San Francisco, CA–(ENEWSPF)–October 10, 2014. President Obama today will designate California’s San Gabriel Mountains as a national monument. The designation will be followed by a community celebration, with hundreds expected in attendance. As part of the community celebration, the San Gabriel Mountains Forever coalition will announce a new San Gabriel Partnership Fund to raise a combination of government, corporate and private funds to build on the national monument designation and fulfill the coalition’s vision of a protected and accessible San Gabriels.
The national monument designation follows years of work by community, business and local political leaders, utilities, homeowners, former Congresswoman Hilda Solis, Congresswoman Judy Chu, and countless local residents to see the area protected.
In response, Sierra Club Our Wild America Director Dan Chu and Fabiola Lao with the San Gabriel Mountains Forever campaign issued the following statements.
“We’re thrilled to see President Obama carry on our country’s proud conservation legacy with the designation of the San Gabriel Mountains– located near 17 million people– as our newest national monument. Today’s designation is a reminder that the wild is where you find it, even next to large urban areas like Los Angeles. Even in this age of ‘been there, done that’, there remain natural treasures to be explored, enjoyed and protected. We look forward to the President’s next great action to protect America’s public lands,” said Dan Chu, Senior Director for Sierra Club’s Our Wild America Campaign.
“This is a happy day for our community. We thank President Obama for listening to local concerns and responding by permanently protecting the San Gabriels as a national monument. The designation of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument will help improve visitor experiences, protect a valuable water source, and preserve much-needed open space for a park-poor region. After more than a decade of work, it’s heartening to see our community vision of a protected San Gabriels and access for all begin to be realized,” said Fabiola Lao, Sierra Club representative in the San Gabriel Mountains Forever campaign.
Source: sierraclub.org
