Conservation Groups Fight to Protect Chuckwalla National Monument

Lawsuit seeks to defend newly designated desert preserve in California

Mar. 20, 2026 at 5:33am

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A group of conservation organizations, including the CactustoCloud Institute, the Conservation Lands Foundation, the National Parks Conservation Association, and the Sierra Club, have been granted permission to intervene in a lawsuit seeking to strip protections from the recently designated Chuckwalla National Monument in the California desert. The monument, located 80 miles east of Palm Springs, is home to significant tribal, historical, and ecological resources that the groups argue are worth preserving over potential mineral extraction.

Why it matters

The Chuckwalla National Monument was designated by President Biden just before he left office, protecting a unique desert landscape with important cultural and environmental value. The lawsuit challenging the monument's protections represents an ongoing battle over the use of public lands, pitting conservation efforts against commercial extraction interests.

The details

An off-road vehicle group based in Idaho and a miner from Michigan have sued the U.S. Department of the Interior, seeking to remove the national monument designation from the Chuckwalla area. The conservation groups intervening in the lawsuit argue that the monument protects significant tribal, historical, and ecological resources, including endangered species, ancient rock art, and World War II-era sites, that would be threatened by mining and off-road vehicle use.

  • President Biden designated Chuckwalla National Monument just before leaving office in 2026.
  • The lawsuit challenging the monument's protections was filed shortly after the designation.

The players

CactustoCloud Institute

A local conservation organization based in La Quinta, California, that is intervening in the lawsuit to defend Chuckwalla National Monument.

Conservation Lands Foundation

A national non-profit organization that works to protect and defend America's system of national monuments, national conservation lands, and other protected public lands, and is intervening in the lawsuit.

National Parks Conservation Association

A national non-profit organization dedicated to protecting and enhancing America's national park system, and is intervening in the lawsuit.

Sierra Club

A national environmental organization that is intervening in the lawsuit to defend Chuckwalla National Monument.

Off-road vehicle group

An Idaho-based organization that has sued the U.S. Department of the Interior, seeking to remove the national monument designation from the Chuckwalla area.

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What they’re saying

“There's a lot of World War II and mining history in the area. There are species that are found nowhere else on earth. You've got endangered desert tortoises, bighorn sheep, hundreds of species of plants and animals.”

— Colin Barrows, Cofounder, CactustoCloud Institute

“Morally and financially, there's much more value in protecting public lands – for recreation access, for clean air and water, for tribal values – than there is in stripping whatever minerals might be there and then having it be a wasteland forever after.”

— Colin Barrows, Cofounder, CactustoCloud Institute

What’s next

The judge will rule on whether to allow the conservation groups to intervene in the lawsuit challenging the Chuckwalla National Monument designation.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing tensions between conservation efforts and commercial interests over the use of public lands. The Chuckwalla National Monument represents an important victory for protecting unique desert ecosystems and cultural resources, but its future remains uncertain as legal challenges continue.