Defenders Applauds Creation of New National Monument in Nevada

Defenders of Wildlife applauded President Biden for establishing Avi Kwa Ame National Monument in southern Nevada. This national monument, also known as “Spirit Mountain,” protects nearly 380,000 acres of sacred tribal and biologically significant lands in the Mojave Desert, some of which historically has been sought for large-scale energy development. This designation also links key desert tortoise habitat in Nevada and California and creates important wildlife corridors for bighorn sheep. 

“We applaud today’s action by the Biden administration to establish Avi Kwa Ame National Monument and safeguard land that is rich in environmental and cultural value,” said Monica Goldberg, vice president of Landscape Conservation for Defenders of Wildlife. “A designation of this scale is a tremendous victory during a biodiversity crisis, especially for the embattled desert tortoise whose populations continue to decline because of habitat loss.”

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Joanna Gilkeson/USFWS

Avi Kwa Ame plays an important role in helping to conserve our nation’s biodiversity by protecting critical habitat for the desert tortoise, migratory pathways for bighorn sheep and migratory birds, and numerous rare and threatened plants, including Joshua trees, that are being evaluated for listing under the Endangered Species Act.