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    Press Statement - Castner Range

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    Erika Esquivel
    The Biden Administration designated over 7,081 acres of land in West Texas known as Castner Range as a National Monument. The land, located within the Chihuahuan desert along the Rio Grande, has vast historical and cultural significance as the ancestral homeland of Indigenous communities in the area. Conservation groups have long advocated for protecting the ecologically important land. The designation preserves the land's value and significance, and instills hope that more monuments will honor diverse American histories and increase access to nature for communities of color.

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    Press Statement - Castner Range

    Uploaded by

    Erika Esquivel
    1K views2 pages
    The Biden Administration designated over 7,081 acres of land in West Texas known as Castner Range as a National Monument. The land, located within the Chihuahuan desert along the Rio Grande, has vast historical and cultural significance as the ancestral homeland of Indigenous communities in the area. Conservation groups have long advocated for protecting the ecologically important land. The designation preserves the land's value and significance, and instills hope that more monuments will honor diverse American histories and increase access to nature for communities of color.

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    Press Statement - Castner Range

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    The Biden Administration designated over 7,081 acres of land in West Texas known as Castner Range as a National Monument. The land, located within the Chihuahuan desert along the Rio Grande, has vast historical and cultural significance as the ancestral homeland of Indigenous communities in the area. Conservation groups have long advocated for protecting the ecologically important land. The designation preserves the land's value and significance, and instills hope that more monuments will honor diverse American histories and increase access to nature for communities of color.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    1K views2 pages

    Press Statement - Castner Range

    Uploaded by

    Erika Esquivel
    The Biden Administration designated over 7,081 acres of land in West Texas known as Castner Range as a National Monument. The land, located within the Chihuahuan desert along the Rio Grande, has vast historical and cultural significance as the ancestral homeland of Indigenous communities in the area. Conservation groups have long advocated for protecting the ecologically important land. The designation preserves the land's value and significance, and instills hope that more monuments will honor diverse American histories and increase access to nature for communities of color.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    of 2

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 03/21/2023

    Press Contact: Amairani Perez Chamu, Media Strategist


    [email protected] | (918) 313-5365

    MONUMENTAL SHIFT APPLAUDS BIDEN ADMINISTRATION


    PROTECTION OF CASTNER RANGE

    NATIONAL - In a historical decision, the Biden Administration protected over 7,081 acres of
    sacred land in West Texas by designating Castner Range in El Paso as a National Monument. For
    years, communities and conservation groups in Texas have been passionately advocating to
    protect the historically and ecologically-vital lands of Castner Range. Located within the
    Chihuahuan desert along the Rio Grande, Castner Range sits at the southeastern point of the
    Franklin Mountains, which stretch from El Paso to New Mexico in a majority-Latinx and indigenous
    community.

    Best known by the locals for its annual display of blooming Mexican Yellow Poppies, the range’s
    vast history and historical significance is the ancestral homeland of the Comanche and Apache
    people, and its cultural ecology is considered sacred to several Indigenous communities in the
    area. The designation of Castner Range as a National Monument does much more than just
    preserve its value and significance; it instills hope and anticipation that more monuments that tell
    diverse American histories and that address the need for increased access to nature for
    communities of color and low-income families will be protected for future generations.

    "The designation of Castner Range as a National Monument continues to build on the legacy of
    America the Beautiful. By protecting these special places, the administration is elevating the
    voices of the local communities who have led these protection efforts and who stand the most to
    benefit from the protection of these places they call home, and more access to connect to these
    landscapes, and greater opportunities to connect with one another in the outdoors. We hope to
    see even more momentum for this legacy of community-led conservation to continue to build, to
    ensure that future stewardship of landscapes like these preserves the history of the land while
    creating a path forward for all to enjoy the benefits of protected lands and waters."
    - Teresa Ana Martinez, Executive Director, Continental Divide Trail Coalition

    While we continue to celebrate the Biden Administration designation of Castner Range as a


    national monument, we are hopeful for further conversations to occur with the Sovereign Tribal
    Nations and the community to co-lead the efforts going forward. We applaud the use of the
    Antiquities Act for this designation and encourage President Biden to continue protecting sacred
    sites that equitably represent ethnically diverse communities.

    For interview requests please contact [email protected]

    Monumental SHIFT is a coalition rooted in racially and ethnically diverse leadership transforming the
    traditional creation, conception, funding, and stewardship of national monuments in the United States in
    order to better represent and honor lands and places sacred to the communities which we belong to.
    Coalition Quotes

    Camilla Simon, Executive Director of HECHO:


    Statement on Castner Range designation as a National Monument
    ● “Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting, and the Outdoors (HECHO) applauds President
    Joe Biden for the designation of Castner Range, as a National Monument through the
    Antiquities Act. The Castner Range is a special historical and ecological area within the
    Franklin Mountains range. It totals over 7,000 acres and abuts the majority-Hispanic
    community of El Paso and its southern neighbor, Cd. Juarez.”
    ● “We are very excited to learn that President Biden has finally used his authority under the
    Antiquities Act to designate the Castner Range National Monument. The local community
    has advocated long and hard for this day, and today we celebrate this victory with them.
    The monument designation increases access to and protects a unique mountain range in
    a highly urban area, and will benefit people from all economic backgrounds while
    reflecting and honoring the local communities and the history and culture of those who
    live there. Community advocates in El Paso have sought protection and public access to
    this landscape for decades. The campaign that supported Castner Range’s designation
    included community leaders from the region who genuinely represent the borderlands.”

    Bennae Calac, Executive Director of 7g Foundation:


    ● “The designation of Caster Range as a National Monument is one that directly protects
    the Traditional land of Tigua people of the Ysleta del Sur. These continued efforts allow
    ratification and acknowledgment of the wrongs Indigenous have endured. It will also allow
    communities of all who live within this time to enjoy the treasure, like Castner Range.”

    Cassandra Carmichael, Executive Director of National Religious Partnership for the Environment:
    ● “We applaud President Biden for designating Castner Range as one of the nation's
    newest monuments,” said Cassandra Carmichael, Executive Director of the National
    Religious Partnership for the Environment. “Not only does Castner Range display the
    beauty of God’s creation, it tells important stories of human history. The more than 7,000
    acres will provide added recreational opportunities for the Hispanic and Black
    communities that live in neighboring communities.”
    ● “Today, President Biden honored his promise to designate Avi Kwa Ame, also known as
    Spirit Mountain, as a National Monument,” said Cassandra Carmichael, Executive Director
    of the National Religious Partnership for the Environment. “This sacred land, which is the
    center of Yuman creation stories and spiritual ideology, deserves permanent protection. In
    honoring this special part of God’s creation, President Biden is not only safeguarding
    ecological integrity and ensuring continued access to outdoor recreation but defending
    the religious liberty of the Tribal communities.”

    Monumental SHIFT is a coalition rooted in racially and ethnically diverse leadership transforming the
    traditional creation, conception, funding, and stewardship of national monuments in the United States in
    order to better represent and honor lands and places sacred to the communities which we belong to.

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