San Gabriel Mountains
Rep. Chu stood with President Obama as he declared the San Gabriel Mountains a National Monument.
The Los Angeles area is one of the most park poor regions of the country. Too many of our communities – especially low-income communities – lack the resources for residents to walk, jog, bike or picnic in their own neighborhoods. This is why I have fought to bring federal resources to our region to maintain outdoor spaces that can be experienced by residents and visitors.
Establishing & Expanding the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument
In October 2014, President Obama acted on my call for permanent protection for the San Gabriel Mountains and declared 346,000 acres as a national monument. As a result of the monument designation, we saw new staff, more signage, and more resources, including graffiti and trash removal, go into the protected areas. In fact, as a direct result of the designation, the Monument received $6.5 million in federal funding along with $4 million in philanthropic donations. This was a critical step towards making our treasured mountains, rivers, and forests a national priority
Since then, I have introduced legislation and fought to complete the vision of an expanded Monument that includes some of the most visited and beautiful lands in the western Angeles Forest, and consistently urged the Biden-Harris Administration to take further steps to protect the San Gabriels.
And that’s why I am so proud that on May 2, 2024, President Joe Biden signed a presidential proclamation under the Antiquities Act of 1906 expanding the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument by 105,919 additional acres to include the western Angeles National Forest—protecting the significant natural, cultural, and recreational resources in Southern California. President Biden's proclamation was accompanied by an announcement of millions of dollars in new investments into the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument including new field staff, enhanced visitor engagement and interpretation resources, trash and pollution mitigation, and more.