On Monday, June 26, 2023, several prominent U.S. politicians visited Eaton Canyon to call on U.S. President Joe Biden to sign the Antiquities Act, a bill that includes a 109,167-acre expansion of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. Politicians who visited the canyon included U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, Congresswoman Judy Chu, Congressman Tony Cárdenas, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, and Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo.
The primary purpose of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument is to ensure the conservation of the natural environment, cultural resources, and recreational opportunities within its boundaries. It focuses on preserving the natural beauty and ecological integrity of the region. The Angeles National Forest, while also aimed at conservation, has additional goals of resource management, watershed protection, and providing various recreational activities.
In 2014, then U.S. President Barack Obama signed legislation that formed the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, a 300,000+ acre region that will forever be protected from extractive practices. Due to logistical challenges at the time, however, well over 100,000 acres of the Angeles National Forest to the southwest was left out of this designation. Now, 9 years later, Senator Padilla has come to Eaton Canyon to “call on the Biden Administrations to take the next step and expand this National Monument by 100,000 acres to the west.”
Senator Padilla went on to explain that this designation is not “just about conservation, environmental stewardship, and protecting the unique biodiversity that exists here, but it is also a matter of environmental justice. So many of the families that can see and love the San Gabriel Mountains, but don’t have the access the San Gabriel Mountains, are far too familiar with toxic industry in their community than they are with local parks. Access to the San Gabriel Mountains will fill that important void of access to open space and the benefits that come with it.”
CA-28 Congresswoman Judy Chu meets Eaton Canyon Nature Center Volunteers/Staff
Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo introduces the guest tribal leaders and politicians
Senator Padilla speaking to local news agencies regarding the National Monument expansion
Lower Eaton Canyon, part of the area that would join the National Monument should President Biden sign the Antiquities Act.
