningfully engage with Tribal Nations with cultural or historical affiliation to the Chuckwalla region, including by seeking opportunities for co-stewardship of the monument. 

If Tribal Nations with cultural or historical affiliation to the Chuckwalla region independently establish a commission or other similar entity (commission) comprised of elected officers or official designees from each participating Tribal Nation to engage in co-stewardship of the monument with the Federal Government through shared responsibilities or administration, then the Secretary shall meaningfully engage the commission in the development, revision, or amendment of the management plan and the management of the monument, including by considering and, as appropriate, integrating the Indigenous Knowledge and special expertise of the members of the commission in the planning and management of the monument.  The management plan for the monument shall also set forth parameters for continued meaningful engagement with the commission, if established, in the implementation of the management plan and, as appropriate, incorporate public education on and interpretation of traditional place names and the cultural significance of land within the monument.  The Secretary shall explore opportunities to provide support to the commission, if established, to enable participation in the planning and management of the monument.

The Secretary shall also explore entering into cooperative agreements or contracts, pursuant to the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, 25 U.S.C. 5301 et seq. or other applicable authorities, with Tribes or Tribal organizations to perform administrative or management functions within the monument and providing technical and financial assistance to improve the capacity of Tribal Nations to develop, enter into, and carry out activities under such cooperative agreements or contracts.  The Secretary also shall explore opportunities for funding agreements with Tribal Nations relating to the management and protection of traditional cultural properties and other culturally significant programming associated with the monument.

Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to alter, modify, abrogate, enlarge, or diminish the rights or jurisdiction of any Tribal Nation, including off-reservation reserved rights.  The Secretary shall, to the maximum extent permitted by law and in consultation with Tribal Nations, ensure the protection of sacred sites and cultural properties and sites in the monument and shall provide access to Tribal members for traditional cultural, spiritual, and customary uses, consistent with the American Indian Religious Freedom Act (42 U.S.C. 1996), the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (42 U.S.C. 2000bb et seq.), Executive Order 13007 of May 24, 1996 (Indian Sacred Sites), and the November 10, 2021, Memorandum of Understanding Regarding Interagency Coordination and Collaboration for the Protection of Indigenous Sacred Sites.  Such uses shall include, but are not limited to, the collection of medicines, berries, plants, and other vegetation for cradle boards and other purposes, and firewood for ceremonial practices and personal noncommercial use, so long as each use is carried out consistent with applicable law and in a manner consistent with the proper care and management of the objects identified above.  The Secretary shall endeavor to prepare an ethnographic study and cultural resources survey of the monument to assess the importance of the land to Tribal Nations affiliated culturally or historically with the Chuckwalla Region and the religious, spiritual, and cultural practices of culturally affiliated Tribal Nations.

The Secretary shall explore mechanisms, consistent with applicable law, to enable the protection of Indigenous Knowledge or other information relating to the nature and specific location of cultural resources within the monument and, to the extent practicable, shall explain to the holders of such knowledge or information any limitations on the ability to protect such information from disclosure before it is shared with the BLM.

     Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to preclude the renewal or assignment of, or interfere with the operation, maintenance, replacement, modification, upgrade, or access to, existing or previously approved flood control, utility, pipeline, and telecommunications sites or facilities; roads or highway corridors; seismic monitoring facilities; wildlife management structures installed by the BLM or the State of California; or water infrastructure, including wildlife water developments or water district facilities, within the boundaries of existing or previously approved authorizations within the monument.  Existing or previously approved flood control, utility (including electric transmission and distribution), pipeline, telecommunications, and seismic monitoring facilities; roads or highway corridors; wildlife management structures installed by the BLM or the State of California; and water infrastructure, including wildlife water developments or water district facilities, may be expanded, and new facilities of such kind may be constructed, to the extent consistent with the proper care and management of the objects identified above and subject to the Secretary’s authorities, other applicable law, and the provisions of this proclamation related to roads and trails.

For purposes of protecting and restoring the objects identified above, the Secretary shall prepare a transportation plan that designates the roads and trails on which motorized and non-motorized mechanized vehicle use will be allowed.  The transportation plan shall include management decisions necessary to protect the objects identified in this proclamation.  Except for emergency purposes and authorized administrative purposes, including management activities by appropriate California State agencies to maintain, enhance, or restore fish and wildlife populations and habitats, which are otherwise consistent with applicable law, motorized vehicle use in the monument may be permitted only on roads and trails documented as existing in BLM route inventories that exist as of the date of this proclamation.  Any additional roads or trails designated for motorized vehicle use by the general public must be designated only for public safety needs or if necessary for the protection of the objects identified above.

Livestock grazing has not been permitted in the monument area since 2002, and the Secretary shall not issue any new grazing permits or leases on such lands.

     Nothing in this proclamation shall affect the BLM’s ability to authorize access to and remediation or monitoring of contaminated lands within the monument, including for remediation of unexploded ordnance and mine, mill, or tailing sites or for the restoration of natural resources. 

Nothing in this proclamation shall preclude low-level overflights of military aircraft, the landing of military aircraft in accordance with aviation safety regulations in landing zones that have been or are designated in the future, military flight testing or evaluation, the designation of new units of special use airspace, the use of existing or the establishment of new military flight training routes, or low-level overflights and landings of aircraft by the BLM or its contractors for scientific or resource management purposes.  Nothing in this proclamation shall preclude the use of land within the monument for military training, or preclude air or ground access to existing or new electronic tracking or communications sites associated with special use airspace and military flight training routes, after appropriate coordination between the Department of Defense and the Department of the Interior.

As this monument is located near DFAs identified by the DRECP and is consistent with the goals of that plan, nothing in this proclamation shall be interpreted to require denial of proposals for renewable energy projects that are in DFAs identified by the DRECP and that comply with all applicable legal requirements.

Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to enlarge or diminish the jurisdiction or authority of the State of California with respect to fish and wildlife management, including hunting and fishing, on the lands reserved by this proclamation.  The Secretary shall seek to develop and implement science-based habitat and ecological restoration projects within the monument and shall seek to collaborate with the State of California on wildlife management within the monument, including through the development of new, or the continuation of existing, agreements with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The Secretary shall evaluate opportunities to enter into one or more agreements with governments, including State, local, and Tribal, regarding the protection of the objects identified above during wildland fire prevention and response efforts. Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to alter the authority or responsibility of any party with respect to emergency response activities within the monument, including wildland fire response.

Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to limit the authority of the Secretary, consistent with applicable law, to undertake or authorize activities for the purpose of ensuring safe and continued recreational access to canyons in the Mecca Hills Wilderness.

Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to revoke any existing withdrawal, reservation, or appropriation; however, the monument shall be the dominant reservation.

     Warning is hereby given to all unauthorized persons not to appropriate, injure, destroy, or remove any feature of the monument and not to locate or settle upon any of the lands thereof.

     If any provision of this proclamation, including its application to a particular parcel of land, is held to be invalid, the remainder of this proclamation and its application to other parcels of land shall not be affected thereby.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.

                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

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In southeastern California, where the Mojave and Colorado Deserts intersect, ancient trails weave through a land of canyon-carved mountain ranges bound together by radiating alluvial bajadas and dark tendrils of dry wash woodlands.  Sharing a name with the wide-bodied lizard that is commonly found here and derived from the Cahuilla word “čáxwal,” the Chuckwalla region is a place of wonder that lies within the traditional homelands of the Iviatim (Cahuilla), Nüwü (Chemehuevi), Pipa Aha Macav (Mojave), Kwatsáan (Quechan), Maara’yam and Marringayam (Serrano), and other Indigenous peoples.  It is imbued with religious, spiritual, historic, and cultural significance for Tribal Nations that trace their origins to these lands.  The area contains an abundance of artifacts attesting to its connection to diverse human communities over thousands of years.  The region’s mosaic of habitats is also home to a remarkable array of plant and animal species.  The dramatic contortions of its mountain ranges embody a fundamental story about the shaping of our world that scientists are still learning to decipher.  The cultural, geologic, and ecological resources on Federal lands in the Chuckwalla region will continue to inspire and fascinate people and provide a scientific research trove for generations to come.

The Chuckwalla region comprises five geographically discrete areas located between Joshua Tree National Park and the Palen/McCoy Wilderness to the north, California State Route 78 to the east, the Chocolate Mountain Aerial Gunnery Range to the south, and the western boundary of the Mecca Hills Wilderness to the west.  Woven together by the physical threads of Indigenous trails that radiate outward connecting peoples and places throughout the Southwest, the region carries significant cultural and sacred meaning for many Tribal Nations.  The southern area is a vast and intact expanse of austere, beautiful mountain ranges and desert valleys stretching from the Mecca Hills and Orocopia Mountains in the northwest, to the Mule and Palo Verde Mountains in the northeast, and to the mesquite-studded draws of the Milpitas Wash in the southeast.  The other four areas, which lie in the transition zone between the Mojave and Colorado deserts, are located at the base of the Cottonwood, Eagle, Coxcomb, and Palen Mountains.

The imprints of generations of Indigenous peoples are found throughout the region in the trails, tools, habitation sites, and spectacular petroglyphs and pictographs they left behind.  The Chuckwalla region has also been marked by the passage of people on the major prehistoric and historic travel corridors that connected the region to the Pacific coast and the interior southwest.  While only a small fraction of the region has been formally inventoried, myriad cultural resources have been documented, and there are likely similar historic sites and objects yet to be discovered.  A few sites are well-known and easily accessible to the public; many others are concealed in labyrinths of rugged canyons and have not yet been formally studied.

Trails within the area helped to link important resources and people across the Indigenous homelands of the Chuckwalla region.  For centuries, they facilitated trade and cultural exchange between peoples throughout the Southwest.  Weaving through canyons, the trails connected indispensable water and other resources throughout the area.  They were, and are, essential to the people who trace their origins to these lands, and provide a sense of connection between generations and between the physical and spiritual worlds.

In some places, the footfalls of past generations have etched these trails into the region’s surface, wearing a clear path into desert pavement.  Ceramics and lithic scatter are also commonly found along trail routes within the Chuckwalla region.  The endless shifting of sand and alluvium have likely obscured artifacts in some locations.  A prehistoric travel route ran through the core of the northern area between the Eagle and Coxcomb Mountains, connecting the Pinto Basin, where some of California’s oldest artifacts have been found, and the Chuckwalla Valley.  The relatively narrow gap between the Eagle and Coxcomb Mountains traversed by the corridor also creates the conditions for flash floods; as a result, artifacts are likely to be found below the surface of the wash rather than on its surface.

At least two trails that traverse the Chuckwalla region are sacred to Tribal Nations and bind their members to the land and to generations past.  These trails, of which physical traces remain, are both ancient and modern, tangible places and passages that Tribes and Indigenous peoples evoke and visit through songs and dreams.  Two versions of the Salt Song Trail pass through the region, connecting it to Tribal communities and sacred sites throughout the Southwest physically and through songs describing corridors, viewsheds, and the related geography and resources.  While the Salt Song Trail can be traveled by foot, traditional singers also travel this trail by voice through songs passed down across generations and that Tribes and Indigenous peoples believe assist the transport of the spirits of the recently deceased.  

The Xam Kwatchan Trail, which parallels the Colorado River in the vicinity of the Mule and Palo Verde Mountains along the eastern edge of the southern area, is maintained by the Quechan people and recognized by many other Tribes of the Lower Colorado River.  Portions of the Xam Kwatchan Trail are still visible and may be traveled physically as the trail weaves through the area and links together three sacred peaks of the Southwest:  Avi Kwa Ame to the north of the Chuckwalla region near Lake Mead, Palo Verde Peak within the southern Chuckwalla region and overlooking the Colorado River, and Pilot Knob to the south of the Chuckwalla region near Yuma, Arizona.  It is a belief of the Quechan people that they also travel this trail through dreams to transport the living and deceased, and to tie them to these lands and to their origin at Avi Kwa Ame.  The Palo Verde and Mule Mountains encompass sites of particular significance along this trail.  The eastern side of the Palo Verde Mountains is particularly dense with evidence of human habitation, including trails, camp spots, and ceremonial fire hearths. 

The Chuckwalla region has no perennial streams or lakes, but hidden within the southern area’s mountain ranges are springs and natural seasonal water catchments (often referred to as tanks).  Knowledge of these water sources has allowed Indigenous people to survive within this arid environment for thousands of years.  The locations surrounding these springs and tanks are replete with artifacts, including stone tools, ceramics, remnants of habitations, and a dazzling array of petroglyphs and pictographs.  In some places, the patina of naturally created desert pavement has been scraped away to form circles and images known as geoglyphs.

In a wide canyon at the heart of the Chuckwalla Mountains lies Corn Springs, a well-known cultural site.  Amid the mountain range’s rugged peaks and dry washes, the oasis at Corn Springs, which supports a stand of more than 60 California fan palms, has long been a beacon to the area’s human occupants. Corn Springs contains extensive petroglyphs encompassing a diverse array of elements and representing contributions by many people over thousands of years.  These petroglyphs, which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, are carved into flat planes on the golden rocks found near Corn Springs.  

Jutting from the desert floor north of Corn Springs, in an area just south of the community of Desert Center, sits Alligator Rock.  A salient ridge containing dikes of aplite, Alligator Rock was both a milestone on the major Indigenous travel and trade route that passed through Chuckwalla Valley and an important prehistoric source of lithic materials.  Flakes and tools crafted from the area’s distinctive speckled stone have been documented in sites throughout Chuckwalla Valley. 

In the eastern area, northeast of Alligator Rock and Corn Springs and north of the Little Chuckwalla Mountain Wilderness, Ford Dry Lake is now a sparsely vegetated playa in the Chuckwalla Valley at the base of the Palen and McCoy Mountains.  Dense cultural sites have been documented along the lake’s ancient shorelines, attesting to its use by generations of Indigenous peoples.  Artifacts uncovered here include a variety of stone tools, ceramics, and other evidence of Indigenous habitation sites. 

While seemingly inhospitable to humans, the Chuckwalla region has provided sustenance and material resources to the Indigenous peoples who have inhabited and traversed it for generations.  Many of the region’s native plants were gathered for food, including mesquite and ironwood seeds, wild grasses, and cacti.  Mesquite, which thrives in the dry washes of the southern area between the Chocolate and Palo Verde Mountains, was a particularly important source of sustenance.  Large quantities of the beans were collected in the summer and stored for use throughout the year.  In 1972, a large ceramic olla (an earthenware vessel) containing mesquite beans was discovered in a rock shelter in the canyon-striated Mecca Hills of the far western corner of the southern area.

By the mid-1800s, the Chuckwalla region had caught the attention of non-Indigenous Americans seeking wealth in the underbelly of its mountains.  In the 1860s, the Mule Mountains — near the California-Arizona border — were the site of one of the first discoveries of gold in Riverside County.  Two decades later, the largest gold rush in Riverside County’s history occurred when gold and silver were discovered in the Chuckwalla Mountains.  Relics of historic mines, including shafts, trenches, equipment, and remnants of buildings, are present throughout the region’s mountain ranges.  A mining shaft, conveyor, and loading dock associated with the Model Mine, which operated around the turn of the last century, are located in the western foothills of the Chuckwalla Mountains.  

In 1862, as gold seekers spread throughout the region, a miner named William Bradshaw sought to develop a route to connect the Coachella Valley with expanding mines on the east side of the Colorado River.  A Cahuilla leader and another Indigenous trail runner provided Bradshaw with a map of existing Indigenous routes linking springs and tanks along the southern edge of the Orocopia, Chuckwalla, and Little Chuckwalla Mountains.  He used the knowledge shared with him of these existing Indigenous trails to identify what became known as the “Bradshaw Trail,” an overland route that traverses the Chuckwalla Bench through the heart of the southern area.  Some of the springs and tanks, which had long been used by Indigenous peoples, became stagecoach stations associated with the Bradshaw Trail.  Intrepid visitors can still drive the unpaved Bradshaw Trail, which the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) designated as a National Backcountry Byway in 1992.

In 1942, shortly after the United States entered World War II, the Department of the Army established a presence in the Chuckwalla region, reminders of which can still be seen across the terrain.  In March of 1942, Major General George Patton selected a large swath of desert in California and Nevada, including a substantial amount of land in the Chuckwalla Valley, for a Desert Training Center to prepare United States Army units for desert combat.  By the end of World War II, over a million soldiers had been trained at the facility.  Small unit training exercises were held in Chuckwalla Valley, which the Army believed provided the best approximation of terrain they might face in parts of North Africa.  The scars of tank tracks across the southern area’s desert pavement can still be seen today, along with berms, trenches, and foxholes.

The Chuckwalla region includes the footprint of Camp Young, the Desert Training Center’s first camp and its administrative core.  Camp Young was primarily located south of present-day Joshua Tree National Park and north of Interstate 10 in the western area.  While none remain standing, Camp Young boasted almost 100 administrative buildings, two hospitals, 50 warehouses, a theater, an officers’ club, and a post office.  Traces of the soldiers’ lives at Camp Young can still be seen here, including rock-lined walkways and remnants of concrete foundations.

During his tenure at the Desert Training Center, General Patton lived at Camp Young but was in the field on a daily basis, including to review small unit training exercises in the Chuckwalla Valley.  He would often shout orders into a radio while observing tank maneuvers from a hill overlooking the valley between the Orocopia and Chuckwalla Mountains, in the center of the Chuckwalla region’s southern area.  The road bulldozed for Patton’s use to the top of this hill, known as “The King’s Throne,” remains clearly visible.

Against this backdrop of human history, the Chuckwalla region’s many and varied plant and animal inhabitants have continued to persevere in the harsh desert environment.  The region provides a refuge for more than 50 rare plants and animals, as well as 21 vulnerable vegetation communities.  The diversity of biota has attracted numerous scientists over many decades who have conducted research into topics as varied as testing translocation methods for bighorn sheep, studying ant colony forming behavior, and documenting the demographic patterns of the Orocopia sage, a shrub with delicate lavender flowers that is only known to grow in the Mecca Hills and Orocopia and Chocolate Mountains. 

The broad bajadas of the southern area radiate out from a series of small mountain ranges, whose sinuous canyons and ragged peaks provide habitat to a variety of species.  The washes and sandy slopes of the Orocopia Mountains are home to Orocopia sage.  The Mecca aster is endemic to only a small area, with more than half of its known occurrences located in the Mecca Hills.  Mountain areas in the Chuckwalla region are also the only known locations of the recently described Chuckwalla cholla, a relatively low-lying cactus with reddish flowers.

Desert bighorn sheep, a sensitive species with declining numbers, live year-round on the craggy slopes of the Orocopia and Chuckwalla Mountains and are occasionally glimpsed in the Palo Verde and Little Chuckwalla Mountains.  The broad, sandy washes that connect the mountains — unbroken by paved roads or large developments — provide the habitat connectivity necessary to preserve genetic diversity among bighorn sheep populations.

The region’s expanse of gently sloping shrubby terrain is also vital to the survival of the threatened Agassiz’s desert tortoise, encompassing key components of an essential corridor connecting the tortoise’s Chuckwalla and Chemehuevi populations.  Much of the region is critical habitat for this charismatic desert dweller.

Located in the southern area of the Chuckwalla region, the Chuckwalla Bench is an elevated area of alluvial fans that provided a setting for extensive study and monitoring of desert tortoises for decades.  It is also home to over 150 native plant species.  The specific species present change with elevation as the bench’s slopes climb to an 80,000-acre expanse that rises to approximately 2,000 feet in elevation, resulting in an environment that is notably cooler and wetter than is typical for the Sonoran Desert.  At the higher elevations, Mojave yucca and cholla become increasingly common.  The Munz’s cholla, a species endemic to the Chuckwalla Bench whose spiny, branching arms often reach a height of six feet, grows here.

In part because of the relative availability of forage and water, the Chuckwalla Bench is included in the United States Fish and Wildlife Service’s primary area of interest for Sonoran Desert pronghorn reintroduction in California.  In 1941, around the time that the United States Army began desert training in the area, the endangered Sonoran Desert pronghorn was last observed in the Colorado Desert in the vicinity of Salt Creek Wash, which runs between the Orocopia and Chocolate Mountains.

Dry washes in the Chuckwalla region are threaded with populations of desert trees including ironwood, blue palo verde, smoketree, and mesquite.  These are known as microphyll woodlands, and they provide migration corridors for desert wildlife, as well as crucial habitat for migratory birds.  Milpitas Wash, located south of the Palo Verde Mountains in the southern area near the Arizona border, is one of the largest remaining microphyll woodlands in the Colorado Desert.  It is identified as a component of the National Audubon Society’s Colorado Desert Microphyll Woodlands Important Bird Area.  Old-growth blue palo verde trees in Milpitas Wash provide nesting cavities for an important population of Gila woodpeckers, which are listed as endangered under the California Endangered Species Act.  Rare long-eared owls, Crissal thrashers, and black-tailed gnatcatchers also nest in Milpitas Wash.

Dense pockets of palo verde microphyll woodland occur in the northeast portion of the southern Chuckwalla region and are reported to have the highest winter bird densities in the California Desert.  Sand dunes have dammed several small washes in the area, creating relatively wet conditions that are conducive to dense vegetative growth.  These sand dunes in Chuckwalla Valley are fed by aeolian (windblown) sand transport corridors.  In addition to the rich cultural sites associated with Ford Dry Lake, the portion of the Chuckwalla Valley in the eastern Chuckwalla region protects part of these sand transport corridors.  The dunes in this area also provide habitat for the rare Mojave fringe-toed lizard.

Nightfall reveals another dimension of the Chuckwalla region.  Kit foxes and sensitive species such as burrowing owls and elf owls emerge from dens, while a variety of rare bats including the California leaf-nosed bat, the western mastiff bat, and the western yellow bat dart through the desert sky.  Mountain lions are also known to prowl the Chuckwalla region at night.  A population of mountain lions in southern California and the central coast of California, which includes those in the Chuckwalla region, is currently a candidate species under consideration for listing under the California Endangered Species Act.  

The Chuckwalla region encompasses striking geologic diversity, which both underpins the rich ecological and cultural values and is itself the focus of extensive research.  In the far western reach of the southern area of this region, the Mecca Hills, shaped by the unquiet presence of the San Andreas Fault, attract not only hikers eager to explore their intricate canyons but a long line of geologists seeking to better understand fault dynamics.  There is an exposure of Pliocene-Pleistocene terrestrial sedimentary rocks along the fault, and recent uplift and erosion have allowed the opportunity for its detailed analysis.  Researchers have analyzed the Painted Canyon Fault, which lies within the San Andreas strike-slip fault zone in the Mecca Hills, to better understand tectonic processes along faults as far away as Denmark.  

Just to the east of the Mecca Hills, the Orocopia Mountains have been the site of extensive study of the geologic mechanisms that shape the earth, including deposition, metamorphism, uplift, and exposure.  In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Orocopia Mountains were the site of field training for the Apollo 13 and 15 crews, preparing them to observe and document lunar geology.

In 1986, scientists documented five new species of mollusks from the Eocene epoch that were found in samples taken from the Orocopia Mountains, which helped clarify scientists’ understanding of the timing of the westward migration of Eurasian mollusk species during the early Eocene and late Paleocene epochs.  In the Palo Verde Mountains, at the southeastern edge of the Chuckwalla region, outcroppings of the Bouse Formation are helping scientists unlock mysteries around the formation of the Colorado River. 

Protecting the Chuckwalla region will preserve an important spiritual, cultural, prehistoric, and historic legacy and protect places inscribed with history for future generations; maintain a diverse array of natural and scientific resources; and help ensure that the prehistoric, historic, and scientific resources and values of the region endure for the benefit of all Americans.  As described above, the region contains numerous objects of historic and scientific interest, and it provides exceptional outdoor recreational opportunities, including hiking, camping, backpacking, rockhounding, sightseeing, nature study, birding, horseback riding, hunting, climbing, mountain biking, and motorized recreation, all of which are important to the travel- and tourism-based economy of the region.

WHEREAS, section 320301 of title 54, United States Code (the “Antiquities Act”), authorizes the President, in the President’s discretion, to declare by public proclamation historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest that are situated upon the lands owned or controlled by the Federal Government to be national monuments, and to reserve as a part thereof parcels of land, the limits of which shall be confined to the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected; and

     WHEREAS, the Chuckwalla region has been profoundly sacred to Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples with ties to the Colorado and Mojave Deserts since time immemorial; and

WHEREAS, it is in the public interest both to ensure the preservation, restoration, and protection of the objects of scientific and historic interest identified above and to advance renewable energy in Development Focus Areas (DFAs) that were identified by the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) as of the date of this proclamation; and

     Whereas, I find that all the objects identified above, and objects of the type identified above within the area described herein, are objects of historic or scientific interest in need of protection under section 320301 of title 54, United States Code, regardless of whether they are expressly identified as objects of historic or scientific interest in the text of this proclamation; and

     Whereas, I find that there are threats to the objects identified in this proclamation, and, in the absence of a reservation under the Antiquities Act, the objects identified in this proclamation are not adequately protected by applicable law or administrative designations, thus making a national monument designation and reservation necessary to protect the objects of historic and scientific interest identified above for current and future generations; and

     Whereas, I find that the boundaries of the monument reserved by this proclamation represent the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects of historic or scientific interest identified above, as required by the Antiquities Act; and

     Whereas, it is in the public interest to ensure the preservation, restoration, and protection of the objects of historic and scientific interest identified above;

     Now, Therefore, I, Joseph R. Biden JR., President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by section 320301 of title 54, United States Code, hereby proclaim the objects identified above that are situated upon lands and interests in lands owned or controlled by the Federal Government to be the Chuckwalla National Monument (monument) and, for the purpose of protecting those objects, reserve as part thereof all lands and interests in lands that are owned or controlled by the Federal Government within the boundaries described on the accompanying map, which is attached hereto and forms a part of this proclamation.  These reserved Federal lands and interests in lands encompass approximately 624,270 acres.  As a result of the distribution of the objects across the Chuckwalla region, the boundaries described on the accompanying map are confined to the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects of historic or scientific interest identified above.

     All Federal lands and interests in lands within the boundaries of the monument are hereby appropriated and withdrawn from all forms of entry, location, selection, sale, or other disposition under the public land laws, other than by exchange that furthers the protective purposes of the monument or that facilitates the remediation, monitoring, or reclamation of historic mining operations on public or private land within the monument boundary; from location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and from disposition under all laws relating to mineral and geothermal leasing.

     The establishment of the monument is subject to valid existing rights.  If the Federal Government subsequently acquires any lands or interests in lands not currently owned or controlled by the Federal Government within the boundaries described on the accompanying map, such lands and interests in lands shall be reserved as a part of the monument, and objects of the type identified above that are situated upon those lands and interests in lands shall be part of the monument, upon acquisition of ownership or control by the Federal Government.

Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to alter the valid existing water rights of any party, including the United States, or to alter or affect agreements governing the management and administration of the Colorado River, including any existing interstate water compact.  This proclamation does not reserve water as a matter of Federal law. 

     The Secretary of the Interior (Secretary), through the BLM, shall manage the monument pursuant to applicable legal authorities, as a unit of the National Landscape Conservation System, and in accordance with the terms, conditions, and management direction provided by this proclamation.

     For purposes of protecting and restoring the objects identified above, the Secretary shall within 3 years from the date of this proclamation prepare a management plan for the monument and shall promulgate such rules and regulations for the management of the monument as deemed appropriate.  The Secretary, through the BLM, shall consult with other Federal land management agencies or agency components in the local area, including the Bureau of Reclamation, Department of Defense, and National Park Service, in developing the management plan. 

The Secretary shall provide for maximum public involvement in the development of the management plan, as well as consultation with Tribal Nations affiliated culturally or historically with the Chuckwalla Region and conferral with State and local governments.  In preparing the management plan, the Secretary shall take into account, to the maximum extent practicable, maintaining the undeveloped character of the lands within the monument; minimizing impacts from surface-disturbing activities; providing appropriate and, where consistent with the proper care and management of the objects of historic or scientific interest identified above, improving access for recreation, hunting, dispersed camping, wildlife management, scientific research, and the permissible casual collection of rocks; and emphasizing the retention of natural quiet, dark night skies, and scenic attributes of the region.

The Secretary shall consider appropriate mechanisms to provide for temporary closures to the general public of specific portions of the monument to protect the privacy of cultural, religious, and gathering activities of members of Tribal Nations.

The Secretary, through the BLM, shall establish an advisory committee under chapter 10 of title 5, United States Code (commonly known as the Federal Advisory Committee Act), to provide advice or recommendations regarding the development of the management plan and, as appropriate, management of the monument.  The advisory committee shall consist of a fair and balanced representation of interested stakeholders, including State agencies and local governments; Tribal Nations; recreational users; conservation organizations; the scientific community; the renewable energy and electric utility industry; and the general public in the region.

In recognition of the value of collaboration with Tribal Nations for the proper care and management of the objects identified above and to ensure that management of the monument is informed by, integrates, and reflects Tribal expertise and Indigenous Knowledge, as appropriate, the Secretary shall meaningfully engage with Tribal Nations with cultural or historical affiliation to the Chuckwalla region, including by seeking opportunities for co-stewardship of the monument. 

If Tribal Nations with cultural or historical affiliation to the Chuckwalla region independently establish a commission or other similar entity (commission) comprised of elected officers or official designees from each participating Tribal Nation to engage in co-stewardship of the monument with the Federal Government through shared responsibilities or administration, then the Secretary shall meaningfully engage the commission in the development, revision, or amendment of the management plan and the management of the monument, including by considering and, as appropriate, integrating the Indigenous Knowledge and special expertise of the members of the commission in the planning and management of the monument.  The management plan for the monument shall also set forth parameters for continued meaningful engagement with the commission, if established, in the implementation of the management plan and, as appropriate, incorporate public education on and interpretation of traditional place names and the cultural significance of land within the monument.  The Secretary shall explore opportunities to provide support to the commission, if established, to enable participation in the planning and management of the monument.

The Secretary shall also explore entering into cooperative agreements or contracts, pursuant to the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, 25 U.S.C. 5301 et seq. or other applicable authorities, with Tribes or Tribal organizations to perform administrative or management functions within the monument and providing technical and financial assistance to improve the capacity of Tribal Nations to develop, enter into, and carry out activities under such cooperative agreements or contracts.  The Secretary also shall explore opportunities for funding agreements with Tribal Nations relating to the management and protection of traditional cultural properties and other culturally significant programming associated with the monument.

Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to alter, modify, abrogate, enlarge, or diminish the rights or jurisdiction of any Tribal Nation, including off-reservation reserved rights.  The Secretary shall, to the maximum extent permitted by law and in consultation with Tribal Nations, ensure the protection of sacred sites and cultural properties and sites in the monument and shall provide access to Tribal members for traditional cultural, spiritual, and customary uses, consistent with the American Indian Religious Freedom Act (42 U.S.C. 1996), the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (42 U.S.C. 2000bb et seq.), Executive Order 13007 of May 24, 1996 (Indian Sacred Sites), and the November 10, 2021, Memorandum of Understanding Regarding Interagency Coordination and Collaboration for the Protection of Indigenous Sacred Sites.  Such uses shall include, but are not limited to, the collection of medicines, berries, plants, and other vegetation for cradle boards and other purposes, and firewood for ceremonial practices and personal noncommercial use, so long as each use is carried out consistent with applicable law and in a manner consistent with the proper care and management of the objects identified above.  The Secretary shall endeavor to prepare an ethnographic study and cultural resources survey of the monument to assess the importance of the land to Tribal Nations affiliated culturally or historically with the Chuckwalla Region and the religious, spiritual, and cultural practices of culturally affiliated Tribal Nations.

The Secretary shall explore mechanisms, consistent with applicable law, to enable the protection of Indigenous Knowledge or other information relating to the nature and specific location of cultural resources within the monument and, to the extent practicable, shall explain to the holders of such knowledge or information any limitations on the ability to protect such information from disclosure before it is shared with the BLM.

     Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to preclude the renewal or assignment of, or interfere with the operation, maintenance, replacement, modification, upgrade, or access to, existing or previously approved flood control, utility, pipeline, and telecommunications sites or facilities; roads or highway corridors; seismic monitoring facilities; wildlife management structures installed by the BLM or the State of California; or water infrastructure, including wildlife water developments or water district facilities, within the boundaries of existing or previously approved authorizations within the monument.  Existing or previously approved flood control, utility (including electric transmission and distribution), pipeline, telecommunications, and seismic monitoring facilities; roads or highway corridors; wildlife management structures installed by the BLM or the State of California; and water infrastructure, including wildlife water developments or water district facilities, may be expanded, and new facilities of such kind may be constructed, to the extent consistent with the proper care and management of the objects identified above and subject to the Secretary’s authorities, other applicable law, and the provisions of this proclamation related to roads and trails.

For purposes of protecting and restoring the objects identified above, the Secretary shall prepare a transportation plan that designates the roads and trails on which motorized and non-motorized mechanized vehicle use will be allowed.  The transportation plan shall include management decisions necessary to protect the objects identified in this proclamation.  Except for emergency purposes and authorized administrative purposes, including management activities by appropriate California State agencies to maintain, enhance, or restore fish and wildlife populations and habitats, which are otherwise consistent with applicable law, motorized vehicle use in the monument may be permitted only on roads and trails documented as existing in BLM route inventories that exist as of the date of this proclamation.  Any additional roads or trails designated for motorized vehicle use by the general public must be designated only for public safety needs or if necessary for the protection of the objects identified above.

Livestock grazing has not been permitted in the monument area since 2002, and the Secretary shall not issue any new grazing permits or leases on such lands.

     Nothing in this proclamation shall affect the BLM’s ability to authorize access to and remediation or monitoring of contaminated lands within the monument, including for remediation of unexploded ordnance and mine, mill, or tailing sites or for the restoration of natural resources. 

Nothing in this proclamation shall preclude low-level overflights of military aircraft, the landing of military aircraft in accordance with aviation safety regulations in landing zones that have been or are designated in the future, military flight testing or evaluation, the designation of new units of special use airspace, the use of existing or the establishment of new military flight training routes, or low-level overflights and landings of aircraft by the BLM or its contractors for scientific or resource management purposes.  Nothing in this proclamation shall preclude the use of land within the monument for military training, or preclude air or ground access to existing or new electronic tracking or communications sites associated with special use airspace and military flight training routes, after appropriate coordination between the Department of Defense and the Department of the Interior.

As this monument is located near DFAs identified by the DRECP and is consistent with the goals of that plan, nothing in this proclamation shall be interpreted to require denial of proposals for renewable energy projects that are in DFAs identified by the DRECP and that comply with all applicable legal requirements.

Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to enlarge or diminish the jurisdiction or authority of the State of California with respect to fish and wildlife management, including hunting and fishing, on the lands reserved by this proclamation.  The Secretary shall seek to develop and implement science-based habitat and ecological restoration projects within the monument and shall seek to collaborate with the State of California on wildlife management within the monument, including through the development of new, or the continuation of existing, agreements with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The Secretary shall evaluate opportunities to enter into one or more agreements with governments, including State, local, and Tribal, regarding the protection of the objects identified above during wildland fire prevention and response efforts. Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to alter the authority or responsibility of any party with respect to emergency response activities within the monument, including wildland fire response.

Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to limit the authority of the Secretary, consistent with applicable law, to undertake or authorize activities for the purpose of ensuring safe and continued recreational access to canyons in the Mecca Hills Wilderness.

Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to revoke any existing withdrawal, reservation, or appropriation; however, the monument shall be the dominant reservation.

     Warning is hereby given to all unauthorized persons not to appropriate, injure, destroy, or remove any feature of the monument and not to locate or settle upon any of the lands thereof.

     If any provision of this proclamation, including its application to a particular parcel of land, is held to be invalid, the remainder of this proclamation and its application to other parcels of land shall not be affected thereby.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.

                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

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President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. today announced the designation of a Presidential Delegation to attend the Inauguration of His Excellency Surangel S. Whipps, Jr. on January 16, 2025, in Ngerulmud, Palau.

The Honorable Joel Ehrendreich, United States Ambassador to the Republic of Palau, will lead the delegation.

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The post President Biden Announces Presidential Delegation to the Republic of Palau to Attend the Inauguration of His Excellency Surangel S. Whipps, Jr. appeared first on The White House.

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. today announced the designation of a Presidential Delegation to attend the Inauguration of His Excellency Surangel S. Whipps, Jr. on January 16, 2025, in Ngerulmud, Palau.

The Honorable Joel Ehrendreich, United States Ambassador to the Republic of Palau, will lead the delegation.

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The post President Biden Announces Presidential Delegation to the Republic of Palau to Attend the Inauguration of His Excellency Surangel S. Whipps, Jr. appeared first on The White House.

TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:

Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date.  In accordance with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency with respect to the situation in the West Bank declared in Executive Order 14115 of February 1, 2024, is to continue in effect beyond February 1, 2025.

The situation in the West Bank — in particular high levels of extremist settler violence, forced displacement of people and villages, and property destruction — has reached intolerable levels and constitutes a serious threat to the peace, security, and stability of the West Bank and Gaza, Israel, and the broader Middle East region.  These actions undermine the foreign policy objectives of the United States, including the viability of a two-state solution and ensuring Israelis and Palestinians can attain equal measures of security, prosperity, and freedom.  They also undermine the security of Israel and have the potential to lead to broader regional destabilization across the Middle East, threatening United States personnel and interests.

The situation in the West Bank continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.  Therefore, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared in Executive Order 14115 with respect to the situation in the West Bank.

                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    January 14, 2025.

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TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:

Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date.  In accordance with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency with respect to the situation in the West Bank declared in Executive Order 14115 of February 1, 2024, is to continue in effect beyond February 1, 2025.

The situation in the West Bank — in particular high levels of extremist settler violence, forced displacement of people and villages, and property destruction — has reached intolerable levels and constitutes a serious threat to the peace, security, and stability of the West Bank and Gaza, Israel, and the broader Middle East region.  These actions undermine the foreign policy objectives of the United States, including the viability of a two-state solution and ensuring Israelis and Palestinians can attain equal measures of security, prosperity, and freedom.  They also undermine the security of Israel and have the potential to lead to broader regional destabilization across the Middle East, threatening United States personnel and interests.

The situation in the West Bank continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.  Therefore, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared in Executive Order 14115 with respect to the situation in the West Bank.

                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    January 14, 2025.

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On February 1, 2024, by Executive Order 14115, I declared a national emergency pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States constituted by the situation in the West Bank. 

The situation in the West Bank — in particular high levels of extremist settler violence, forced displacement of people and villages, and property destruction — has reached intolerable levels and constitutes a serious threat to the peace, security, and stability of the West Bank and Gaza, Israel, and the broader Middle East region.  These actions undermine the foreign policy objectives of the United States, including the viability of a two-state solution and ensuring Israelis and Palestinians can attain equal measures of security, prosperity, and freedom.  They also undermine the security of Israel and have the potential to lead to broader regional destabilization across the Middle East, threatening United States personnel and interests.

The situation in the West Bank continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.  For this reason, the national emergency declared in Executive Order 14115 of February 1, 2024, must continue in effect beyond February 1, 2025.  Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency declared in Executive Order 14115 with respect to the situation in the West Bank.

This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress.

                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    January 14, 2025.

The post Press Release: Notice to the Congress on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to the Situation in the West Bank appeared first on The White House.

On February 1, 2024, by Executive Order 14115, I declared a national emergency pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States constituted by the situation in the West Bank. 

The situation in the West Bank — in particular high levels of extremist settler violence, forced displacement of people and villages, and property destruction — has reached intolerable levels and constitutes a serious threat to the peace, security, and stability of the West Bank and Gaza, Israel, and the broader Middle East region.  These actions undermine the foreign policy objectives of the United States, including the viability of a two-state solution and ensuring Israelis and Palestinians can attain equal measures of security, prosperity, and freedom.  They also undermine the security of Israel and have the potential to lead to broader regional destabilization across the Middle East, threatening United States personnel and interests.

The situation in the West Bank continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.  For this reason, the national emergency declared in Executive Order 14115 of February 1, 2024, must continue in effect beyond February 1, 2025.  Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency declared in Executive Order 14115 with respect to the situation in the West Bank.

This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress.

                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    January 14, 2025.

The post Press Release: Notice to the Congress on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to the Situation in the West Bank appeared first on The White House.

TO THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES:

     With a view to receiving the advice and consent of the Senate to ratification, I transmit herewith the Treaty between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the United Arab Emirates on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters (the “Treaty”), signed at Abu Dhabi on February 24, 2022.  I also transmit, for the information of the Senate, the report of the Department of State with respect to the Treaty.

     The Treaty is one of a series of modern mutual legal assistance treaties negotiated by the United States to more effectively counter criminal activities.  The Treaty should enhance our ability to investigate and prosecute a wide variety of crimes.

     The Treaty provides for a broad range of cooperation in criminal matters.  Under the Treaty, the Parties agree to assist each other by, among other things:  taking the evidence, testimony, or statements of persons; providing and authenticating documents, records, and articles of evidence; locating or identifying persons or items; serving documents; transferring persons in custody temporarily for testimony or other assistance under the Treaty; executing requests for searches and seizures; and identifying, tracing, immobilizing, seizing, and forfeiting assets and assisting in related proceedings.

     I recommend that the Senate give early and favorable consideration to the Treaty and give its advice and consent to ratification.

                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    January 14, 2025.

The post Message to the Senate on the Treaty between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the United Arab Emirates on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters appeared first on The White House.

TO THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES:

     With a view to receiving the advice and consent of the Senate to ratification, I transmit herewith the Treaty between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the United Arab Emirates on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters (the “Treaty”), signed at Abu Dhabi on February 24, 2022.  I also transmit, for the information of the Senate, the report of the Department of State with respect to the Treaty.

     The Treaty is one of a series of modern mutual legal assistance treaties negotiated by the United States to more effectively counter criminal activities.  The Treaty should enhance our ability to investigate and prosecute a wide variety of crimes.

     The Treaty provides for a broad range of cooperation in criminal matters.  Under the Treaty, the Parties agree to assist each other by, among other things:  taking the evidence, testimony, or statements of persons; providing and authenticating documents, records, and articles of evidence; locating or identifying persons or items; serving documents; transferring persons in custody temporarily for testimony or other assistance under the Treaty; executing requests for searches and seizures; and identifying, tracing, immobilizing, seizing, and forfeiting assets and assisting in related proceedings.

     I recommend that the Senate give early and favorable consideration to the Treaty and give its advice and consent to ratification.

                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    January 14, 2025.

The post Message to the Senate on the Treaty between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the United Arab Emirates on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters appeared first on The White House.

TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:

     I am pleased to transmit to the Congress, pursuant to subsections 123 b. and 123 d. of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (42 U.S.C. 2153(b), (d)) (the “Act”), the text of an Agreement for Cooperation Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy (the “Agreement”). 

     I am also pleased to transmit my written approval, authorization, and determination concerning the Agreement and an unclassified Nuclear Proliferation Assessment Statement (NPAS) concerning the Agreement.  In accordance with section 123 of the Act, a classified annex to the NPAS, prepared by the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Director of National Intelligence, summarizing relevant classified information, will be submitted to the Congress separately.  The joint memorandum submitted to me by the Secretaries of State and Energy and a letter from the Chair of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission stating the views of the Commission are also enclosed.  An addendum to the NPAS containing a comprehensive analysis of the export control system of the Kingdom of Thailand with respect to nuclear-related matters, including interactions with other countries of proliferation concern and the actual or suspected nuclear, dual-use, or missile-related transfers to such countries, pursuant to section 102A(w) of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3024(w)), is being submitted separately by the Director of National Intelligence. 

     The Agreement has been negotiated in accordance with the Act and other applicable law.  In my judgment, it meets all applicable statutory requirements and will advance the nonproliferation and other foreign policy interests of the United States of America.

     The Agreement contains all of the provisions required by subsection 123 a. of the Act.  It provides a comprehensive framework for peaceful nuclear cooperation with the Kingdom of Thailand based on a mutual commitment to nuclear nonproliferation.  It would permit the transfer of material, equipment (including reactors), components, and information for peaceful nuclear purposes.  It would not permit the transfer of Restricted Data or sensitive nuclear technology.  Any special fissionable material transferred to the Kingdom of Thailand could only be in the form of low enriched uranium, with the exception of small quantities of special fissionable material for use as samples, standards, detectors, or targets, or for such other purposes as the parties may agree. 

     Through the Agreement, the Kingdom of Thailand would affirm its intent to rely on existing international markets for nuclear fuel services rather than acquiring sensitive nuclear technology (i.e., for enrichment and reprocessing), and the United States would affirm its intent to support these international markets to ensure nuclear fuel supply for the Kingdom of Thailand.

     The Agreement has a term of 30 years, although it can be terminated at any time by either party on 1 year’s advance written notice to the other party.  In the event of termination or expiration of the Agreement, key nonproliferation conditions and controls will continue in effect as long as any material, equipment, or components subject to the Agreement remains in the territory of the party concerned or under its jurisdiction or control anywhere, or until such time as the parties agree that such material, equipment, or components are no longer usable for any nuclear activity relevant from the point of view of safeguards.

     The Kingdom of Thailand is a party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and has concluded a Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement and Additional Protocol thereto with the International Atomic Energy Agency.  The Kingdom of Thailand was also among the early sponsors of and is a State Party to the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone.  A more detailed discussion of the Kingdom of Thailand’s domestic civil nuclear activities and its nuclear nonproliferation policies and practices is provided in the NPAS and its classified annex.

     I have considered the views and recommendations of the interested departments and agencies in reviewing the Agreement and have determined that its performance will promote, and will not constitute an unreasonable risk to, the common defense and security.  Accordingly, I have approved the Agreement and authorized its execution and urge that the Congress give it favorable consideration. 

     This transmission shall constitute a submittal for purposes of both subsections 123 b. and 123 d. of the Act.  My Administration is prepared to immediately begin the consultations with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee as provided in subsection 123 b.  Upon completion of the 30 days of continuous session review provided for in subsection 123 b., the 60 days of continuous session review provided for in subsection 123 d. shall commence.

                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    January 14, 2025.

The post Message to the Congress on the Agreement for Cooperation Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy appeared first on The White House.

TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:

     I am pleased to transmit to the Congress, pursuant to subsections 123 b. and 123 d. of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (42 U.S.C. 2153(b), (d)) (the “Act”), the text of an Agreement for Cooperation Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy (the “Agreement”). 

     I am also pleased to transmit my written approval, authorization, and determination concerning the Agreement and an unclassified Nuclear Proliferation Assessment Statement (NPAS) concerning the Agreement.  In accordance with section 123 of the Act, a classified annex to the NPAS, prepared by the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Director of National Intelligence, summarizing relevant classified information, will be submitted to the Congress separately.  The joint memorandum submitted to me by the Secretaries of State and Energy and a letter from the Chair of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission stating the views of the Commission are also enclosed.  An addendum to the NPAS containing a comprehensive analysis of the export control system of the Kingdom of Thailand with respect to nuclear-related matters, including interactions with other countries of proliferation concern and the actual or suspected nuclear, dual-use, or missile-related transfers to such countries, pursuant to section 102A(w) of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3024(w)), is being submitted separately by the Director of National Intelligence. 

     The Agreement has been negotiated in accordance with the Act and other applicable law.  In my judgment, it meets all applicable statutory requirements and will advance the nonproliferation and other foreign policy interests of the United States of America.

     The Agreement contains all of the provisions required by subsection 123 a. of the Act.  It provides a comprehensive framework for peaceful nuclear cooperation with the Kingdom of Thailand based on a mutual commitment to nuclear nonproliferation.  It would permit the transfer of material, equipment (including reactors), components, and information for peaceful nuclear purposes.  It would not permit the transfer of Restricted Data or sensitive nuclear technology.  Any special fissionable material transferred to the Kingdom of Thailand could only be in the form of low enriched uranium, with the exception of small quantities of special fissionable material for use as samples, standards, detectors, or targets, or for such other purposes as the parties may agree. 

     Through the Agreement, the Kingdom of Thailand would affirm its intent to rely on existing international markets for nuclear fuel services rather than acquiring sensitive nuclear technology (i.e., for enrichment and reprocessing), and the United States would affirm its intent to support these international markets to ensure nuclear fuel supply for the Kingdom of Thailand.

     The Agreement has a term of 30 years, although it can be terminated at any time by either party on 1 year’s advance written notice to the other party.  In the event of termination or expiration of the Agreement, key nonproliferation conditions and controls will continue in effect as long as any material, equipment, or components subject to the Agreement remains in the territory of the party concerned or under its jurisdiction or control anywhere, or until such time as the parties agree that such material, equipment, or components are no longer usable for any nuclear activity relevant from the point of view of safeguards.

     The Kingdom of Thailand is a party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and has concluded a Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement and Additional Protocol thereto with the International Atomic Energy Agency.  The Kingdom of Thailand was also among the early sponsors of and is a State Party to the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone.  A more detailed discussion of the Kingdom of Thailand’s domestic civil nuclear activities and its nuclear nonproliferation policies and practices is provided in the NPAS and its classified annex.

     I have considered the views and recommendations of the interested departments and agencies in reviewing the Agreement and have determined that its performance will promote, and will not constitute an unreasonable risk to, the common defense and security.  Accordingly, I have approved the Agreement and authorized its execution and urge that the Congress give it favorable consideration. 

     This transmission shall constitute a submittal for purposes of both subsections 123 b. and 123 d. of the Act.  My Administration is prepared to immediately begin the consultations with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee as provided in subsection 123 b.  Upon completion of the 30 days of continuous session review provided for in subsection 123 b., the 60 days of continuous session review provided for in subsection 123 d. shall commence.

                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    January 14, 2025.

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Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration, United States’ policy towards Cuba has focused on empowering the Cuban people to freely determine their own future, and advancing respect for human rights.  This singular purpose has guided our policies to reunify Cuban families, strengthen cultural and educational ties between Cuba and the United States, enable remittances to flow more freely to the Cuban people, and increase support for independent Cuban entrepreneurs. 

In that spirit, we are taking several steps to support the Cuban people as part of an understanding with the Catholic Church under the leadership of Pope Francis and improve the livelihood of Cubans.  First, today we notified Congress that President Biden determined Cuba should no longer be designated as a State Sponsor of Terrorism.  Secondly, we notified Congress that the President issued a waiver for Title III of the Helms-Burton Act, otherwise known as the Libertad Act, for a period of six months.  Finally, President Biden rescinded the 2017 National Security Presidential Memorandum 5 on Cuba policy to eliminate the so-called “restricted list” and by extension the additional regulations on engagement by U.S. persons and entities with Cuban persons and entities, beyond that which is currently prescribed in U.S. legislation.  We have also been informed by the Catholic Church that the Cuban government will soon begin releasing a substantial number of political prisoners.

In taking these steps to bolster the ongoing dialogue between the government of Cuba and the Catholic Church, President Biden is also honoring the wisdom and counsel that has been provided to him by many world leaders, especially in Latin America, who have encouraged him to take these actions, on how best to advance the human rights of the Cuban people.  We take these steps in appreciation of the Catholic Church’s efforts to facilitate Cuba to take its own, constructive measures to restore liberty to its citizens and enable conditions that improve the livelihood of Cubans. 

###

The post Statement from Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Steps to Support the Cuban People appeared first on The White House.

Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration, United States’ policy towards Cuba has focused on empowering the Cuban people to freely determine their own future, and advancing respect for human rights.  This singular purpose has guided our policies to reunify Cuban families, strengthen cultural and educational ties between Cuba and the United States, enable remittances to flow more freely to the Cuban people, and increase support for independent Cuban entrepreneurs. 

In that spirit, we are taking several steps to support the Cuban people as part of an understanding with the Catholic Church under the leadership of Pope Francis and improve the livelihood of Cubans.  First, today we notified Congress that President Biden determined Cuba should no longer be designated as a State Sponsor of Terrorism.  Secondly, we notified Congress that the President issued a waiver for Title III of the Helms-Burton Act, otherwise known as the Libertad Act, for a period of six months.  Finally, President Biden rescinded the 2017 National Security Presidential Memorandum 5 on Cuba policy to eliminate the so-called “restricted list” and by extension the additional regulations on engagement by U.S. persons and entities with Cuban persons and entities, beyond that which is currently prescribed in U.S. legislation.  We have also been informed by the Catholic Church that the Cuban government will soon begin releasing a substantial number of political prisoners.

In taking these steps to bolster the ongoing dialogue between the government of Cuba and the Catholic Church, President Biden is also honoring the wisdom and counsel that has been provided to him by many world leaders, especially in Latin America, who have encouraged him to take these actions, on how best to advance the human rights of the Cuban people.  We take these steps in appreciation of the Catholic Church’s efforts to facilitate Cuba to take its own, constructive measures to restore liberty to its citizens and enable conditions that improve the livelihood of Cubans. 

###

The post Statement from Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Steps to Support the Cuban People appeared first on The White House.

Oval Office

6:15 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT:  Folks, what we’re going to do is I’m going to make a brief statement; the vice president is going to make a brief statement; Liz is going to call on Chief Moore and call on Griswell [Criswell], the — so FEMA is sp- — spoken; and then I — we’re going to each ask some questions; and then we’re going to ask you to leave.  Okay?  Unless you want to talk about the (inaudible) or something. 

You can smile.  It’s okay.  She’s a real tough guy, right there. 

All right?  Okay. 

Can you guys hear us?

CHIEF MOORE:  Yes, we can hear you. 

THE PRESIDENT:  All right. 

Well, look, we’re heading into the second week of fil- — of wildfires out in California.  These wildfires are the worst in California history.

And Vice President Harris and I are about to meet with Secretary Mayorkas, who is here; FEMA administrator; FEMA regional administrator — regional administrator; and the chief of U.S. Fire — Forest Service. 

And, first, I want to share an update on where things stand now as we know it.

One, over the past few weeks, state and local and federal firefighters were able to prevent the largest fires from moving into new areas.  In other words, they’ve been able to contain the fires.  Fourteen percent containment in the Pacific Palisades has been — that’s how much has been contained.  Thirty-three percent in the fire in Pasadena.  Ninety-five percent in Sylmar.  And the fire in Ventura has been 100 percent contained.  And that’s progress.

That said, that was a heartbreaking weekend for a lot of people in Los Angeles.  Ash was raining down like snow.  Homes burned to the ground — thousands of those homes are gone.  And we learned we lost more of our fellow Americans. 

So, let’s say again to the people Los Angeles: We’re with you.  We’re with you. 

And, you know, al- — although the federal government is going to cover 100 percent of the cost for the next 180 days for things like firefighter overtime pay, debris removal, temporary shelters, it’s going to cost tens of billions of dollars to get Los Angeles back to where it was. 

So, we’re going to need Congress to step up to provide funding to get this done.  And we’re going to get that done, God willing. 

Over the next few days, we’re expecting strong wind gusts that are — could move — be — you know, more fires — more fuel for fires.  And I’m continuing to direct the federal government to do everything possible with — everything we possibly can to help California. 

I’ve sent equipment to Los Angeles, including helicopters, tanker planes, and fire engines.  And our allies in Canada and Mexico have sent 130 firefighters and emergency responders, as the team knows.

I’ve asked Bob Fenton of FEMA to help — he helped Hawaii after the Maui fires — to take the lead in coordinating the federal support and debris recovery and removal in Los Angeles.

And the first step of that is coordinating between FEMA, EPA, and the Army Corps of Engineers to remove the ha- — to remove the hazardous debris before you can get in and remove it all.  And that hazardous debris includes things like propane tanks, electric vehicles, and battery (inaudible).  

Then, the monumental task of removing the rest of that debris can begin, but it’s a monumental task.

And I’ve activated 500 Marines from the base in Pendleton to stand by and help in search and rescue, airlift support, and food and water distribution. 

And I want to be clear: We’re not waiting until those fires are over to be — to start helping the victims.  We’re getting them help right now, as you all know. 

People impacted by these fires are going to receive a one-time payment of $770 — a one-time payment — so they can quickly purchase things like water, baby formula, and prescriptions.  So far, nearly 6,000 survivors have registered to do just that and $5.1 million has gone out. 

And I encourage everyone — everyone who has been impacted to get assistance.  Go to Disaster- — DisasterAssistance.gov or call 1-800-621-3362.  Let me repeat that number: 1-800-621-3362.

Before I turn this over to Vice President Harris, let me say again to all the incredible firefighters and first responders: Thank you, thank you, thank you.  Los Angeles is the City of Angels, and you’re now the angels — all of you.  You’re the angels, literally, saving people’s lives, and we owe you. 

And we owe your families, who are also in harm’s way and you’re still going out and doing your job.

To the people of Los Angeles: Thank you for sticking together, for helping one another through an unimaginable loss.  And I want you to know — and I mean this — I want you to know we have no higher priority than the safety of you folks in Los Angeles.  We’re going to keep doing everything possible to help you get through this. 

And, Vice President Harris, I now turn it over to you.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, Mr. President. 

So, what is happening in Los Angeles is truly heartbreaking, and there’s an extraordinary amount of trauma that so many people are experiencing through loss of life, loss of their homes, loss of normalcy. 

And what I would ask is that, on this day seven of the fires, in the midst of the extraordinary exhaustion that everyone is feeling on so many levels, that we stay vigilant. 

The next 48 hours, as we will hear, are very critical.  The winds are going to pick up, with wind gusts that may reach as much as 70 miles per hour. 

And so, this is the time that everyone must be vigilant.  Follow whatever orders you are receiving from your local authorities.  If you are in any area where you may be called to evacuate, collect your belongings that you would want to take in the tragic event that you have to evacuate, and — and please be ready and prepared in that event.

Lots of people who still have a home who are under evacuation order, I know you want to get back home, but this is a time to be patient.  There is still so much work that firefighters, police officers, FEMA, and others are doing that is about search and rescue.  The work that still needs to be done to ensure the safety around utility lines — this work is still very much in progress.  And so, it’s critically important that to the extent you can find anything that gives you an ability to be patient in this extremely dangerous and unprecedented crisis, that you do.

But I — I’d echo what the president said: We have seen acts of courage, heroism, building of community, people looking out for strangers.  And we applaud and are in awe of the generosity of spirit that we are seeing throughout the region. 

And so, let us just always, again, thank our firefighters, our police officers, our first responders for what they are doing to personally sacrifice so much for the sake of others. 

Thank you. 

DR. SHERWOOD-RANDALL:  Thank you, Madam Vice President.

We’ll now go to the U.S. Forest Service chief, Randy Moore, who’s out in Los Angeles. 

Chief Moore, over to you.

CHIEF MOORE:  Thank you.

Mr. President, Madam Vice President, the situation remains very dynamic, with immediate threats to life and safety. 

One important thing to name is that, unlike what we normally will think of with wildland fires, where they’re often on the landscape for weeks, these incidents are — come from urban conflagrations — whereas once the winds are over and if containment continues to increase, we would expect these incidents to move rapidly from fire suppression to recovery.

Now, in terms of the weather, we’re expecting a period of elevated to critical fire weather risk through Wednesday, as the vice president had indicated, and we’re expected to have red flag warnings in effect for strong gusts of winds, low humidity, and very dry vegetation for much of Los Angeles, Ventura, and neighboring counties. 

We’re also expecting to have moderate Santa Ana winds, which begins today — later today through Wednesday.  And as the vice president had indicated, we’re looking at frequent winds of about 20 to 30 miles per hour, but gusts in anywhere from 50 to 70 miles per hour are very likely. 

Right now, our biggest concern is new starts.  And with this wind event or new growth on the Palisades or Eaton fires, these are high possibilities.  So, our personnel are working really hard to strengthen the existing containment lines. 

And also, from Monday through Wednesday, we’re looking to have minimum relative humidities, which is expected to remain in the upper single digits, somewhere around 20 percent.  So, what that’s basically saying is that the vegetation will continue to stay dry.

And by Friday, we expect several degrees of cooling and a large increase in humidity Friday into Saturday.  So, this is the good news on the back end of that — that wind.

In terms of fire activity — so, the Forest Service remains in unified command on the Eaton Fire; the Lidia Fire is no longer active; and the Hurst Fire is no longer in unified command, as threats are minimal on those two fires. 

Now, regarding the Eaton’s Fire, it’s holding at about 14,000 acres.  Containment has grown yesterday at 27 percent to 33 percent today, and there’s no new growth, which is the good news.  However, our fighters are reinforcing that perimeter, and we’ll have to hold that under these challenging conditions through Wednesday. 

We’re looking at nearly 40,000 structures remain threatened, and early remote sensing is reporting a number of structures have been destroyed.  And we are in the process of doing damage assessments by ground-truth and to see what we’re — we think that we’re seeing from the air.

There’s eight confirmed civilian fatalities as a result of this fire.  And, as of yesterday, there were 50 crews, 375 engines, 16 helicopters, and over 3,400 personnel that was assigned to this fire. 

The Hurst Fire is 95 percent contained, spread is minimal, and it has calmed down, and the repopulation started yesterday.  We still have about 100 firefighters out there doing what we call “mop-up duties.”  That’s where if they seeing smoke, to put the fire completely out.  So, we’ll continue to patrol the area and do mop-up activities. 

We continue to support the Palisades Fire.  We’re having moderate fire behavior that persists.  We currently have about 23,700 acres that are burned, and the fire is about 18 percent contained as we speak.  There’s also two confirmed civilian fatalities on that fire as well.  We currently have about 115 crews, 540 engines, 44 helicopters, and 5,123 personnel that are assigned to this fire.

To date, we’re successfully filling resource requests for both initial tag and incident support.  And as of this morning, there’s about 9,000 firefighters that are assigned to these large fires that we’re talking about here. 

Now, this does not include the many who’s assigned to their home units or pre-positioned to their different units to provide initial attack on new starts.  And we continue to have firefighters coming from all across the country, relieving some of the firefighters who has been pressing really, really hard, and we’ll continue to mobilize personnel as well as equipment.

Now, aviation resources that is operational as of this morning.  We have four Forest Service and one Cal Fire area supervision modules.  These are for the lead planes that are going in, guiding the large planes.  We have 12 air tankers.  We have 18 water-dropping helicopters.  We have three water scoopers. 

And all eight of the Department of Defense Modular Aerial Fighting Firefighter Systems tankers are at south ops or down in this area.  Seven of them are in service, and we’re still working on one that has some mechanical problems on the tail of the — the plane.  That’s expected to be fixed and operational later this evening, so for activity — for duty tomorrow.  So, tomorrow, we’re looking to have all eight that are in operations.  And, as I said earlier, we have seven that are operating now.

A request for assistance has been sent, as I mentioned earlier, to our Canadian partners, looking at mobilizing two of the CL-415 water scoopers.  They are expected to clear customs on Wednesday, and they’ll be available after they clear federal inspections and check rides. 

You know, it’s important to — we’re talking about aviation.  It’s really important to emphasize that aviation resources cannot fly safely when the winds are high, like what we’re talking about, so this is a situation that needs to be continually monitored.  And I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to closely coordinate among all partners in managing aircraft in this limited airspace. 

Our national airspace coordinator is heavily engaged with all of the people that are concerned, looking at safe operation of our aircraft in this area. 

And, you know, we’re working with Cal Fire to e- — evaluate the offers that we’re getting from our international partners.  And this thing is — is dynamic and is rapidly changing.  But given where we are in the year, we have very little competition for firefighting resources nationwide, and so we can still draw upon untapped federal, state, and local firefighting resources. 

Our initial tag rate continues to be really high.  You know, we’re staffing firefighters 24/7.  To give you an idea, we have about — right at about 2,000 federal firefighters that are in station for what we call “quick response emerging fires.”  That’s the new starts. 

To give you an idea of how successful this group of people are — this group of firefighters are: Since January 6th, we’ve had 235 new fire starts, and we have kept many of those, just about all of it, down to five acres or less. 

And I say that because that’s pretty significant, considering the — just the four large fires that we’ve had and the damages this is causing.  This team of firefighters — both state, local, federal, and others — Tribes — have kicked back 235 new starts of fires. 

So, we’re — we’re looking at moving into post-fire recovery at some point.  So, the efforts are already underway.  We’ve already provided post-fire imagery maps to the state’s watershed emergency response teams, as well as the federal response team for both the Eaton Fire and the Palisades Fire, and we’re in the process of also doing the same thing for the Hurst Fire. 

Now, these post-fire images that we are providing is — they’re — they’re basically soil burn severity, which a team uses to produce a soil burn severity map.  So, we can look at the type of reclamation activity that needs to take place after the fire. 

The Forest Service is also coordinating with our fellow USDA agencies, including Rural Development, Farm Service Agency, and Natural Resources Conservation Service to provide an integrated effort for long-term recovery needs. 

And our Research Department is also working with the city of Los Angeles and other water providers to provide some ash contamination modeling for water users. 

So, we’re likely to have boots on the ground of these teams by Thursday morning, after the red flag incidents subsides.

End of report.

THE PRESIDENT:  Randy, is there any more support the federal government can be providing to support to the firefighters doing this heroic work?  Anything else we — we could be doing?

CHIEF MOORE:  I — I think — when you look at the amount of aircraft, I think we provided everything that’s been asked for and that’s needed. 

In terms of firefighters, we have what we call “U2Fs” — U — “UTFs” — that’s “unable to fill.”  We don’t have any unable-to-fill positions that have been requested to date. 

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.

Madam Vice President.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Randy, if, God forbid, the — the fires go beyond Los Angeles County, given the — the surge of resources into Los Angeles, what is your level of confidence that we’ll be able to get the resources to any neighboring county in — in time?

CHIEF MOORE:  I’m confident that we’ll be able to get the resources.  We have access right now to about 15,000 firefighters that are not currently being used, that’s not needed.  So, if things got out of hand, and let’s just say that the wind conditions blew the fires back out into the wildland, we do have firefighters pre-positioned in a lot of different areas to look at that initial attack.

And I mentioned the 235 fires now that these same groups of people have been able to bat down to about 5 or 6 major fires.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Good.

THE PRESIDENT:  Can I ask one more question, Randy?  Are you hearing any misinformation that’s going out, false assertions that are being made about the state of the effort to fight the fire?

CHIEF MOORE:  Well, I mean, there’s always rumors with large fires like this, Mr. President.  And one of the — the — one of the things that everybody wants to know is how did these fires start.  And until the team of investigators conclude their investigations, we don’t really know. 

And so, there’s a lot of speculation out there about how these fires started, but there’s no proof to validate a lot of these rumors that we’re — we’re hearing. 

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.

DR. SHERWOOD-RANDALL:  Thank you, Randy. 

And now to Administrator Criswell from FEMA.

ADMINISTRATOR CRISWELL:  All right.  Thank you, Liz.

Mr. President, Madam Vice President, you know, at your direction, I was on the ground there on Thursday and Friday.  I had an opportunity to meet with incident commanders at both the Palisades Fire as well as the Eaton Fire. 

And, again, I think you see the images on television, but it just doesn’t compare to what you see in person — right? — when you see the devastation, when you talk to the family members, when you talk to the community members and they talk so much about how proud they are of their community. 

And I think one of the things we’ve talked about a lot is, you know, they say the community is gone, but the community is there.  The community’s spirit will continue to exist. 

And we had that long conversation with the Pasadena mayor when I was there, and it was, you know, really telling on how — how proud they are of these communities. 

And so, that’s why, as Randy and his teams are continuing to try to put out these fires, FEMA’s programs are in place to help support all of these families that have been impacted. 

I think, right now, we have about eight shelters that are still open.  The shelter numbers have been remaining at about 700 to 800, you know, day over day, which means there’s a lot of people that are staying with family and friends or they’re staying in hotel rooms.  And so, that’s one of the things we can cover.  It’s one of the programs through the major disaster declarations.  We can reimburse these families for the hotel costs that they’re experiencing now, in addition to giving them that Serious Needs Assistance of $770 for, like, clothes.  They just need to buy clothes.  They left with nothing. 

I mean, so, those are the first kinds of infor- — not information, but resources that we’re going to be able to provide to so many families.

And in addition to the just over 6,000 that you mentioned, Mr. President, that have already gotten the Serious Needs Assistance, we’ve got almost 33,000 that have registered for assistance.  And this number goes up a little bit every day, but we think it’s going to continue to rise as we can get into the communities. 

We have our Disaster Survivor Assistance team members that are going out into the community.  You know, they normally walk door to door.  In this case, the fires are still burning, so they can’t.  And so, we have them in the shelters, but we’ve also put them in the public libraries, where we know people are probably going to help register to get information.

And then we’ll continue to work with the mayor and the governor on other places where we can send our folks so we can reach the people that haven’t gotten into the system yet.  And so, we’ll continue to work with them to make sure that we can support them as they register for assistance. 

And some of them are already getting notices and letters, you know, that the information has been received but it’s not final yet.  There’s a lot of confusion about that right now, and we recognize that. 

THE PRESIDENT:  Explain that a little more.

ADMINISTRATOR CRISWELL:  So, when somebody registers for assistance and they have not submitted all of their documentation, like what their insurance company is going to pr- — cover or not cover, they’ll get a letter from us saying, “You’re not approved yet.”  They’ll — 

THE PRESIDENT:  Can they get a letter if their — if they have no home, how do they get a letter?

ADMINISTRATOR CRISWELL:  It’s through email.  So, they get an email notification —

THE PRESIDENT:  I — I just want to make sure we (inaudible).

ADMINISTRATOR CRISWELL:  Yeah.  They get an email notification to check their case and that it’s been updated.  But we want them to know that it just means we need the — the rest of that documentation. 

So, I’ve directed my team to start calling every one of these families that have already gotten this type of a notification so we can make sure that they know that, “Hey, we just need more documentation.  We want to work with you and help you through this.”  Because it’s traumatizing, right?  And then to have this bureaucracy, you know, limit that, we w- — I’m trying to take away the bureaucracy, at your direction.  That’s “how much can I get rid of?”  This is one of the things we’re going to do is add that personal touch and call all of these families that have already received this notice so we can get them the assistance that they’re eligible for and help them upload the documentation that they might need.

THE PRESIDENT:  You hear it reported by the press that there’s misinformation being put out there by — from some sources or even people identifying themselves and going on the air saying such and such. 

ADMINISTRATOR CRISWELL:  Yeah.

THE PRESIDENT:  Are — are you seeing much of that, and does it have an impact on the — on the public?

ADMINISTRATOR CRISWELL:  We are seeing some of that, similar to what we saw in North Carolina after Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Milton. 

We even saw somebody put out a way to spread a message through phones that said FEMA is going to provide three years of coverage for hotel rooms, which was completely false and not sent by us. 

And so, our external affairs team works hard to put out the right information.  And we work with the community to try to get the trusted voices within the community to help get the right message out —

THE PRESIDENT:  Yeah.

ADMINISTRATOR CRISWELL:  — and know who they need to go to in order to get this process started. 

And, unfortunately, there’s a lot of people that try to take advantage of these families that have lost everything, try to apply for assistance on their behalf, try to get them to apply on a false website.  Those are the things that we see in almost every disaster.  It just continues to get worse and worse, it seems like, disaster after disaster.

THE PRESIDENT:  I think that’s right. 

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Given that the winds may pick up tonight and the evacuation geography may change, how are individuals and families going to be alerted if they are now required to evacuate, especially if it happens during the night?

ADMINISTRATOR CRISWELL:  Yeah, that’s something that the state and the county have a system to do a wireless emergency alert.  It’ll go right to their cell phone if there’s an evacuation order for their area.  And even if somebody drives into the area, it will let them know that they are in an evacuation zone. 

When I was there, my phone would go off when I would drive into the different areas — when I would drive into Pasadena — saying, “This is an evacuation zone.  You need to leave.”

And so, that alert system goes out, and they have their own provider that sends those out.  It’s all directed at the county level. 

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And then, do you know whether the requests that have been made of the federal government, local, state — are they all being met or are there any that have yet to be met?

ADMINISTRATOR CRISWELL:  So, all of the firefighting requests that are going through Randy and all his folks are all being met. 

We are starting this planning process for the — the recovery, and we’re pre-positioning some resources, like food and water, closer to the area if they need it. 

California’s resource — they’ve got a lot of resources, and so they have plenty that they’re drawing from their own stockpiles right now and don’t need ours, but we want to make sure, if they do, we have ours ready to go. 

And so, anything that the state has asked for outside of the fires that FEMA would provide, we’ve been able to meet all of those requests.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Liz, do you have —

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — anything to add to that?

DR. SHERWOOD-RANDALL:  Thank you very much.  I’m all good.

So, with that —

AIDE:  Thanks, guys.  Thank you, press. 

6:40 P.M. EST

The post Remarks by President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Senior White House and Administration Officials During Briefing on the Full Federal Response to the Wildfires Across Los Angeles appeared first on The White House.

Oval Office

6:15 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT:  Folks, what we’re going to do is I’m going to make a brief statement; the vice president is going to make a brief statement; Liz is going to call on Chief Moore and call on Griswell [Criswell], the — so FEMA is sp- — spoken; and then I — we’re going to each ask some questions; and then we’re going to ask you to leave.  Okay?  Unless you want to talk about the (inaudible) or something. 

You can smile.  It’s okay.  She’s a real tough guy, right there. 

All right?  Okay. 

Can you guys hear us?

CHIEF MOORE:  Yes, we can hear you. 

THE PRESIDENT:  All right. 

Well, look, we’re heading into the second week of fil- — of wildfires out in California.  These wildfires are the worst in California history.

And Vice President Harris and I are about to meet with Secretary Mayorkas, who is here; FEMA administrator; FEMA regional administrator — regional administrator; and the chief of U.S. Fire — Forest Service. 

And, first, I want to share an update on where things stand now as we know it.

One, over the past few weeks, state and local and federal firefighters were able to prevent the largest fires from moving into new areas.  In other words, they’ve been able to contain the fires.  Fourteen percent containment in the Pacific Palisades has been — that’s how much has been contained.  Thirty-three percent in the fire in Pasadena.  Ninety-five percent in Sylmar.  And the fire in Ventura has been 100 percent contained.  And that’s progress.

That said, that was a heartbreaking weekend for a lot of people in Los Angeles.  Ash was raining down like snow.  Homes burned to the ground — thousands of those homes are gone.  And we learned we lost more of our fellow Americans. 

So, let’s say again to the people Los Angeles: We’re with you.  We’re with you. 

And, you know, al- — although the federal government is going to cover 100 percent of the cost for the next 180 days for things like firefighter overtime pay, debris removal, temporary shelters, it’s going to cost tens of billions of dollars to get Los Angeles back to where it was. 

So, we’re going to need Congress to step up to provide funding to get this done.  And we’re going to get that done, God willing. 

Over the next few days, we’re expecting strong wind gusts that are — could move — be — you know, more fires — more fuel for fires.  And I’m continuing to direct the federal government to do everything possible with — everything we possibly can to help California. 

I’ve sent equipment to Los Angeles, including helicopters, tanker planes, and fire engines.  And our allies in Canada and Mexico have sent 130 firefighters and emergency responders, as the team knows.

I’ve asked Bob Fenton of FEMA to help — he helped Hawaii after the Maui fires — to take the lead in coordinating the federal support and debris recovery and removal in Los Angeles.

And the first step of that is coordinating between FEMA, EPA, and the Army Corps of Engineers to remove the ha- — to remove the hazardous debris before you can get in and remove it all.  And that hazardous debris includes things like propane tanks, electric vehicles, and battery (inaudible).  

Then, the monumental task of removing the rest of that debris can begin, but it’s a monumental task.

And I’ve activated 500 Marines from the base in Pendleton to stand by and help in search and rescue, airlift support, and food and water distribution. 

And I want to be clear: We’re not waiting until those fires are over to be — to start helping the victims.  We’re getting them help right now, as you all know. 

People impacted by these fires are going to receive a one-time payment of $770 — a one-time payment — so they can quickly purchase things like water, baby formula, and prescriptions.  So far, nearly 6,000 survivors have registered to do just that and $5.1 million has gone out. 

And I encourage everyone — everyone who has been impacted to get assistance.  Go to Disaster- — DisasterAssistance.gov or call 1-800-621-3362.  Let me repeat that number: 1-800-621-3362.

Before I turn this over to Vice President Harris, let me say again to all the incredible firefighters and first responders: Thank you, thank you, thank you.  Los Angeles is the City of Angels, and you’re now the angels — all of you.  You’re the angels, literally, saving people’s lives, and we owe you. 

And we owe your families, who are also in harm’s way and you’re still going out and doing your job.

To the people of Los Angeles: Thank you for sticking together, for helping one another through an unimaginable loss.  And I want you to know — and I mean this — I want you to know we have no higher priority than the safety of you folks in Los Angeles.  We’re going to keep doing everything possible to help you get through this. 

And, Vice President Harris, I now turn it over to you.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, Mr. President. 

So, what is happening in Los Angeles is truly heartbreaking, and there’s an extraordinary amount of trauma that so many people are experiencing through loss of life, loss of their homes, loss of normalcy. 

And what I would ask is that, on this day seven of the fires, in the midst of the extraordinary exhaustion that everyone is feeling on so many levels, that we stay vigilant. 

The next 48 hours, as we will hear, are very critical.  The winds are going to pick up, with wind gusts that may reach as much as 70 miles per hour. 

And so, this is the time that everyone must be vigilant.  Follow whatever orders you are receiving from your local authorities.  If you are in any area where you may be called to evacuate, collect your belongings that you would want to take in the tragic event that you have to evacuate, and — and please be ready and prepared in that event.

Lots of people who still have a home who are under evacuation order, I know you want to get back home, but this is a time to be patient.  There is still so much work that firefighters, police officers, FEMA, and others are doing that is about search and rescue.  The work that still needs to be done to ensure the safety around utility lines — this work is still very much in progress.  And so, it’s critically important that to the extent you can find anything that gives you an ability to be patient in this extremely dangerous and unprecedented crisis, that you do.

But I — I’d echo what the president said: We have seen acts of courage, heroism, building of community, people looking out for strangers.  And we applaud and are in awe of the generosity of spirit that we are seeing throughout the region. 

And so, let us just always, again, thank our firefighters, our police officers, our first responders for what they are doing to personally sacrifice so much for the sake of others. 

Thank you. 

DR. SHERWOOD-RANDALL:  Thank you, Madam Vice President.

We’ll now go to the U.S. Forest Service chief, Randy Moore, who’s out in Los Angeles. 

Chief Moore, over to you.

CHIEF MOORE:  Thank you.

Mr. President, Madam Vice President, the situation remains very dynamic, with immediate threats to life and safety. 

One important thing to name is that, unlike what we normally will think of with wildland fires, where they’re often on the landscape for weeks, these incidents are — come from urban conflagrations — whereas once the winds are over and if containment continues to increase, we would expect these incidents to move rapidly from fire suppression to recovery.

Now, in terms of the weather, we’re expecting a period of elevated to critical fire weather risk through Wednesday, as the vice president had indicated, and we’re expected to have red flag warnings in effect for strong gusts of winds, low humidity, and very dry vegetation for much of Los Angeles, Ventura, and neighboring counties. 

We’re also expecting to have moderate Santa Ana winds, which begins today — later today through Wednesday.  And as the vice president had indicated, we’re looking at frequent winds of about 20 to 30 miles per hour, but gusts in anywhere from 50 to 70 miles per hour are very likely. 

Right now, our biggest concern is new starts.  And with this wind event or new growth on the Palisades or Eaton fires, these are high possibilities.  So, our personnel are working really hard to strengthen the existing containment lines. 

And also, from Monday through Wednesday, we’re looking to have minimum relative humidities, which is expected to remain in the upper single digits, somewhere around 20 percent.  So, what that’s basically saying is that the vegetation will continue to stay dry.

And by Friday, we expect several degrees of cooling and a large increase in humidity Friday into Saturday.  So, this is the good news on the back end of that — that wind.

In terms of fire activity — so, the Forest Service remains in unified command on the Eaton Fire; the Lidia Fire is no longer active; and the Hurst Fire is no longer in unified command, as threats are minimal on those two fires. 

Now, regarding the Eaton’s Fire, it’s holding at about 14,000 acres.  Containment has grown yesterday at 27 percent to 33 percent today, and there’s no new growth, which is the good news.  However, our fighters are reinforcing that perimeter, and we’ll have to hold that under these challenging conditions through Wednesday. 

We’re looking at nearly 40,000 structures remain threatened, and early remote sensing is reporting a number of structures have been destroyed.  And we are in the process of doing damage assessments by ground-truth and to see what we’re — we think that we’re seeing from the air.

There’s eight confirmed civilian fatalities as a result of this fire.  And, as of yesterday, there were 50 crews, 375 engines, 16 helicopters, and over 3,400 personnel that was assigned to this fire. 

The Hurst Fire is 95 percent contained, spread is minimal, and it has calmed down, and the repopulation started yesterday.  We still have about 100 firefighters out there doing what we call “mop-up duties.”  That’s where if they seeing smoke, to put the fire completely out.  So, we’ll continue to patrol the area and do mop-up activities. 

We continue to support the Palisades Fire.  We’re having moderate fire behavior that persists.  We currently have about 23,700 acres that are burned, and the fire is about 18 percent contained as we speak.  There’s also two confirmed civilian fatalities on that fire as well.  We currently have about 115 crews, 540 engines, 44 helicopters, and 5,123 personnel that are assigned to this fire.

To date, we’re successfully filling resource requests for both initial tag and incident support.  And as of this morning, there’s about 9,000 firefighters that are assigned to these large fires that we’re talking about here. 

Now, this does not include the many who’s assigned to their home units or pre-positioned to their different units to provide initial attack on new starts.  And we continue to have firefighters coming from all across the country, relieving some of the firefighters who has been pressing really, really hard, and we’ll continue to mobilize personnel as well as equipment.

Now, aviation resources that is operational as of this morning.  We have four Forest Service and one Cal Fire area supervision modules.  These are for the lead planes that are going in, guiding the large planes.  We have 12 air tankers.  We have 18 water-dropping helicopters.  We have three water scoopers. 

And all eight of the Department of Defense Modular Aerial Fighting Firefighter Systems tankers are at south ops or down in this area.  Seven of them are in service, and we’re still working on one that has some mechanical problems on the tail of the — the plane.  That’s expected to be fixed and operational later this evening, so for activity — for duty tomorrow.  So, tomorrow, we’re looking to have all eight that are in operations.  And, as I said earlier, we have seven that are operating now.

A request for assistance has been sent, as I mentioned earlier, to our Canadian partners, looking at mobilizing two of the CL-415 water scoopers.  They are expected to clear customs on Wednesday, and they’ll be available after they clear federal inspections and check rides. 

You know, it’s important to — we’re talking about aviation.  It’s really important to emphasize that aviation resources cannot fly safely when the winds are high, like what we’re talking about, so this is a situation that needs to be continually monitored.  And I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to closely coordinate among all partners in managing aircraft in this limited airspace. 

Our national airspace coordinator is heavily engaged with all of the people that are concerned, looking at safe operation of our aircraft in this area. 

And, you know, we’re working with Cal Fire to e- — evaluate the offers that we’re getting from our international partners.  And this thing is — is dynamic and is rapidly changing.  But given where we are in the year, we have very little competition for firefighting resources nationwide, and so we can still draw upon untapped federal, state, and local firefighting resources. 

Our initial tag rate continues to be really high.  You know, we’re staffing firefighters 24/7.  To give you an idea, we have about — right at about 2,000 federal firefighters that are in station for what we call “quick response emerging fires.”  That’s the new starts. 

To give you an idea of how successful this group of people are — this group of firefighters are: Since January 6th, we’ve had 235 new fire starts, and we have kept many of those, just about all of it, down to five acres or less. 

And I say that because that’s pretty significant, considering the — just the four large fires that we’ve had and the damages this is causing.  This team of firefighters — both state, local, federal, and others — Tribes — have kicked back 235 new starts of fires. 

So, we’re — we’re looking at moving into post-fire recovery at some point.  So, the efforts are already underway.  We’ve already provided post-fire imagery maps to the state’s watershed emergency response teams, as well as the federal response team for both the Eaton Fire and the Palisades Fire, and we’re in the process of also doing the same thing for the Hurst Fire. 

Now, these post-fire images that we are providing is — they’re — they’re basically soil burn severity, which a team uses to produce a soil burn severity map.  So, we can look at the type of reclamation activity that needs to take place after the fire. 

The Forest Service is also coordinating with our fellow USDA agencies, including Rural Development, Farm Service Agency, and Natural Resources Conservation Service to provide an integrated effort for long-term recovery needs. 

And our Research Department is also working with the city of Los Angeles and other water providers to provide some ash contamination modeling for water users. 

So, we’re likely to have boots on the ground of these teams by Thursday morning, after the red flag incidents subsides.

End of report.

THE PRESIDENT:  Randy, is there any more support the federal government can be providing to support to the firefighters doing this heroic work?  Anything else we — we could be doing?

CHIEF MOORE:  I — I think — when you look at the amount of aircraft, I think we provided everything that’s been asked for and that’s needed. 

In terms of firefighters, we have what we call “U2Fs” — U — “UTFs” — that’s “unable to fill.”  We don’t have any unable-to-fill positions that have been requested to date. 

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.

Madam Vice President.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Randy, if, God forbid, the — the fires go beyond Los Angeles County, given the — the surge of resources into Los Angeles, what is your level of confidence that we’ll be able to get the resources to any neighboring county in — in time?

CHIEF MOORE:  I’m confident that we’ll be able to get the resources.  We have access right now to about 15,000 firefighters that are not currently being used, that’s not needed.  So, if things got out of hand, and let’s just say that the wind conditions blew the fires back out into the wildland, we do have firefighters pre-positioned in a lot of different areas to look at that initial attack.

And I mentioned the 235 fires now that these same groups of people have been able to bat down to about 5 or 6 major fires.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Good.

THE PRESIDENT:  Can I ask one more question, Randy?  Are you hearing any misinformation that’s going out, false assertions that are being made about the state of the effort to fight the fire?

CHIEF MOORE:  Well, I mean, there’s always rumors with large fires like this, Mr. President.  And one of the — the — one of the things that everybody wants to know is how did these fires start.  And until the team of investigators conclude their investigations, we don’t really know. 

And so, there’s a lot of speculation out there about how these fires started, but there’s no proof to validate a lot of these rumors that we’re — we’re hearing. 

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.

DR. SHERWOOD-RANDALL:  Thank you, Randy. 

And now to Administrator Criswell from FEMA.

ADMINISTRATOR CRISWELL:  All right.  Thank you, Liz.

Mr. President, Madam Vice President, you know, at your direction, I was on the ground there on Thursday and Friday.  I had an opportunity to meet with incident commanders at both the Palisades Fire as well as the Eaton Fire. 

And, again, I think you see the images on television, but it just doesn’t compare to what you see in person — right? — when you see the devastation, when you talk to the family members, when you talk to the community members and they talk so much about how proud they are of their community. 

And I think one of the things we’ve talked about a lot is, you know, they say the community is gone, but the community is there.  The community’s spirit will continue to exist. 

And we had that long conversation with the Pasadena mayor when I was there, and it was, you know, really telling on how — how proud they are of these communities. 

And so, that’s why, as Randy and his teams are continuing to try to put out these fires, FEMA’s programs are in place to help support all of these families that have been impacted. 

I think, right now, we have about eight shelters that are still open.  The shelter numbers have been remaining at about 700 to 800, you know, day over day, which means there’s a lot of people that are staying with family and friends or they’re staying in hotel rooms.  And so, that’s one of the things we can cover.  It’s one of the programs through the major disaster declarations.  We can reimburse these families for the hotel costs that they’re experiencing now, in addition to giving them that Serious Needs Assistance of $770 for, like, clothes.  They just need to buy clothes.  They left with nothing. 

I mean, so, those are the first kinds of infor- — not information, but resources that we’re going to be able to provide to so many families.

And in addition to the just over 6,000 that you mentioned, Mr. President, that have already gotten the Serious Needs Assistance, we’ve got almost 33,000 that have registered for assistance.  And this number goes up a little bit every day, but we think it’s going to continue to rise as we can get into the communities. 

We have our Disaster Survivor Assistance team members that are going out into the community.  You know, they normally walk door to door.  In this case, the fires are still burning, so they can’t.  And so, we have them in the shelters, but we’ve also put them in the public libraries, where we know people are probably going to help register to get information.

And then we’ll continue to work with the mayor and the governor on other places where we can send our folks so we can reach the people that haven’t gotten into the system yet.  And so, we’ll continue to work with them to make sure that we can support them as they register for assistance. 

And some of them are already getting notices and letters, you know, that the information has been received but it’s not final yet.  There’s a lot of confusion about that right now, and we recognize that. 

THE PRESIDENT:  Explain that a little more.

ADMINISTRATOR CRISWELL:  So, when somebody registers for assistance and they have not submitted all of their documentation, like what their insurance company is going to pr- — cover or not cover, they’ll get a letter from us saying, “You’re not approved yet.”  They’ll — 

THE PRESIDENT:  Can they get a letter if their — if they have no home, how do they get a letter?

ADMINISTRATOR CRISWELL:  It’s through email.  So, they get an email notification —

THE PRESIDENT:  I — I just want to make sure we (inaudible).

ADMINISTRATOR CRISWELL:  Yeah.  They get an email notification to check their case and that it’s been updated.  But we want them to know that it just means we need the — the rest of that documentation. 

So, I’ve directed my team to start calling every one of these families that have already gotten this type of a notification so we can make sure that they know that, “Hey, we just need more documentation.  We want to work with you and help you through this.”  Because it’s traumatizing, right?  And then to have this bureaucracy, you know, limit that, we w- — I’m trying to take away the bureaucracy, at your direction.  That’s “how much can I get rid of?”  This is one of the things we’re going to do is add that personal touch and call all of these families that have already received this notice so we can get them the assistance that they’re eligible for and help them upload the documentation that they might need.

THE PRESIDENT:  You hear it reported by the press that there’s misinformation being put out there by — from some sources or even people identifying themselves and going on the air saying such and such. 

ADMINISTRATOR CRISWELL:  Yeah.

THE PRESIDENT:  Are — are you seeing much of that, and does it have an impact on the — on the public?

ADMINISTRATOR CRISWELL:  We are seeing some of that, similar to what we saw in North Carolina after Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Milton. 

We even saw somebody put out a way to spread a message through phones that said FEMA is going to provide three years of coverage for hotel rooms, which was completely false and not sent by us. 

And so, our external affairs team works hard to put out the right information.  And we work with the community to try to get the trusted voices within the community to help get the right message out —

THE PRESIDENT:  Yeah.

ADMINISTRATOR CRISWELL:  — and know who they need to go to in order to get this process started. 

And, unfortunately, there’s a lot of people that try to take advantage of these families that have lost everything, try to apply for assistance on their behalf, try to get them to apply on a false website.  Those are the things that we see in almost every disaster.  It just continues to get worse and worse, it seems like, disaster after disaster.

THE PRESIDENT:  I think that’s right. 

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Given that the winds may pick up tonight and the evacuation geography may change, how are individuals and families going to be alerted if they are now required to evacuate, especially if it happens during the night?

ADMINISTRATOR CRISWELL:  Yeah, that’s something that the state and the county have a system to do a wireless emergency alert.  It’ll go right to their cell phone if there’s an evacuation order for their area.  And even if somebody drives into the area, it will let them know that they are in an evacuation zone. 

When I was there, my phone would go off when I would drive into the different areas — when I would drive into Pasadena — saying, “This is an evacuation zone.  You need to leave.”

And so, that alert system goes out, and they have their own provider that sends those out.  It’s all directed at the county level. 

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And then, do you know whether the requests that have been made of the federal government, local, state — are they all being met or are there any that have yet to be met?

ADMINISTRATOR CRISWELL:  So, all of the firefighting requests that are going through Randy and all his folks are all being met. 

We are starting this planning process for the — the recovery, and we’re pre-positioning some resources, like food and water, closer to the area if they need it. 

California’s resource — they’ve got a lot of resources, and so they have plenty that they’re drawing from their own stockpiles right now and don’t need ours, but we want to make sure, if they do, we have ours ready to go. 

And so, anything that the state has asked for outside of the fires that FEMA would provide, we’ve been able to meet all of those requests.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Liz, do you have —

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — anything to add to that?

DR. SHERWOOD-RANDALL:  Thank you very much.  I’m all good.

So, with that —

AIDE:  Thanks, guys.  Thank you, press. 

6:40 P.M. EST

The post Remarks by President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Senior White House and Administration Officials During Briefing on the Full Federal Response to the Wildfires Across Los Angeles appeared first on The White House.

Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security Release New Resources to Help Schools Improve Active Shooter Drills

Emerging Firearm Threats Task Force Sends President Biden Report on Machinegun Conversion Devices and 3D Printed Firearms

The Biden-Harris Administration has overseen the two largest single-year decreases in homicide ever recorded.  Violence in many cities is at pre-pandemic levels.  The Administration helped contribute to these historic decreases through unprecedented public safety funding for states, cities, law enforcement, and community violence interventions; more executive action on gun violence prevention than any other Administration; passing and implementing the first significant gun safety law in nearly 30 years; and the establishment of the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention (OGVP) to coordinate and lead the Administration’s effort to reduce gun crime and other forms of gun violence.

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announces that it completed the work required under the Executive Order President Biden signed in September 2024, directing federal agencies to: 1) help schools improve school-based active shooter drills; and 2) combat the emerging threats of machinegun conversion devices and unserialized, 3D printed firearms. 

New Federal Resources to Help Schools Improve School-Based Active Shooter Drills

Today, the U.S. Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security each are releasing new resources to help schools design and deploy school-based active shooter drills.  The majority of schools use drills to prepare for an active shooter situation.  However, there is very limited research on how to design and deploy these drills to maximize their impact and minimize any harms they might cause.

The Biden-Harris Administration has worked to dramatically reduce the impacts of gun violence on our schools, educators, and students.  We have made the largest-ever federal government investment in youth mental health and unprecedented funding and resources for schools to prevent and respond to gun violence.  We have also advanced strategies to keep guns out of the hands of students or those who seek to do harm, including by funding the implementation of red flag laws, enhancing background checks for people under 21 who are trying to buy guns, and equipping school leaders with tools to educate parents about the importance of safely storing any firearms in their homes.

While federal, state, and local leaders must continue these strategies to reduce the prevalence of gun violence in schools and communities, the new resources will help schools improve drills so they can effectively prepare for an active shooter situation while also preventing or minimizing any trauma school communities may experience in performing drills. The new resources are summarized below.

• The U.S. Department of Education’s resource, Considerations for Education Leaders in Preparing for Active Drills in Schools, provides substantive considerations school officials can use to plan for before, during, and after school-based active shooter drills.  School administrators and other leaders may find this resource helpful when they are working to design and deploy school-based active shooter drills to save lives and minimize any unintended consequences.  The information in this resource is based on robust outreach with practitioners, experts, and advocates, and are in line with existing research and evidence even as additional research is underway.  For example, the resource explains that schools should provide advance notice about active shooter drills to school communities, including parents; avoid simulated gun violence (including highly sensorial elements like fake gunfire); be age-appropriate and designed in similar ways that schools teach academic content; address the needs of all staff and students (including those in need of special accommodations) and ensure all students (including those with disabilities and English Learners) are provided an equal opportunity to participate in safety training; and always provide a clear, consistent message accessible to all students that the event is a drill.  This resource can be found here.

• The Department of Health and Human Services’ resource, Active Shooter Drills Research: An Annotated Bibliography, summarizes research on active shooter drills.  While there is a need for additional research, this document compiles relevant research for school administrators and other leaders to reference when making decisions about drill design. Researchers may also find this resource useful when working to identify gaps in the research that need to be filled.  This resource can be found here.

• The Department of Homeland Security’s resource, Active Shooter Landscape Assessment, summarizes the different types of active shooter drills currently in use in K-12 schools.  School administrators and other leaders may find this document helpful when they want a better understanding of their choices when designing school-based active shooter drills. This resource can be found here.

Combatting Emerging Firearm Threats

Emerging firearm threats like machinegun conversion devices (MCDs) and 3D printed firearms are deadly new trends that are taking innocent lives. In September 2024, the President signed an Executive Order to establish the federal Emerging Firearm Threats Task Force and ordered it to deliver to him a report that includes a risk assessment of these new threats and new strategies to stop the proliferation of MCDs and 3D printed firearms. The Task Force submitted this report to the President in December 2024.

There are viable strategies to reduce the proliferation of emerging firearm threats, strategies that must continue if the United States is going to stay ahead of these emerging threats.  Key strategies include:

• Enforcement action that focuses on the source of the threats, including illegal import of physical products and the availability of computer code used for 3D printing.

• Identifying and shutting down websites offering illegal products for sale.

• Investing in promising technological solutions that can impede the ability to 3D print illegal products. 

Below is a summary of key points on the risks compiled by the Task Force and potential strategies for combatting emerging firearms threats.

Potential Strategies for Combatting Emerging Firearms Threats

Following an assessment of the risks and data provided by the Task Force, OGVP identified the following strategies for combatting emerging firearms threats:

Machinegun Conversion Devices 

Federal agencies have a number of capabilities and legal authorities to detect, intercept, and seize MCDs.  The main pathways include: (1) seizing the websites that illegally offer MCDs for sale, (2) identifying MCDs at ports of entry, and (3) using traditional forensic tools and building new methods to trace 3D printed MCDs back to their origin.

• Websites: Recently, federal authorities seized more than 350 Internet domains that foreign companies used to sell and illegally import MCDs into the United States in violation of the National Firearms Act and other laws prohibiting trafficking in counterfeit goods.  The websites’ domains were used to import illegal MCDs and silencers from China.  Foreign sellers are continuing to establish these websites, so continued law enforcement prioritization of tracking and shuttering the illegal websites selling MCDs is essential.  Law enforcement should continue to use traditional investigatory methods and new technology to efficiently identify and quickly shut down websites that illegally sell MCDs.  OGVP supports a civil process for suspending websites, especially foreign-based websites, that are selling MCDs in the United States. 

• Port of Entry: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has targeted and tracked illegal MCDs since 2019.  CBP has provided all ports of entry with guidance material that highlights trends in shipping and concealment tactics.  CBP should continuously refresh these trainings and guidance to capture new tactics illegal MCD importers are using to avoid detection.

• Tracing 3D Printed Devices: There are already established traditional forensic toolmark methods to determine the source of a 3D printed MCD.  In addition, digital forensics techniques such as computed tomography and sonication may help identify the producer, the printer, or other specific information on a recovered MCD to help enforcement efforts.  Over time and with advancements in this technology, MCDs could be traced and mapped back to supply chains.  These technology solutions require federal, private sector, and philanthropic investment to become viable.

While there is no current U.S. law regulating the simple possession of computer code that could be used to 3D print MCDs, there are statutory authorities to prevent the illegal import and export of such code. Relevant authorities differentiate whether individuals placing MCD files onto the Internet are based in the United States or abroad. 

• Export: The Department of State (DOS) has jurisdiction over the export of MCDs and related technical data.  Thus, DOS has jurisdiction over a person in the United States who places MCD files onto the Internet. But, unlike the Department of Commerce (DOC), DOS has not published a regulation explaining the contours of its jurisdiction.  DOS should consider regulating computer code in the same fashion DOC regulates the computer code used for 3D printing firearms (which is explained in the next section) or moving jurisdiction for MCDs to DOC. 

• Import: The regulation of firearm imports falls under the jurisdiction of DOJ.  The legal authority to regulate these imports derives from the same statute, the Arms Export Control Act, that grants DOS their authorities. However, while DOJ defines “defense articles” on the U.S. Munitions Import List to include MCDs produced by 3D printers, it does not explicitly cover the computer code used to 3D print MCDs or define “importation” to include downloading computer files from abroad.  OGVP recommends that the interpretation of export and import laws be harmonized and applied to best prevent the distribution of computer code used to print MCDs.

There are also potential emerging software solutions to prevent or impede the 3D printing of MCDs.  Due to the reliance of 3D printers on software to convert MCD 3D designs (.stl files) to G-code, the nature of distribution of software and files for printing, and potential partnerships between the federal government and software companies, there are a range of software-based approaches to addressing this problem.  Members of industry and academia are working together on promising potential avenues to interrupt or block the printing of MCDs, which requires additional federal and philanthropic funding to continue the research and development.  There is significant opportunity for continued collaboration between the federal government, technology companies, philanthropy, and civil society.  Congress should authorize and fund the collaborative effort so it can continue to research live-saving solutions.

One limitation on stopping the proliferation of MCDs is that there are few laws related to the software and technology used to 3D print MCDs.  In a manner consistent with the 1st and 2nd Amendments, OGVP urges Congress to prohibit the possession, distribution, and use of computer code that can be readily used in a 3D printer to make an MCD, and create liability for the websites that permit these files to be accessed.

Unserialized or Undetectable 3D Printed Firearms 

While there is no current U.S. law regulating the simple possession of computer code that could be used to 3D print firearms, there are statutory authorities to prevent the illegal import and export of such code. Relevant authorities differentiate whether individuals placing files onto the Internet are based in the United States or abroad.  OGVP recommends that the interpretation of export and import laws be harmonized and applied to best prevent the distribution of computer code used to print unserialized or undetectable 3D printed firearms.

• Export: The Department of Commerce (DOC) has promulgated a regulation for addressing computer code that can be used to 3D print firearms pursuant to the Export Control Reform Act.[1]  DOC regulates code that is “ready for insertion” into a 3D printer and posted on the Internet.  DOC’s policy covers code that can directly interface with a 3D printer (e.g., G-code) as well as the code of the 3D design that only needs to be converted to G-code through widely available “slicer” software and with minimal additional information or manipulation from the individual.[2]  This provision applies to individuals in the United States who place code on the Internet.  Further interagency collaboration would assist DOC in identifying instances where an individual posts offending code on the Internet.

• Import: The regulation of foreign actors who place computer code on the Internet that could be accessed by individuals in the United States and used to 3D print firearms falls under the jurisdiction of the DOJ.  The legal authority to regulate these imports is substantially similar to the statute that is used by DOC, the Export Control Reform Act.  However, while DOJ defines “defense articles” on the U.S. Munitions Import List to include firearms produced by 3D printers, it does not explicitly cover the computer code used to 3D print firearms or define “importation” to include downloading computer files from abroad.  OGVP notes that these are areas where regulations can be strengthened.

DOJ has not engaged with the additive manufacturing industry on strategies to impede the 3D printing of firearms, but many of the same strategies for addressing 3D printed MCDs may be available.  OGVP suggests that one place to start a collaboration would be on fully plastic firearms that can evade a metal detector.

Like MCDs, one limitation in stopping the proliferation of 3D printed firearms is the lack of laws directly addressing the software and technology related to 3D printing of firearms.  Because of the risk posed by 3D printing firearms to enable prohibited individuals to access firearms, facilitate gun trafficking and illegal gun dealing, and create firearms that evade metal detectors, OGVP proposes that in a manner consistent with the 1st and 2nd Amendments, Congress should prohibit the distribution of software that is ready to be used in a 3D printer to make a firearm, including software that can be easily converted to that form.

Additionally, the Undetectable Firearms Act should be modernized and updated to fully capture the technical specifications of the firearms that can evade security and include prohibitions on the computer code used to 3D print undetectable firearms.

Risk Assessment

Machinegun Conversion Devices 

MCDs are a clear and present danger that pose a substantial threat to public safety and law enforcement because they convert semiautomatic rifles and pistols into fully automatic firearms that fire at rates comparable to military machineguns – up to thousands of rounds per minute.  Often small and difficult to identify, MCDs are inexpensive to make and, due to their size and concealability, much easier to traffic than complete weapons.  The devices are easy to obtain, install, and use. For purposes of federal law, MCDs are classified as machineguns, even when not installed on a firearm, and are subject to all the restrictions in the federal firearm laws applicable to the manufacture, possession, and use of machineguns.[3]

From January 1, 2022, to October 24, 2024, there were approximately 12,374 suspected MCDs recovered by law enforcement agencies and submitted for tracing to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).  In that period, the top ten recovery states comprised 64.4% (7,956) of the 12,360 MCDs recovered in the United States.  Florida (1,516), Illinois (1,376), Texas (1,045), Montana (1,030), and North Dakota (999) have submitted nearly half of all domestic recoveries (48.3% of 12,360).[4]  This total count of MCDs is very likely underinclusive as many MCDs are not submitted into the tracing system or are not identified by law enforcement officers at the time of recovery due to their inconspicuous nature.  One reason that so many MCDs are not identified by law enforcement is because they are not illegal under many state laws, and therefore, local law enforcement officers may not have been trained to identify and confiscate them.

The two principal ways that MCDs are currently acquired in the United States are through illegal imports and illegal 3D printing.  Although the MCDs themselves are machineguns and individuals cannot lawfully possess them under federal law and the laws of about half of the states, except under very limited circumstances, possession of the computer code used to produce them is currently unregulated under federal law. 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has targeted and seized an estimated 16,000 MCDs at the ports of entry since 2019, with the number of seizures increasing between FY22 and FY24.  The import trends have changed over time with shipments now containing a higher volume of MCDs.  The shipment size has increased from 1-2 MCDs per shipment to upwards of 50 per shipment.

MCD importers often use websites readily available to the general public to market their illegal products with websites operating like traditional e-commerce sites where products can be compared, purchased, and shipped to a customer.  A recent investigation by federal law enforcement shut down 350 websites and identified that MCD importers were also using social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok) to market their MCD business and run ads that target certain user accounts in the United States.  MCDs imported into the United States are almost exclusively from the People’s Republic of China.  After a purchase is made, MCDs are mislabeled on customs invoices as random parts, toys, and other innocuous items to thwart detection. 

Software files that can be used to 3D print MCDs are available to the public on the Internet for little or no cost and can be downloaded in minutes on any phone or computer with access to the Internet.  Once the design file is converted to G-code (the code necessary to 3D print an item), an inexpensive 3D printer (less than $150 or accessed for free at a public library) can be used to quickly print a functional MCD.  The 3D printed version of an MCD is nearly as reliable as the metal part.

Unserialized or Undetectable 3D Printed Firearms 

The emergence of unserialized, 3D printed firearms pose significant domestic and international threats.  Domestically, 3D printers can produce firearm components that, when assembled, create fully-functional, untraceable firearms.  While it is legal for individuals who are not otherwise prohibited from possessing firearms to make their own firearms, whether using 3D printing or otherwise, these types of firearms can create serious challenges for law enforcement, especially when in the hands of prohibited individuals, gun traffickers or unlicensed sellers.  Unserialized firearms cannot legally be sold by gun dealers nor provided to others otherwise prohibited from receiving or possessing firearms.  Internationally, Canadian authorities report a rise in 3D printed firearms, although illicit handguns in Canada are primarily sourced from stolen or smuggled U.S. weapons.

Unserialized firearms pose unique threats to public safety.  Law enforcement relies on the tracing of firearms recovered at crime scenes to identify the most recent purchaser of a firearm, thereby creating an investigative lead.  It is nearly impossible to trace unserialized firearms because they lack the necessary identification markings upon which tracing relies.  A law enforcement officer who encounters an unserialized firearm at a crime scene will therefore be unable to generate an investigative lead from a firearm trace.  In addition, unserialized firearms may not be traced to their point of origin, precluding firearm trafficking investigations from determining larger illegal trafficking patterns and those responsible for the trafficking.  These public safety concerns are the same whether the firearm is assembled from a ghost gun kit or 3D printed.

Undetectable firearms are not detectable by standard metal detectors and pose a particularly acute threat because they can be smuggled into sensitive areas such as airports, courthouses, government facilities, and large arenas.  Undetectable firearms may be made entirely of polymer, without metal, which is why they are undetectable by standard metal detectors.  While unserialized and undetectable firearms pose distinct threats, they are related because undetectable firearms may be produced by consumers using commercially available 3D printers.  The availability of undetectable firearms presents serious threats to public safety and national security.  The availability of 3D printing and files to print an undetectable firearm enables individuals to bypass background checks, border control, and other security measures, increasing the potential for prohibited persons, terrorists, and criminal organizations to use these weapons.  

Like simple possession of the computer code for 3D printing MCDs, simple possession of the computer code that enables a person to 3D print an undetectable firearm is not currently illegal under U.S. law.  The computer code needed for 3D printing can be downloaded or received from individuals on forums and purchased through web-based marketplaces, including on the dark web.  Though some expertise is needed, 3D printer users with minimal additional technical skills can successfully 3D print a firearm.

Transnational and terrorist criminal organizations, including cartels, have increasingly exploited 3D printing technology to manufacture firearms.  This capability allows them to bypass traditional supply chains and border controls, making it easier to arm their networks without detection.  These groups’ use of 3D printed firearms amplifies violence, disrupts security, and complicates efforts to combat organized crime.  The ease of production and distribution of 3D printed weapons, by or for the use of criminal or terrorist organizations, poses threats not only to the U.S., but also to its partner nations, straining law enforcement and national security measures.  The trend of 3D printed firearms’ use in transnational crime underscores the need for coordinated international regulations and prevention strategies to address the proliferation of these weapons.

[1] 15 C.F.R. § 734.7(c). “The following remains subject to the EAR: “software” or “technology” for the production of a firearm, or firearm frame or receiver, controlled under ECCNs 0A501, 0A506, 0A507, or 0A509, that is made available by posting on the internet in an electronic format, such as AMF or G-code, and is ready for insertion into a computer numerically controlled machine tool, additive manufacturing equipment, or any other equipment that makes use of the “software” or “technology” to produce the firearm frame or receiver or complete firearm.”

[2] In 2020, DOC provided public guidance on what types of files are covered in an FAQ document available on the BIS website. See https://www.bis.doc.gov/index.php/documents/policy-guidance/2572-faqs-for-the-commerce-category-i-iii-firearms-rule-posted-on-bis-website-7-7-20/file. If a person is unsure whether the criteria of section 734.7(c) are met, including whether the “technology” or “software” is ready for insertion into a computer numerically controlled machine tool, additive manufacturing equipment, or any other equipment, persons with such “technology” or “software” can submit an official classification request to BIS using the free online submission system, called SNAP-R, available on the BIS website to receive an official classification.

[3] See, Title 26, U.S.C., Section 5845(b) and Title 18, U.S.C., Section 922(o).

[4] Note that certain of these seizure statistics may include Forced-Reset Triggers, and the legality of certain types of Forced-Reset Triggers is subject to ongoing litigation.  Compare United States v. Rare Breed Triggers, LLC, 690 F. Supp. 3d 51, 88 (E.D.N.Y. 2023) (“[T]he Government is likely to succeed on the merits of its contention that the FRT-15,” a type of Forced-Reset Trigger, “is an illegal machinegun.”) with Nat’l Ass’n for Gun Rts., Inc. v. Garland, No. 4:23-CV-00830-O, 2024 WL 3517504, at *1 (N.D. Tex. July 23, 2024) (holding that the FRT-15 and WOT, a similar type of Forced-Reset Trigger, are not illegal machineguns). 

###

The post BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION TAKES ACTION TO COMBAT EMERGING FIREARM THREATS AND IMPROVE SCHOOL-BASED ACTIVE SHOOTER DRILLS appeared first on The White House.

Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security Release New Resources to Help Schools Improve Active Shooter Drills

Emerging Firearm Threats Task Force Sends President Biden Report on Machinegun Conversion Devices and 3D Printed Firearms

The Biden-Harris Administration has overseen the two largest single-year decreases in homicide ever recorded.  Violence in many cities is at pre-pandemic levels.  The Administration helped contribute to these historic decreases through unprecedented public safety funding for states, cities, law enforcement, and community violence interventions; more executive action on gun violence prevention than any other Administration; passing and implementing the first significant gun safety law in nearly 30 years; and the establishment of the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention (OGVP) to coordinate and lead the Administration’s effort to reduce gun crime and other forms of gun violence.

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announces that it completed the work required under the Executive Order President Biden signed in September 2024, directing federal agencies to: 1) help schools improve school-based active shooter drills; and 2) combat the emerging threats of machinegun conversion devices and unserialized, 3D printed firearms. 

New Federal Resources to Help Schools Improve School-Based Active Shooter Drills

Today, the U.S. Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security each are releasing new resources to help schools design and deploy school-based active shooter drills.  The majority of schools use drills to prepare for an active shooter situation.  However, there is very limited research on how to design and deploy these drills to maximize their impact and minimize any harms they might cause.

The Biden-Harris Administration has worked to dramatically reduce the impacts of gun violence on our schools, educators, and students.  We have made the largest-ever federal government investment in youth mental health and unprecedented funding and resources for schools to prevent and respond to gun violence.  We have also advanced strategies to keep guns out of the hands of students or those who seek to do harm, including by funding the implementation of red flag laws, enhancing background checks for people under 21 who are trying to buy guns, and equipping school leaders with tools to educate parents about the importance of safely storing any firearms in their homes.

While federal, state, and local leaders must continue these strategies to reduce the prevalence of gun violence in schools and communities, the new resources will help schools improve drills so they can effectively prepare for an active shooter situation while also preventing or minimizing any trauma school communities may experience in performing drills. The new resources are summarized below.

• The U.S. Department of Education’s resource, Considerations for Education Leaders in Preparing for Active Drills in Schools, provides substantive considerations school officials can use to plan for before, during, and after school-based active shooter drills.  School administrators and other leaders may find this resource helpful when they are working to design and deploy school-based active shooter drills to save lives and minimize any unintended consequences.  The information in this resource is based on robust outreach with practitioners, experts, and advocates, and are in line with existing research and evidence even as additional research is underway.  For example, the resource explains that schools should provide advance notice about active shooter drills to school communities, including parents; avoid simulated gun violence (including highly sensorial elements like fake gunfire); be age-appropriate and designed in similar ways that schools teach academic content; address the needs of all staff and students (including those in need of special accommodations) and ensure all students (including those with disabilities and English Learners) are provided an equal opportunity to participate in safety training; and always provide a clear, consistent message accessible to all students that the event is a drill.  This resource can be found here.

• The Department of Health and Human Services’ resource, Active Shooter Drills Research: An Annotated Bibliography, summarizes research on active shooter drills.  While there is a need for additional research, this document compiles relevant research for school administrators and other leaders to reference when making decisions about drill design. Researchers may also find this resource useful when working to identify gaps in the research that need to be filled.  This resource can be found here.

• The Department of Homeland Security’s resource, Active Shooter Landscape Assessment, summarizes the different types of active shooter drills currently in use in K-12 schools.  School administrators and other leaders may find this document helpful when they want a better understanding of their choices when designing school-based active shooter drills. This resource can be found here.

Combatting Emerging Firearm Threats

Emerging firearm threats like machinegun conversion devices (MCDs) and 3D printed firearms are deadly new trends that are taking innocent lives. In September 2024, the President signed an Executive Order to establish the federal Emerging Firearm Threats Task Force and ordered it to deliver to him a report that includes a risk assessment of these new threats and new strategies to stop the proliferation of MCDs and 3D printed firearms. The Task Force submitted this report to the President in December 2024.

There are viable strategies to reduce the proliferation of emerging firearm threats, strategies that must continue if the United States is going to stay ahead of these emerging threats.  Key strategies include:

• Enforcement action that focuses on the source of the threats, including illegal import of physical products and the availability of computer code used for 3D printing.

• Identifying and shutting down websites offering illegal products for sale.

• Investing in promising technological solutions that can impede the ability to 3D print illegal products. 

Below is a summary of key points on the risks compiled by the Task Force and potential strategies for combatting emerging firearms threats.

Potential Strategies for Combatting Emerging Firearms Threats

Following an assessment of the risks and data provided by the Task Force, OGVP identified the following strategies for combatting emerging firearms threats:

Machinegun Conversion Devices 

Federal agencies have a number of capabilities and legal authorities to detect, intercept, and seize MCDs.  The main pathways include: (1) seizing the websites that illegally offer MCDs for sale, (2) identifying MCDs at ports of entry, and (3) using traditional forensic tools and building new methods to trace 3D printed MCDs back to their origin.

• Websites: Recently, federal authorities seized more than 350 Internet domains that foreign companies used to sell and illegally import MCDs into the United States in violation of the National Firearms Act and other laws prohibiting trafficking in counterfeit goods.  The websites’ domains were used to import illegal MCDs and silencers from China.  Foreign sellers are continuing to establish these websites, so continued law enforcement prioritization of tracking and shuttering the illegal websites selling MCDs is essential.  Law enforcement should continue to use traditional investigatory methods and new technology to efficiently identify and quickly shut down websites that illegally sell MCDs.  OGVP supports a civil process for suspending websites, especially foreign-based websites, that are selling MCDs in the United States. 

• Port of Entry: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has targeted and tracked illegal MCDs since 2019.  CBP has provided all ports of entry with guidance material that highlights trends in shipping and concealment tactics.  CBP should continuously refresh these trainings and guidance to capture new tactics illegal MCD importers are using to avoid detection.

• Tracing 3D Printed Devices: There are already established traditional forensic toolmark methods to determine the source of a 3D printed MCD.  In addition, digital forensics techniques such as computed tomography and sonication may help identify the producer, the printer, or other specific information on a recovered MCD to help enforcement efforts.  Over time and with advancements in this technology, MCDs could be traced and mapped back to supply chains.  These technology solutions require federal, private sector, and philanthropic investment to become viable.

While there is no current U.S. law regulating the simple possession of computer code that could be used to 3D print MCDs, there are statutory authorities to prevent the illegal import and export of such code. Relevant authorities differentiate whether individuals placing MCD files onto the Internet are based in the United States or abroad. 

• Export: The Department of State (DOS) has jurisdiction over the export of MCDs and related technical data.  Thus, DOS has jurisdiction over a person in the United States who places MCD files onto the Internet. But, unlike the Department of Commerce (DOC), DOS has not published a regulation explaining the contours of its jurisdiction.  DOS should consider regulating computer code in the same fashion DOC regulates the computer code used for 3D printing firearms (which is explained in the next section) or moving jurisdiction for MCDs to DOC. 

• Import: The regulation of firearm imports falls under the jurisdiction of DOJ.  The legal authority to regulate these imports derives from the same statute, the Arms Export Control Act, that grants DOS their authorities. However, while DOJ defines “defense articles” on the U.S. Munitions Import List to include MCDs produced by 3D printers, it does not explicitly cover the computer code used to 3D print MCDs or define “importation” to include downloading computer files from abroad.  OGVP recommends that the interpretation of export and import laws be harmonized and applied to best prevent the distribution of computer code used to print MCDs.

There are also potential emerging software solutions to prevent or impede the 3D printing of MCDs.  Due to the reliance of 3D printers on software to convert MCD 3D designs (.stl files) to G-code, the nature of distribution of software and files for printing, and potential partnerships between the federal government and software companies, there are a range of software-based approaches to addressing this problem.  Members of industry and academia are working together on promising potential avenues to interrupt or block the printing of MCDs, which requires additional federal and philanthropic funding to continue the research and development.  There is significant opportunity for continued collaboration between the federal government, technology companies, philanthropy, and civil society.  Congress should authorize and fund the collaborative effort so it can continue to research live-saving solutions.

One limitation on stopping the proliferation of MCDs is that there are few laws related to the software and technology used to 3D print MCDs.  In a manner consistent with the 1st and 2nd Amendments, OGVP urges Congress to prohibit the possession, distribution, and use of computer code that can be readily used in a 3D printer to make an MCD, and create liability for the websites that permit these files to be accessed.

Unserialized or Undetectable 3D Printed Firearms 

While there is no current U.S. law regulating the simple possession of computer code that could be used to 3D print firearms, there are statutory authorities to prevent the illegal import and export of such code. Relevant authorities differentiate whether individuals placing files onto the Internet are based in the United States or abroad.  OGVP recommends that the interpretation of export and import laws be harmonized and applied to best prevent the distribution of computer code used to print unserialized or undetectable 3D printed firearms.

• Export: The Department of Commerce (DOC) has promulgated a regulation for addressing computer code that can be used to 3D print firearms pursuant to the Export Control Reform Act.[1]  DOC regulates code that is “ready for insertion” into a 3D printer and posted on the Internet.  DOC’s policy covers code that can directly interface with a 3D printer (e.g., G-code) as well as the code of the 3D design that only needs to be converted to G-code through widely available “slicer” software and with minimal additional information or manipulation from the individual.[2]  This provision applies to individuals in the United States who place code on the Internet.  Further interagency collaboration would assist DOC in identifying instances where an individual posts offending code on the Internet.

• Import: The regulation of foreign actors who place computer code on the Internet that could be accessed by individuals in the United States and used to 3D print firearms falls under the jurisdiction of the DOJ.  The legal authority to regulate these imports is substantially similar to the statute that is used by DOC, the Export Control Reform Act.  However, while DOJ defines “defense articles” on the U.S. Munitions Import List to include firearms produced by 3D printers, it does not explicitly cover the computer code used to 3D print firearms or define “importation” to include downloading computer files from abroad.  OGVP notes that these are areas where regulations can be strengthened.

DOJ has not engaged with the additive manufacturing industry on strategies to impede the 3D printing of firearms, but many of the same strategies for addressing 3D printed MCDs may be available.  OGVP suggests that one place to start a collaboration would be on fully plastic firearms that can evade a metal detector.

Like MCDs, one limitation in stopping the proliferation of 3D printed firearms is the lack of laws directly addressing the software and technology related to 3D printing of firearms.  Because of the risk posed by 3D printing firearms to enable prohibited individuals to access firearms, facilitate gun trafficking and illegal gun dealing, and create firearms that evade metal detectors, OGVP proposes that in a manner consistent with the 1st and 2nd Amendments, Congress should prohibit the distribution of software that is ready to be used in a 3D printer to make a firearm, including software that can be easily converted to that form.

Additionally, the Undetectable Firearms Act should be modernized and updated to fully capture the technical specifications of the firearms that can evade security and include prohibitions on the computer code used to 3D print undetectable firearms.

Risk Assessment

Machinegun Conversion Devices 

MCDs are a clear and present danger that pose a substantial threat to public safety and law enforcement because they convert semiautomatic rifles and pistols into fully automatic firearms that fire at rates comparable to military machineguns – up to thousands of rounds per minute.  Often small and difficult to identify, MCDs are inexpensive to make and, due to their size and concealability, much easier to traffic than complete weapons.  The devices are easy to obtain, install, and use. For purposes of federal law, MCDs are classified as machineguns, even when not installed on a firearm, and are subject to all the restrictions in the federal firearm laws applicable to the manufacture, possession, and use of machineguns.[3]

From January 1, 2022, to October 24, 2024, there were approximately 12,374 suspected MCDs recovered by law enforcement agencies and submitted for tracing to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).  In that period, the top ten recovery states comprised 64.4% (7,956) of the 12,360 MCDs recovered in the United States.  Florida (1,516), Illinois (1,376), Texas (1,045), Montana (1,030), and North Dakota (999) have submitted nearly half of all domestic recoveries (48.3% of 12,360).[4]  This total count of MCDs is very likely underinclusive as many MCDs are not submitted into the tracing system or are not identified by law enforcement officers at the time of recovery due to their inconspicuous nature.  One reason that so many MCDs are not identified by law enforcement is because they are not illegal under many state laws, and therefore, local law enforcement officers may not have been trained to identify and confiscate them.

The two principal ways that MCDs are currently acquired in the United States are through illegal imports and illegal 3D printing.  Although the MCDs themselves are machineguns and individuals cannot lawfully possess them under federal law and the laws of about half of the states, except under very limited circumstances, possession of the computer code used to produce them is currently unregulated under federal law. 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has targeted and seized an estimated 16,000 MCDs at the ports of entry since 2019, with the number of seizures increasing between FY22 and FY24.  The import trends have changed over time with shipments now containing a higher volume of MCDs.  The shipment size has increased from 1-2 MCDs per shipment to upwards of 50 per shipment.

MCD importers often use websites readily available to the general public to market their illegal products with websites operating like traditional e-commerce sites where products can be compared, purchased, and shipped to a customer.  A recent investigation by federal law enforcement shut down 350 websites and identified that MCD importers were also using social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok) to market their MCD business and run ads that target certain user accounts in the United States.  MCDs imported into the United States are almost exclusively from the People’s Republic of China.  After a purchase is made, MCDs are mislabeled on customs invoices as random parts, toys, and other innocuous items to thwart detection. 

Software files that can be used to 3D print MCDs are available to the public on the Internet for little or no cost and can be downloaded in minutes on any phone or computer with access to the Internet.  Once the design file is converted to G-code (the code necessary to 3D print an item), an inexpensive 3D printer (less than $150 or accessed for free at a public library) can be used to quickly print a functional MCD.  The 3D printed version of an MCD is nearly as reliable as the metal part.

Unserialized or Undetectable 3D Printed Firearms 

The emergence of unserialized, 3D printed firearms pose significant domestic and international threats.  Domestically, 3D printers can produce firearm components that, when assembled, create fully-functional, untraceable firearms.  While it is legal for individuals who are not otherwise prohibited from possessing firearms to make their own firearms, whether using 3D printing or otherwise, these types of firearms can create serious challenges for law enforcement, especially when in the hands of prohibited individuals, gun traffickers or unlicensed sellers.  Unserialized firearms cannot legally be sold by gun dealers nor provided to others otherwise prohibited from receiving or possessing firearms.  Internationally, Canadian authorities report a rise in 3D printed firearms, although illicit handguns in Canada are primarily sourced from stolen or smuggled U.S. weapons.

Unserialized firearms pose unique threats to public safety.  Law enforcement relies on the tracing of firearms recovered at crime scenes to identify the most recent purchaser of a firearm, thereby creating an investigative lead.  It is nearly impossible to trace unserialized firearms because they lack the necessary identification markings upon which tracing relies.  A law enforcement officer who encounters an unserialized firearm at a crime scene will therefore be unable to generate an investigative lead from a firearm trace.  In addition, unserialized firearms may not be traced to their point of origin, precluding firearm trafficking investigations from determining larger illegal trafficking patterns and those responsible for the trafficking.  These public safety concerns are the same whether the firearm is assembled from a ghost gun kit or 3D printed.

Undetectable firearms are not detectable by standard metal detectors and pose a particularly acute threat because they can be smuggled into sensitive areas such as airports, courthouses, government facilities, and large arenas.  Undetectable firearms may be made entirely of polymer, without metal, which is why they are undetectable by standard metal detectors.  While unserialized and undetectable firearms pose distinct threats, they are related because undetectable firearms may be produced by consumers using commercially available 3D printers.  The availability of undetectable firearms presents serious threats to public safety and national security.  The availability of 3D printing and files to print an undetectable firearm enables individuals to bypass background checks, border control, and other security measures, increasing the potential for prohibited persons, terrorists, and criminal organizations to use these weapons.  

Like simple possession of the computer code for 3D printing MCDs, simple possession of the computer code that enables a person to 3D print an undetectable firearm is not currently illegal under U.S. law.  The computer code needed for 3D printing can be downloaded or received from individuals on forums and purchased through web-based marketplaces, including on the dark web.  Though some expertise is needed, 3D printer users with minimal additional technical skills can successfully 3D print a firearm.

Transnational and terrorist criminal organizations, including cartels, have increasingly exploited 3D printing technology to manufacture firearms.  This capability allows them to bypass traditional supply chains and border controls, making it easier to arm their networks without detection.  These groups’ use of 3D printed firearms amplifies violence, disrupts security, and complicates efforts to combat organized crime.  The ease of production and distribution of 3D printed weapons, by or for the use of criminal or terrorist organizations, poses threats not only to the U.S., but also to its partner nations, straining law enforcement and national security measures.  The trend of 3D printed firearms’ use in transnational crime underscores the need for coordinated international regulations and prevention strategies to address the proliferation of these weapons.

[1] 15 C.F.R. § 734.7(c). “The following remains subject to the EAR: “software” or “technology” for the production of a firearm, or firearm frame or receiver, controlled under ECCNs 0A501, 0A506, 0A507, or 0A509, that is made available by posting on the internet in an electronic format, such as AMF or G-code, and is ready for insertion into a computer numerically controlled machine tool, additive manufacturing equipment, or any other equipment that makes use of the “software” or “technology” to produce the firearm frame or receiver or complete firearm.”

[2] In 2020, DOC provided public guidance on what types of files are covered in an FAQ document available on the BIS website. See https://www.bis.doc.gov/index.php/documents/policy-guidance/2572-faqs-for-the-commerce-category-i-iii-firearms-rule-posted-on-bis-website-7-7-20/file. If a person is unsure whether the criteria of section 734.7(c) are met, including whether the “technology” or “software” is ready for insertion into a computer numerically controlled machine tool, additive manufacturing equipment, or any other equipment, persons with such “technology” or “software” can submit an official classification request to BIS using the free online submission system, called SNAP-R, available on the BIS website to receive an official classification.

[3] See, Title 26, U.S.C., Section 5845(b) and Title 18, U.S.C., Section 922(o).

[4] Note that certain of these seizure statistics may include Forced-Reset Triggers, and the legality of certain types of Forced-Reset Triggers is subject to ongoing litigation.  Compare United States v. Rare Breed Triggers, LLC, 690 F. Supp. 3d 51, 88 (E.D.N.Y. 2023) (“[T]he Government is likely to succeed on the merits of its contention that the FRT-15,” a type of Forced-Reset Trigger, “is an illegal machinegun.”) with Nat’l Ass’n for Gun Rts., Inc. v. Garland, No. 4:23-CV-00830-O, 2024 WL 3517504, at *1 (N.D. Tex. July 23, 2024) (holding that the FRT-15 and WOT, a similar type of Forced-Reset Trigger, are not illegal machineguns). 

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