On March 21, 2023, President Biden designated both Avi Kwa Ame in Nevada and Castner Range in Texas as National Monuments, which will protect more than 500,000 acres of public lands. We commend him for taking action to protect these fragile ecosystems which are home to many animals and are culturally significant as well.

In 1906, Theodore Roosevelt signed the Antiquities Act into law, which allows presidents to preserve natural spaces for plants and animals, including humans, and proceeded to designate Devil’s Tower as the first national monument in the United States.

Along with many individuals and groups, more than 15,000 In Defense of Animals’ supporters signed our recent alert urging Biden to designate Avi Kwa Ame, Castner Range, and Plum Island as national monuments and two of the three have now been protected successfully! These designations take a critical step toward protecting members of animal and plant species who are endangered and face threats from human development and the impacts of the climate crisis. 

Now so many dozens of species of wild animals have a safe place to call home. Avi Kwa Ame is an important habitat for wild animals like bighorn sheep, mule deer, and members of many different bird species who live in the Mojave desert. It is also a critical location for the Mojave desert tortoise. 

Members of over 27 endangered species live in Castner Range, an area in the Franklin Mountains of western Texas. This special place in the Chihuahuan desert will now serve as a permanent corridor for animals like mule deer, mountain lions, and peccaries. This corridor allows them to navigate from range to range without encountering human developments and roads that are dangerous and potentially fatal. 

Let’s hope that Plum Island is next up on the list, and that these other animals will be protected there as well! In the meantime, please visit our Wild Animals campaign to learn more about ways you can help.