Audience (00:00):
Thank you, Joe.
(00:00)
Thank you, Joe.
Deb Haaland (00:48):
[foreign language 00:00:48]. Hello, everyone, relatives and friends. I'm honored to be here with you at the White House. Yes, you can sit down please. I'm so honored to be here with you at the White House to celebrate President Biden's establishment of Chuckwalla National Monument and to reflect on the Biden-Harris administration's conservation legacy.
Audience (01:17):
Thank you, Deb.
Deb Haaland (01:22):
You're very welcome. Hiking Painted Canyon with Chairman Tortez in the Coachella Valley last year was a highlight of my time as secretary and I am so proud that I was able to keep up with him. Chuckwalla is an incredible place and one in which we are all so lucky to experience as our ancestors did. There is no better way to appreciate the land than to walk it. Hearing, seeing, and smelling the earth.
(01:54)
Today is special because it represents another example, a capstone really, of the Biden-Harris administration's unwavering commitment to protect the places we all love while uplifting and empowering those who have stewarded them across time. As everyone here knows, Chuckwalla is a living landscape that vibrates with beauty and painted canyons. It's a place where desert valleys and woodlands provide a home for many species of plants and animals. It's a place that families and adventurers from around the world seek out for unmatched recreational opportunities, and it's a place that has been stewarded over millennia by our Indigenous ancestors, as evidenced by the songs the tribes still sing today of the trails that weave across the region.
(02:48)
When President Biden and I first stepped into these roles, we understood fundamentally that tribes must be at the forefront of our efforts to conserve the lands and waters we all depend on. Today, I'm grateful for President Biden's leadership. I'm grateful he has listened to tribes and local communities across the country and has committed our administration to conserving the places that are core to our identities and to our shared experiences. Above all, I'm grateful for the outstanding partners we share this day with.
(03:26)
Today, the Chuckwalla National Monument is protected for all of us. So much of what we do is for our young people, for the next generations who are already inheriting this work and who will carry it forward with grace, expertise, and resilience. They are the ones who are putting so many of our investments made possible by President Biden to good use, and it has been my honor to work alongside them in our shared mission for a better future. Our next speaker is one of those young people. Everyone please welcome from California, Rhian Reyes.
Rhian Reyes (04:18):
Thank you. Thank you, Secretary Haaland for your inspiring words and for that beautiful picture you painted.
(04:47)
Hello, my name is Rhian Reyes. I was born and raised in the Coachella Valley with my parents and three younger brothers just about 30 minutes from Chuckwalla. As a child, I didn't appreciate the natural treasures found in my backyard. It wasn't until after I left California to go to college in a big city, that I realized I needed to be around the mountains, the sun, and the beauty of the desert. I quickly returned home to the Coachella Valley to finish college and started coming regularly to Chuckwalla, to hike, stargaze, and enjoy the beauty of the desert.
(05:24)
After finishing college, I interned as a Chuckwalla Youth Ambassador for a nonprofit that works to protect California deserts. Then I joined the team at the National Audubon Society, a conservation nonprofit that works to protect birds and their habitats. It's been an empowering journey to learn how to advocate for these irreplaceable and incredible places we all need, and I plan to devote my career to environmental policy to protect these precious lands, waters, and animals.
(05:58)
I realize how lucky I am to live in that magical place and how transformative it can be for our physical and our mental well-being. I want everyone to experience the magic of Chuckwalla. That's why designating Chuckwalla as a national monument represents more than just protecting land. It's an investment in our community's future, so families can enjoy the natural beauty around us, scientists can explore its mysteries, and we can honor the cultural and historical significance it holds for so many.
(06:34)
I want to thank Congressman Ruiz, Senator Padilla, and our partners with the Protect California Deserts Coalition and everyone else who helped make today happen. And of course, our deepest thanks to President Biden. As a young person who feels the weight of the climate crisis, it means everything to know that we have a president who recognizes the importance of protecting these lands and waters for future generations. A champion who has never stopped fighting for us and our planet, a leader who has shown the world what bold climate leadership looks like. It's now my greatest honor to introduce him. Ladies and gentlemen, the president of the United States, Joe Biden.
Joe Biden (07:51):
Thank you, Rhian. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Please. I'm going home now. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Please. Please sit down.
(07:52)
Rhian, thank you for the introduction. Your commitment to conservation gives me so much optimism for the future. I mean that sincerely. Before I go much further, I want to explain to you why we have these screens up here. I was hoping we were going to do this in place so the American people that's being covered by the media would see what we're talking about, feel it, sort of taste it. This is as close as we can get. As I speak, hopefully they're going to bring up the areas I'm talking about, so people get some sense of what we're talking about.
(08:22)
But I want to make a special thanks to Secretary Deb Haaland, whose incredible leadership these past four years has scared the hell out of me. I've been doing this job a long time, not as president, but in public life. I'm afraid to tell her no. She doesn't take no for an answer on anything. I promise you she has a list still. You've done a hell of a job. I'm so proud to have nominated you for that, and thank you for the job you've done.
(09:02)
As you all know, I was in California last week where the event was supposed to be held, but we had to postpone it because of the fires in Los Angeles. Among the worst wildfires in California history. It's devastating. For Kamala and for so many of you, it's home. She and I and our entire administration have been working closely with Governor Newsom, Senator Padilla, Senator Schiff, the entire congressional delegation, to make sure California has every possible resource to fight these fires and help the survivors. And fight back against the misinformation that's going out. That includes our heroic firefighters, the first responders.
(09:48)
The heart of the nation are with the victims and families left behind, and all the people who've lost their homes, livelihoods and so much to these fires. It's been devastating. It's incredible. It's incredible. Thousands of homes lost. Folks, here's another reminder, tragedies like this is not about blue states and red states, not about conservatives and liberals. It's about the United States of America. The United States of America.
(10:18)
And now to turn to today's event. In addition to Secretary Haaland, we have elected officials in the community and from the tribal community, the Indian nations. I learned that a long time ago from Danny Inouye. Just want you to know that, okay? I once said, "Those Indian residents." He said, "No, no, no. Joe, come here." Anyway, I was only 30 years old, but I learned it really quickly.
(10:41)
Look, members of the California delegation, Senator Padilla, Representative Ruiz, champion legislators established these national monuments, key members of my administration, Brenda, chair of the Council of Economic Equality, and the staff and the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service. Like many families, Jill and I made it a tradition to take our children and grandchildren to national parks and monuments every year. I wanted them to see, wanted them to see, feel, smell, taste, look at just what would've been preserved. And every time I looked at it, I thought about Teddy Roosevelt and these people, all they preserved. Imagine had they not acted. Imagine, imagine had they not acted.
(11:27)
And I wanted them to witness the majesty and beauty of America. It's absolutely majestic. Our natural wonders are the heart and soul of our nation, and you all know it in this room. They unite us. They inspire us. It's a birthright we pass down from generation to generation. And that's why on day one of my administration and since then, we've been carrying out the most aggressive climate agenda ever in the history of world. I mean it.
(12:04)
And make no mistake, I was able to do it because of you. I know I mean it, but I'm not kidding you, because of you, including historic steps to conserve our natural resources for the ages. My second week as president, I signed an executive order establishing the first-ever conservation goal to protect 30% of all our lands and waters everywhere in America by 2030, 30%. I call this national campaign America the Beautiful, that's what it's called, America the Beautiful. And over the last four years, we've delivered with your help, putting America on track to meet that bold goal, restoring and creating new national monuments, conserving hundreds of millions of acres of lands and waters all across the America, from New England and Minnesota, Texas to Colorado, Arizona and Alaska. Have also created the first national marine sanctuary in the United States proposed by Indigenous communities. And I thank you for your push. I thank you for your push.
(13:15)
It stretches 116 miles along the California coast, 116 miles. It's going to protect the natural and cultural resources while also supporting our progress on offshore wind, I might add. And today, I'm proud to use my authority under the Antiquities Act to designate two more national monuments in California. First, Chuckwalla National Monument, in the Southern California Desert. This monument will protect more than 624,000 acres of wildlife habitat and sacred ancestral lands.
(14:07)
Ladies and gentlemen, together prior designations, we're going to create a contiguous corridor along the Colorado River of nearly 18 million acres of protected land, the largest in the lower 48 states. And to those at home who may be listening, that's bigger than the entire state of West Virginia.
Audience (14:30):
You're right.
Joe Biden (14:31):
And it's called the Moab-Mojave Conservation Corridor. Look, today's action will also protect and preserve mountain ranges and rugged canyons, desert floors and deep valleys, sandy slopes, stunning peaks. Tucked away in the desert landscape are beautiful springs and over 50 rare plants and animals, palm trees, cacti, lavender flowers, lizards, mountain lions, bats, bighorn sheep, owls, desert tortoises. I mean, this is incredible what's there.
(15:01)
This action also preserves the mosaic of trails woven together by tribal nations that trace their origins back thousands of years, thousands of years. And left behind in these trails are ancient ceramics, tools, rock art, sacred ceremonial sites that will also be preserved. We're also preserving ruins of old mines from the 1800s. Their construction drove out Indigenous people from their homes. A reminder of the harm that was done and the remnants of US army camp, trained units of desert combat shortly after we went at World War II.
(15:40)
For generations this place of wonder has attracted outdoor enthusiasts from hikers, horseback riders, exploring these vast lands, as well as scientists and geologists who are studying how the Earth evolved. Many veterans also returned here to heal their wounds, mental and physical, and invisible wounds as well, seeking solace and serenity in ways that only nature can provide. And you all know that, only nature can provide some of this, nothing else.
(16:10)
And next door to this monument, solar energy is being built, which proves what I've often said, we don't have to choose between the environment and the economy or between conservation and clean energy. We can do both at the same time. At the same time. This monument offer a perfect roadmap for how to strike that balance. It's a key element of our climate agenda and it includes the most significant climate law ever in the history of the world. That's not hyperbole, that's a fact. The law that's positioned us to cut carbon emissions in half by 2030, that's generated $300 billion so far in new private sector clean energy investment, 300 billion. And that's creating hundreds of thousands of jobs and unleashing a manufacturing boom all across America. And this matters a great deal.
(17:10)
Second, the second national monument I'm designating today is … This is important. I mispronounced it the first time. Sáttítla Highlands in Northern California. 240,000 acres of mountains that contain pristine waters and forests and stunning rock formations, lava fields, craters, and volcanic activity centuries ago. The center of these highlands, a dormant volcano creates a beautiful lake inside the summit.
(17:53)
The highlands are home for countless plants, animals including fox, frogs, bald eagles, bumblebees. The night skies there are darkest in America and distant galaxies and stars are extra visible. It's incredible. In the 1960s, these lava formations were used by NASA to train astronauts on Apollo missions, how to observe and take samples from the Moon. And ever since, this landscape support California's outdoor recreation economy from biking, hunting, fishing, canoeing, and so much more.
(18:28)
This area is also sacred to many tribal nations who were violently forced to leave their homes. They held ancient ceremonies here. They found sources of reverence and healing here, and they're preserving lands fundamental to who they are and their way of life. Folks, it's important.
(18:49)
Today's monument announcements built on another conservation action I took. Last week, I signed two directorates to protect the entire East Coast, West Coast, and Florida coast and Eastern Gulf and parts of the Alaskan coast from offshore drilling for natural gas. And I might add, that is a big deal. My state's only three feet above sea level. Oh, you're laughing, but it's important. Nearly 40% of Americans live in coastal communities. And it's not only good for the environment, it's good for our economy. It'll protect coastal fishing industry that generates $320 billion of income a year, beach tourism that generates nearly $220 billion annually, and 3 million American jobs. It also saves us billions in potential damages by avoiding oil spills like the Deepwater Horizon.
(20:02)
In the spirit of conserving not just the waters and lands, but our history, I did something else. I became the first American president to formally recognize a group of mostly Native Hawaiians. They lived for years in uninhabited Pacific Islands in the run-up to World War II to claim them for the United States. As a nation, we honor their service and sacrifice as patriots of our country and stewards of the land, we owe them.
(20:29)
Let me close with this. As president, I've had the privilege of bestowing our nation's highest honors on the world's preeminent environmental leaders. Two weeks ago, I bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Jane Goodall. Well, guess what? She has memorialized a global movement to protect the planet. She's done an incredible job. In October, I bestowed the National Medal of the Arts on Clyde Butcher, who grew up in California and became America's most acclaimed landscape photographer today. Clyde once said, quote, "Wilderness is a spiritual necessity." I'd add that our wilderness is a national necessity.
(21:09)
Over the past four years, and I'm proud to have kept my commitment to protect more land and water than any president in American history. More than 670 million acres, bigger than the size of Texas and Alaska combined. And without you standing up, we could have never done it. It's about our planet, our people. It's about America itself. Our outdoor treasures are the pride of our country. The bond between the physical and spiritual world. A bridge to our past and to our future. Conserving them not only protects the livelihoods of people who depend on them, it preserves a key piece of our history and the full American story. It unites us through the ages. It connects us with something bigger than ourselves. And above all, it reminds us of who we are.
(22:10)
I just had another baby-grandchild born. Guess what? Actually, to be precise, I hate to say it, a great-granddaughter, son, a great-grandson. And guess what? Think what this means for your children, your grandchildren, your great-grandchildren. I mean it sincerely. Think of what it means if we don't do this. Above all, it reminds us of who we are. We're the United States of America, and there's nothing, nothing, nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together.
(22:45)
I want to thank you all again because it's not hyperbole, I could have never done any of this without the support of the people in this room. You stepped up. You made the case. People listened to you, ordinary people listened to you about how important this is. And by the way, if I had my way, I'd make sure everyone could see the natural wonders because they'd have a more reverent view of where we are. So, folks, God bless you all and may God protect our troops. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
(23:43)
The first bill I'm signing is the establishment of the California Chuckwalla National Monument. Today is the 14th, right?
Speaker 5 (24:21):
Yes.
Joe Biden (24:21):
The signing pen goes to the secretary because I'm afraid not to give it to her. You've done an incredible job, and I'll get each of you a signing pen.
Deb Haaland (24:27):
Thank you.
Joe Biden (24:29):
All right. You're welcome. The second I'm signing is the establishment of the Highlands National Monument. Here we go. Got to fill this in.
Speaker 5 (24:48):
It's up to you.
Joe Biden (24:55):
I know, [inaudible 00:24:55] … The day of in this hand … You'll fill in the dates here, guys? All right.
Audience (24:59):
It's the 14th, sir.
Joe Biden (25:05):
No, I know that, but I don't want to … Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. [inaudible 00:25:47]. Thank you all. I really mean it. None of this would have happened without you guys. I really, really genuinely mean it. This was a national movement you generated. So, thank you.
Audience (25:58):
Thank you, Mr. President.
(26:00)
Thank you.
Speaker 6 (26:09):
Distinguished guests, please remain in your seat as the president departs. Thank you.