Today, the Biden administration officially designated Avi Kwa Ame and Castner Range as national monuments. This victory is the result of years-long advocacy campaigns led by Tribes, frontline and conservation groups working with the Honor Avi Kwa Ame and Castner Range Forever coalitions. These designations provide permanent land and resource protections in accordance with the Antiquities Act.
Raena Garcia, Fossil Fuels and Lands Campaigner at Friends of the Earth, issued the following statement:
We thank the Biden administration for these important and long overdue designations. The public has expressed strong support for protecting public lands, especially Avi Kwa Ame and Castner Range, for a very long time. We also thank the efforts of our partners and frontline leaders who have worked diligently to protect these remarkable spaces.
While we celebrate this victory, these designations don’t negate Biden’s past giveaways to Big Oil, including last week’s approval of the devastating Willow project in Alaska. All communities must be protected from destructive fossil fuel and energy extraction. We urge Biden to read the writing on the wall and take action to protect our lands and waters for future generations.
This post was originally published on Common Dreams.
