President Biden To Expand Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument

Elected Officials, Tribal Leaders, Scientists, and Community Members Applaud the Use of the Antiquities Act to Protect Molok Luyuk

SACRAMENTO, CA — Today, the Biden administration announced that President Biden will use his authority under the Antiquities Act to expand the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument in Northern California. The expanded monument will include Molok Luyuk, a ridge on the eastern edge of the existing monument that includes 13,696 acres of BLM-managed public lands in Lake and Colusa Counties. The Biden Administration also announced the planned expansion of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument in Southern California.

“We thank President Biden for expanding the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument and protecting Molok Luyuk, an area steeped in thousands of years of rich history and profound meaning to the Patwin people, whose traditional territory stretches south from these hills to the shores of San Pablo Bay and east to the Sacramento River,” said Yocha Dehe Tribal Chairman Anthony Roberts. “Elements of the natural landscape on the ridge have traditional cultural significance to us. We look forward to the day when condors fly over Molok Luyuk once again.”

Expanding the monument will help safeguard lands that are sacred to the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, preserve important wildlife corridors, and protect the area’s distinctive biodiversity.

“The sacred lands within and around the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument are central to thousands of years of indigenous origin stories,” said Senator Padilla. “For over 11,000 years, dozens of tribes have called Molok Luyuk home, and it is our duty to protect the abundant natural resources and the rich history of the land for future generations. I am grateful to President Biden for heeding our calls to ensure that the unique tribal knowledge, history, and cultural practices entrenched at Molok Luyuk will forever be a part of the National Monument.”

The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, which has requested the expansion, has a long and significant connection to Molok Luyuk, stretching back thousands of years. Molok Luyuk is Patwin for “Condor Ridge.” The ridge includes areas where religious ceremonies are practiced and sites that were central to vital trading routes. 

"Conserving California's natural beauty has been a lifelong passion throughout my tenure in the state legislature, as Deputy Secretary of the Interior to President Clinton, and now as a member of Congress,” said Congressman John Garamendi (CA-08). “In 2022, I introduced the 'Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Expansion Act' with Senator Alex Padilla and Congressman Mike Thompson. I am thrilled that President Biden is issuing this presidential proclamation to expand the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument and preserve the tribal wisdom, heritage, and cultural traditions that 'Molok Luyuk' or Condor Ridge has been home to for over 11,000 years. I thank President Biden and Interior Secretary Haaland for conserving this special place forever."

A key goal of this effort has been to establish co-stewardship with federally recognized Tribes. This announcement reflects the continued commitment of the Biden Administration to engage with Tribal Nations and explore methods of ensuring Tribes can collaborate on the stewardship of their Indigenous lands.

“I worked to designate the Berryessa Snow Mountain region as a national monument in 2015, and I've worked to expand it ever since,” said Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-04). “Molok Luyuk is culturally significant to numerous tribes and other Native peoples and this expansion begins a new era of tribal co-stewardship of ancestral public lands. Today’s expansion will ensure the region’s biodiversity, geological formations, and cultural connections are preserved for generations to come.”

Designated in 2015, Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument stretches from Napa County in the south to Mendocino County in the north, encompassing public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). 

“We are so grateful to President Biden for protecting Molok Luyuk by expanding Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument,” said Sandra Schubert, Executive Director of Tuleyome, a local conservation organization. “Molok Luyuk is a gem of rich cultural heritage and history, diverse wildlife and rare plants, stunning natural beauty, and accessible recreational activities. Tribal leaders, scientists, and our community have all expressed the need to protect these special lands right in our backyard. We are grateful to our Congressional champions, the Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service for supporting the permanent protection of Molok Luyuk.”

President Obama first designated the monument and President Biden then expanded it using the Antiquities Act. This 1906 law grants U.S. Presidents the ability to designate federal public lands, waters, and cultural and historical sites as national monuments with a Presidential Proclamation.

“Molok Luyuk is a special and sacred place for area Tribes and for many residents who enjoy recreation activities like hiking and mountain biking,” added Lake County Supervisor E.J. Crandell, a member of the Robinson Rancheria Tribe. “The natural beauty of our home also drives tourism, which is key to the economic vitality of the region. I am grateful that the President protected these beautiful lands. It is a gift to future generations.” 

In December, BLM and USDA hosted a community listening session attended by more than 200 community members. Over 75 people spoke, all in unanimous support of the expansion. 

“As an avid OHV recreationist, I am thrilled at the expansion of Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument to include Molok Luyuk,” said Don Amador, former chair of the CA State Park Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission and an OHV user who spoke at the meeting in favor of the expansion. “The permanent protection of Molok Luyuk will improve the management of these lands and increase public access to recreation opportunities. This is a win-win for our community. I am grateful for President Biden using the Antiquities Act to expand the monument and protect these lands for future generations to enjoy.” 

Elected officials, community leaders, and residents all joined Senator Padilla, Senator Butler, the late Senator Feinstein, Representative Garamendi, Representative Thompson, and the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation in calling on President Biden to expand Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument using the Antiquities Act. Northern California Tribes, businesses, neighboring landowners, and over 300 scientists supported protecting Molok Luyuk. 

"Expanding Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument to include Moluk Luyuk honors our shared history and protects sacred lands important to the Patwin people,” shared Ben King, a Colusa County farmer. “Thanks to President Biden’s actions, everyone in Colusa County benefits from improved recreational access, a strengthened local economy, and a true commitment to tribal partnerships and thoughtful land stewardship. From the perspective of a Colusa County farming family that settled on Patwin lands over 160 years ago, we sincerely believe that this monument expansion is a necessary and important step to honor and respect Patwin culture and traditions and to shape a legacy of preservation for all people and the generations to come.”

To learn more about this effort and its supporters, visit www.expandberryessa.org. 

# # #

For interviews in English and Spanish, please contact Erika Brink at erika@fcpcommunications.com or (951) 553-3561.