President Joe Biden announced on Tuesday his plan to create national monuments in Nevada and Texas, as well as establish a marine sanctuary near Hawaii.
The Avi Kwa Ame, a desert mountain in southern Nevada sacred to Native Americans, and the Castner Range in El Paso, Texas, formerly a U.S.
Army training site, will be designated as national monuments, protecting over 514,000 acres of public lands combined.
The new marine sanctuary aims to conserve at least 30% of ocean waters under U.S. jurisdiction by 2030.
In addition, the administration proposes measures to modernize management of public lands, promote tribal conservation, and reduce wildfire risk. Biden’s actions come amid criticism from environmental groups and youth activists over the approval of the Willow oil drilling project in Alaska.