This bill establishes a new 621,000-acre Chuckwalla National Monument in California and expands Joshua Tree National Park by approximately 17,842 acres. The monument encompasses public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management in Riverside and Imperial counties and is intended to protect ecologically significant desert habitat, sacred Native American sites, and historically important areas while preserving outdoor recreation opportunities. The legislation recognizes the ancestral connection of six federally recognized Indian tribes to the land and establishes a Tribal Commission composed of representatives from these tribes to have a meaningful voice in management decisions. The bill allows continued hunting, hiking, camping, motorized recreation on designated routes, and renewable energy development in nearby areas specifically designated for that purpose. The Secretary of the Interior must develop a comprehensive management plan within three years, conduct ethnographic and cultural resources surveys within 180 days, and establish both a Tribal Commission and a 19-member Advisory Council within 180 days of enactment. The legislation does not impose new funding requirements and includes protections for existing utility facilities, renewable energy projects in designated development areas, and military activities in the region.
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