Proposed Sáttítla National Monument Would Increase Wildfire Risks in Northern California

California forest sector leaders today cautioned President Joe Biden that using Antiquities Act authorities to create a new Sáttítla National Monument will significantly complicate efforts to mitigate severe wildfires, protect communities, and restore forest health in northern California.

The monument proposal spans over 200,000 acres of federal land within the Klamath, Modoc, and Shasta-Trinity National Forests. The proposed monument area includes, or is adjacent to, more than a dozen high-risk "firesheds" that have been targeted for accelerated forest health treatments under President Biden's own Wildfire Strategy.

Adding more restrictions to managing this landscape through a monument designation will place tribal, cultural, and environmental values and communities at risk, according to a letter sent to President Biden from American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) President Travis Joseph and California Forestry Association (Calforests) President/CEO Matt Dias.

AFRC and Calforests emphasized the importance of active forest management in addressing California's wildfire crisis, promoting healthy ecosystems, and maintaining public access. The organizations raised concerns about how the national monument designation could overlap and thwart current Biden Administration initiatives, including the Wildfire Crisis Strategy, the National Old Growth Amendment, and the Northwest Forest Plan Amendment.

"While we share the values of clean air, water, and healthy ecosystems, we believe that addressing wildfire risks requires intentional, science-based, proactive actions on the ground," Joseph and Dias wrote. "Yet, we cannot identify a successful example of a national monument created by a presidential proclamation at this scale that has resulted in focused, accelerated, timely, proactive action on the ground to address our wildfire and forest health crises.

"In fact, quite the opposite. Examples include the Berryessa-Snow Mountain National Monument that was severely burned in the August Complex Wildfire (2020) and the lengthy list of wildfires in the Sequoia National Monument."

The letter urged the President and his advisors to consider the existing federal initiatives already targeting this landscape, such as the Forest Service's Wildfire Crisis Strategy and the National Old Growth Amendment, both of which involve key areas within the proposed monument's boundaries.

Joseph and Dias also pointed out that a monument designation could add layers of complexity to these ongoing initiatives without providing the U.S. Forest Service with additional tools or resources to address the threats. They cited the agency's current staffing and budget challenges, arguing that the monument designation will further strain agency resources and delay needed forest treatments.

The letter highlights the importance of tribal engagement and co-management, acknowledging the historical exclusion of tribes from key land management decisions in the past. AFRC and Calforests urge the Biden Administration to ensure meaningful tribal consultation as part of any future management plans.

In addition, presidential proclamations under the Antiquities Act do not require analysis or public disclosure of social, economic, or environmental impacts of the designation as other federal agency actions require under the National Environmental Policy Act; and do not require consultation with federal regulatory agencies under the Endangered Species Act, Clean Air Act, or Clean Water Act.

"The most inclusive, transparent, and democratic process for making management changes to federal lands is through the Congress, or through existing, established federal laws that require exhaustive public input, analysis, and adjudication," Joseph and Dias wrote.