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| Photo by Bob Wick, BLM February 11, 2016 Public Domain https://flic.kr/p/DzB2wo |
Fortunately, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has put some very nice, public domain photos up on flikr. Most of these are taken by Bob Wick, who has been killing it for the BLM in that region (see the Mojave Trails and Carrizo Plain posts)! Great work!
This monument has sections under the BLM and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). The USFS states, "The Sand to Snow National Monument is the 11th national monument managed by the Forest Service; it is the fourth to be managed jointly by the Forest Service and BLM."
It was established by Presidential Proclamation in February 2016, along with the Mojave Trails and Castle Mountains national monuments.
Two of those three monuments are in danger of being abolished.
Reading through the information below, especially the USFS Questions and Answers pamphlet, it seems ridiculous that this monument is on the chopping block.
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| BLM Photo December 9, 2007 Public Domain https://flic.kr/p/GKGsCc |
From the USFS:
The national monument designation does not alter or affect valid existing rights of any party. Most existing public and commercial activities will continue, as long as they are consistent with the care and management of the objects or resources identified in the national monument proclamation.
The national monument designation will not impact the rights of private landowners within or adjacent to the national monument, including existing access within the national monument boundary.
The Sand to Snow National Monument includes 30 miles of the 2,600-mile Pacific Crest Trail.
The focal point of the Sand to Snow National Monument is the 11,500-foot San Gorgonio Mountain, which rises sharply from the Sonoran Desert floor and is the highest peak in California south of the Sierra Nevada. This mountain is one of eleven peaks that are over 10,000 feet in elevation in the southeast portion of the San Bernardino Mountains.
Twelve federally listed threatened and endangered animal species live in this dramatic landscape, which is also famous for its oases frequented by over 240 species of birds. The area is home to the southern-most stand of Quaking Aspen trees and habitat for the California spotted owl. There are also two research natural areas, one with relatively undisturbed vegetation that provides excellent wildlife habitat including one of the highest densities of black bear habitats in Southern California. ...it one of the most biodiverse areas in Southern California.
Black Lava Butte, topped by distinctive basaltic lava flows, is sacred to the Serrano Tribe and home to a substantial number of archaeological sites, including evidence of habitation, rock art, and possible ritual activities. Black Lave Butte contains an estimated 1,700 distinct petroglyphs, most of which have not yet been studied and may provide insight into the history of the Serrano and other tribes in the region.
https://www.fs.fed.us/sites/default/files/s2s-qas-final-nomap.pdf
From the Washington Post:
Sand to Snow, which has 100,000 acres of already designated wilderness and another 54,000 acres that just won new protections, boasts more than 240 species of birds and 12 threatened and endangered wildlife species, along with more that 1,700 Native American petroglyphs.
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The region is also home to the world’s smallest owl species, the elf owl, whose numbers have declined sharply in North America as its habitat has shrunk. The Morongo Valley Chamber of Commerce, which like many local business groups backs the presidential designations, will host a dedication ceremony for Sand to Snow on Tuesday with a new “welcome” gateway sign.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/02/12/with-3-new-monuments-obama-creates-worlds-second-largest-desert-preserve
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| Photo by Natividad Chavez, BLM May 4, 2016 Public Domain https://flic.kr/p/GM5AwQ |
From the Los Angeles Times:
The designation was requested by U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who for a decade has sought to protect land that wasn't included in the 1994 California Desert Protection Act. That measure covered nearly 7.6 million acres, elevated Death Valley and Joshua Tree to national park status and created the Mojave National Preserve.
Unable to gain momentum on her California Desert Conservation and Recreation Act last year, Feinstein and conservation groups asked Obama to act unilaterally to create the three monuments overlapping biological zones between roughly Palm Springs and the Nevada border.
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The designations, which do not include funding, were supported by groups including the nonprofit National Parks Conservation Assn., the Sierra Club, Defenders of Wildlife, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Mojave Desert Land Trust.
Much of the land was purchased more than a decade ago by private citizens and the Wildlands Conservancy, then donated to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management in anticipation of its eventually receiving the protection of national monument status.
"This is the pinnacle of a 15-year effort to preserve the physical heart of the Mojave Desert for conservation, recreation and unparalleled inspiration," said David Myers, executive director of the Wildlands Conservancy.
http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-monuments-20160212-story.html
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| By NASANASA Earth Observatory image by Jesse Allen, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. - http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=87668&src=eoa-iotd, Public Domain, Link |
From NASA Earth Observatory:
In February 2016, the United States government established the world’s second-largest desert preserve. In designating three new national monuments in the California desert, the U.S. Department of the Interior added 1.8 million acres to an existing 7.6 million acres of protected land. This image from the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8 shows how they all connect. (The image [See Above] is a composite of satellite data from Landsat 8 passes on February 8 and February 17, 2016.)
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=87668&src=eoa-iotd
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| Photo by Bob Wick, BLM March 17, 2017 Public Domain https://flic.kr/p/S9FhwL |
Preamble to the Presidential Proclamation Establishing Sand to Snow National Monument:
The Sand to Snow area of southern California is an ecological and cultural treasure, a microcosm of the great geographic diversity of the region. Rising from the floor of the Sonoran Desert to the tallest peak in southern California, the area features a remarkable diversity of plant and animal species. The area includes a portion of the San Bernardino National Forest and connects this area with Joshua Tree National Park to the east, knitting together a mosaic of spectacular landscapes stretching over 200 miles. The mountain peaks of the Sand to Snow area frame the northeastern reach of Coachella Valley along with the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument to the south. Home to desert oases at Big Morongo Canyon and Whitewater Canyon, the area serves as a refuge for desert dwelling animals and a stopover for migrating birds. The archaeological riches of the Black Lava Buttes and the historical remains of mining and ranching communities tell of past prosperity and struggle in this arid land. The unbroken expanse is an invaluable treasure for our Nation and will continue to serve as an irreplaceable resource for archaeologists, geologists, and biologists for generations to come.
The Sand to Snow area encompasses a rich diversity of geological and ecological resources, including a nearly 10,000-foot elevation gradient from the Sonoran Desert floor to the top of the 11,500-foot San Gorgonio Mountain, the highest mountain in southern California. From the flat desert lowlands, the mountains thrust upward in stark relief, creating indelible beauty along with a unique diversity of resources and a rich history of human habitation and movement. Along this remarkable topographic gradient lies an unusually wide range of ecosystems, ranging from lowland Mojave and Colorado deserts to scrub and woodlands and Mediterranean chaparral to subalpine and alpine conifer forests. San Gorgonio Mountain is one end of the longest recorded line of sight in the lower 48 States, the other being Mount Whitney, 190 miles away. In addition, the Henry Washington Survey Marker, located on San Bernardino Peak, serves as the starting point for surveying land in southern California and is included on the National Register of Historic Places.
Photo by Bob Wick, BLM
March 20, 2017
Public Domain
https://flic.kr/p/SRhUAf
San Gorgonio, so named after Saint Gorgonius by early 17th century Spanish missionaries, is just one name for this remarkable, region-defining mountain. The Cahuilla Indians call the mountain Kwiria-Kaich, which means "bald" or "smooth," and consider it among the sacred peaks of southern California. The Gabrielino Indians from the Los Angeles Basin treat San Gorgonio Mountain with reverence and refer to it as Akvangna. The Luiseño Indians consider San Gorgonio Mountain sacred and the older brother of Mount San Jacinto; both peaks were among the first born of Earth Mother. The Luiseño refer to San Gorgonio Mountain as Pewipwi.
Thirty miles of the world famous Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail run through the Sand to Snow area, climbing 7,000 feet from the desert of Whitewater Canyon to Mission Springs in the San Bernardino National Forest. The history of this renowned trail dates back to the 1920s when the idea of a border-to-border trail was first conceptualized. Although the establishment of the trail took decades to fully materialize, today the trail is a national icon, highlighting the wilderness treasures of the American West. Since its completion, over 3,000 people have hiked the 2,600 miles of continuous trail along the Pacific crest, including the Mission Creek Canyon segment found within the Sand to Snow area.
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| Pacific Crest Trail Photo by Bob Wick, BLM March 19, 2017 Public Domain https://flic.kr/p/TnEUwQ |
The Sand to Snow area first took its current shape 175 million years ago with the subduction of the Pacific Plate beneath the North American Plate. The San Bernardino Mountain range in the western half of the Sand to Snow area is unusual in California, a transverse range as distinct from the north-south mountain ranges found through most of California. This difference in direction results from a change in the San Andreas Fault, which shifts direction to the west of the Sand to Snow area. This intersection of mountains makes this area a critical bridge for wildlife traversing the high elevations of southern California's desert landscape.
Two branches of the San Andreas Fault run through the Sand to Snow area, and the faulting that created the mountains and canyons throughout this landscape also created the Morongo Valley. The Whitewater Canyon area has been featured in numerous studies of the plate tectonics and geologic rifting of southern California, including studies that examine the impact of earthquakes on fault stability. The San Bernardino Mountains and Big Morongo Canyon contain ancient rocks from the Proterozoic Eon, along with some of the oldest exposed rocks in California, nearly 2 billion years old. Granite, gneiss, and schist in these areas have been used by geologists to better understand the tectonic history of the region, and are a testament to the area's important geologic past.
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| Pacific Crest Trail Photo by Bob WIck, BLM March 19, 2017 Public Domain https://flic.kr/p/SRhUhj |
Covering a range of nearly 10,000 feet in elevation, the Sand to Snow area includes an extraordinarily diverse range of ecosystems from lowland deserts, fresh water marshes, and Mojave riparian forests, to creosote bush scrub ecosystems, and alpine peaks. Hundreds of springs rise to the surface at South Fork Meadows, the origin of the South Fork of the Santa Ana River. The Sand to Snow area has been important to biological and ecological research, as well as studies of climate and land use change, the impact of fires and invasive species management.
The area has a remarkable species richness that makes it one of most biodiverse areas in southern California. The area is home to 12 federally listed threatened and endangered animal species. Species include the endangered peninsular bighorn sheep, San Bernardino Merriam's kangaroo rat, Arroyo toad, Mountain Yellow-legged frog, and unarmored threespine stickleback, as well as the threatened Santa Ana sucker, Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard, and desert tortoise.
A tremendous diversity of other wildlife species also make their homes here. In the San Gorgonio Wilderness, black bears, mountain lions, bobcats, mule deer, and bighorn sheep can all be found. Species such as ringtails, kit fox, striped skunk, California ground squirrel, blacktail jackrabbit, and 19 species of bat live in the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve. Amphibians and reptiles including the Mohave Rattlesnake, red diamond rattlesnake, rosy boa, desert spiny lizard, California kingsnake, Western whiptail, and Pacific tree frog also live in the Sand to Snow area.
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| Photo by Bob WIck, BLM March 17, 2017 Public Domain https://flic.kr/p/TcmEQy |
The Sand to Snow area is famous for its oases frequented by over 240 species of birds, including the endangered Least Bell's vireo, southwestern willow flycatcher, and Yuma clapper rail, as well as the threatened coastal California gnatcatcher. Big Morongo Canyon, characterized by steep canyons, rugged terrain, and desert oases, is particularly high in biodiversity and is among the largest desert riparian habitats in California. It has been recognized as among the most important avian habitats in the State. Common birds found at Big Morongo Canyon include shore birds like the American white pelican, great blue heron, and green heron, raptors such as the Swainson's hawk, Northern Harrier, and American kestrel, owls, including the western screech-owl and great horned owl, and hummingbirds, woodpeckers, vireos, and finches. Additionally, 32 species of migratory birds of conservation concern have been identified in the Sand to Snow area, including eagles, sparrows, owls, hummingbirds, woodpeckers, and falcons, among others.
The Sand to Snow area is home to dozens of native plant species, including 14 federally listed threatened or endangered species of flowering plants. These include the endangered California dandelion, Coachella Valley milk-vetch, Cushenbury buckwheat, Cushenbury oxytheca, pedate checker-mallow, San Bernardino bluegrass, San Bernardino Mountains bladderpod, Santa Ana River woolly-star, slender-petaled mustard, and triple-ribbed milk-vetch and the threatened ash-grey paintbrush, Bear Valley sandwort, Parish's daisy, and Southern Mountain wild-buckwheat. The southern-most stand of quaking aspen trees is located here as are important stands of white fir and bigcone Douglas-fir.
The human history of the Sand to Snow area extends back thousands of years. People now identified as part of the Takic subset of the large Uto-Aztecan group of Native Americans arrived in the region around 2,500 years ago. Ancient people of the area used a wide variety of plants from both the mountains and the Mojave desert, such as honey mesquite, oak, piñon, cactus fruits, yucca roots, and tubers as well as grasses, seeds, and berries. Common tools were made of wood, bone, shell, stone, clay, and plant fibers. These people also manufactured woven goods, pipes made of stone, awls made of bone, tools associated with archery, and fire drills. They made coiled basketry and simple undecorated ceramic pots used for storage and transport.
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| Photo by Natividad Chavez, BLM May 4, 2016 Public Domain https://flic.kr/p/FZRRCE |
The name "Serrano" was given to people living in the Sand to Snow area by the Spanish missionaries in the late 18th century and translates from Spanish as a "person from the mountains." In 1834, the Spanish forcibly relocated many Serrano people to the missions. In 1840 the Serrano suffered a devastating smallpox outbreak, and the disease returned in 1860. Ruth Benedict, one of the world's foremost cultural anthropologists, studied the Serrano extensively in 1924. However, by this time there were few remaining eastern groups and no old shamans or priests survived. Today, the rich archaeological resources in this area serve to preserve the history of the Serrano people. Black Lava Butte, topped by distinctive basaltic lava flows, is sacred to the Serrano Tribe and home to a substantial number of archaeological sites, including evidence of habitation, rock art, and possible ritual activities. Black Lava Butte contains an estimated 1,700 distinct petroglyphs, most of which have not yet been studied and may provide insight into the history of the Serrano and other tribes in the region. The mesa also contains dozens of isolated grinding and milling sites and at least one shelter site, where many milling stones are present.
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| Photo by Natividad Chavez, BLM May 3, 2016 Public Domain https://flic.kr/p/GrBeqs |
After the Holcomb Valley gold rush of 1860, ranchers used the area for grazing sheep, horses, and cattle. Many of the ranchers kept their herds at lower elevations during the winter and drove their stock to the meadows of the San Bernardino Mountains to graze during the summer months. Old cattle paths, watering holes, and campsites remain a part of the landscape today. Although not particularly successful, many miners prospected in the southeastern portions of the San Bernardino Mountains. Evidence still remains in the form of old cabins, mine shafts, prospecting pits, and refuse deposits.
The protection of the Sand to Snow area will preserve its cultural, prehistoric, and historic legacy and maintain its diverse array of natural and scientific resources, ensuring that the historic and scientific values of this area remain for the benefit of all Americans. In addition to its significant scientific and historic values, the area also provides world class outdoor recreation opportunities, including hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, mountain biking, and horseback riding.
https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2016/02/12/presidential-proclamation-establishment-sand-snow-national-monument
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| Photo by Bob WIck, BLM March 17, 2017 Public Domain https://flic.kr/p/Trb3q8 |
BLM: Sand to Snow National Monument Map (as of June 2017) - PDF
https://sites.google.com/site/aaronflitt/documents/national-monuments-at-risk/BLM%20California%20Sand%20to%20Snow%20National%20Monument%20Map%20-%202017-06%20b.pdf
To comment on the monument review process (due July 10, 2017):
To comment on the monument review process (due July 10, 2017):
Video (By Others...)
Save the Heart of the Mojave Desert from The Wildlands Conservancy on Vimeo.
TAKE ACTION at http://www.wildlandsconservancy.org/monuments.html
Links
https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/uploads/sandtosnow_20160211.pdf
flikr:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/blmcalifornia/24665478830/in/album-72157647014279350/
flikr:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/blmcalifornia/24665478830/in/album-72157647014279350/
USFS:
Website:
Questions and Answers PDF:
The White House:
Presidential Proclamation -- Establishment of the Sand to Snow National Monument
https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2016/02/12/presidential-proclamation-establishment-sand-snow-national-monument
https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2016/02/12/presidential-proclamation-establishment-sand-snow-national-monument
Fact Sheet -- President Obama to Designate New National Monuments in the California Desert https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2016/02/12/fact-sheet-president-obama-designate-new-national-monuments-california
Sand to Snow National Monument
Map (This is very cool!)
U. S. Department of the Interior:
Secretaries Jewell, Vilsack Applaud President’s Designation of Three New National Monuments in California Desert
LA Times: Volcanic spires and Joshua trees: Obama protects 1.8 million acres in California's desert
http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-monuments-20160212-story.html
Washington Post: With 3 new monuments, Obama creates world’s second-largest desert preserve
http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-monuments-20160212-story.html
Washington Post: With 3 new monuments, Obama creates world’s second-largest desert preserve
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/02/12/with-3-new-monuments-obama-creates-worlds-second-largest-desert-preserve
National Monuments in Danger:
To comment on the monument review process (due July 10, 2017):
To comment on the monument review process (due July 10, 2017):
