California is getting two new national monuments. Why it matters: President Biden's move to establish the Chuckwalla and Sáttítla national monuments honors the Indigenous tribes that stewarded the combined 848,

The new designation near Joshua Tree National Park protects wildlife and preserves Indigenous spiritual and cultural values tied to the land.

The president also designated a second monument in Northern California. Biden however, did not include a proposed third monument, which was supported by tribes in Imperial County.