[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 130, 114th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9394 of February 12, 2016

Establishment of the Castle Mountains National Monument

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

The Castle Mountains area, bounded on three sides by Mojave National
Preserve (Preserve), possesses outstanding natural, cultural, and
historical values representing some of the finest characteristics of the
eastern Mojave Desert. It connects water flow and wildlife corridors of
the Preserve, and completes the boundary of the Preserve along the
California-Nevada border. Beneath the shadow of Hart Peak lie rich
cultural and historic resources, including Native American archeological
sites and the historic gold mining ghost town of Hart. Exposed geologic
features contribute to the area's outstanding scenery.
Shaped by millions of years of geologic forces, the rugged Castle
Mountains are emblematic of the Mojave landscape. The Castle Mountains
rise from the broad sweep of the Lanfair Valley to a height of over
5,000 feet, presenting a picturesque skyline visible from many locations
within the Preserve, while also affording spectacular views of the
Preserve and beyond. Hart Peak is the prominent feature in the Castle
Mountains skyline at 5,543 feet. Views from Hart Peak encompass vast
wilderness and distinctive peaks, including Spirit Mountain in Nevada, a
sacred site to many Native American tribes. The remoteness of the Castle
Mountains area offers visitors the chance to experience the solitude of
the desert and its increasingly rare natural soundscapes and dark night
skies.
The Castle Mountains area provides a critical linkage for plants,
animals, and water between two mountain ranges within the Preserve, the
New York Mountains to the northwest and the Piute Mountains to the

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southeast. The area's high quality desert habitat includes some of the
finest Joshua tree forest in the Mojave Desert, as well as pinyon pine
and juniper forest at the upper elevations. The area's native desert
grassland is a hotspot of botanical diversity. The unique plant
assemblage includes 28 species of native grasses, about half of which
are rare, including burrograss and false buffalograss.
Protection of this relatively intact and undisturbed habitat is
important not just to the long-term survival of many plant species but
also to significant wildlife populations. A herd of desert bighorn sheep
lives on the steep, rocky slopes of the Castle Mountains. They and other
wildlife traverse the area between the Piute Mountains and the New York
Mountains. Numerous bat species live in rock crevices and mine remnants
in the area. Wildlife species of special concern include the Townsend's
big-eared bat, California leaf-nosed bat, Swainson's hawk, golden eagle,
desert tortoise, Bendire's thrasher, and gray vireo.
With its habitat linkages, wildlife corridors, and intact ecosystems,
the area offers exceptional opportunities to study plant and animal
movement and connections between diverse natural systems, especially in
the context of climate change. Ongoing studies of desert bighorn sheep
and other plant and animal species have shown the priority of this area
for scientific research. A recent study using network models of bighorn
sheep genetic and demographic connectivity as tools for landscape-scale
conservation found the Castle Mountains habitat to be one of the most
important in the Mojave Desert. Botanists are finding new and rare plant
populations, and significant new information regarding the range of
species such as Mexican panicgrass, in the Castle Mountains area.
The Castle Mountains area is the only remaining portion of the 226-
square mile Lanfair Valley watershed that is not part of the Preserve.
Underlying much of the Lanfair Valley, including the Castle Mountains
area, is a large groundwater aquifer of critical importance to the
desert ecosystem. With its primary recharge zone in the New York
Mountains, this aquifer feeds Piute Spring, located in the Preserve just
south of the Castle Mountains area. Piute Spring is the only perennial
stream and riparian corridor in the Preserve, and attracts numerous
flora and fauna.
As a rare desert water source, Piute Spring attracted Native American
habitation for thousands of years, followed by Euro-American exploration
and settlement. Drawn to this reliable source of potable water, in 1867
the U.S. Army established Fort Piute (listed on the National Register of
Historic Places) adjacent to the spring to provide protection to
travelers on the Old Spanish Trail (known locally as the Mojave Road)
that crossed the Mojave Desert from the Colorado River to San
Bernardino, California. Maintenance of the groundwater resources and
flow to Piute Spring is essential to the historical and scientific value
of both the area and the Preserve.
The Castle Mountains area also contains other cultural resources that
reflect a long history of prehistoric and historic human use.
Prehistoric rock art and archeological sites are found throughout the
area. The rock art indicates sites of significant cultural import to
both the Fort Mojave and Chemehuevi Tribes, marking routes through the
Castle Mountains likely traveled by both tribes. The Castle Mountains
area links places to the south, like Piute Spring, to areas north, such
as an obsidian col

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lection site. Western expansion brought ranching, mining, and the
railroad to the area. Some of the best-preserved segments of a wagon
road that linked the Arizona Territory (Hardyville, now Bullhead City,
Arizona) to settlements in southern California can be found in the
Castle Mountains area. Ranchers grazed cattle in the area. By 1894, the
Rock Springs Land and Cattle Company had consolidated its holdings in
the eastern Mojave Desert. Much of their historic ranch lies within the
Preserve, and features of this and other grazing enterprises of the era
can still be seen in the Castle Mountains area. In 1907, brothers Bert
and Clark Hitt found rich gold ore, staking claims that became the Oro
Belle and Big Chief Mines. With James Hart, they founded the town of
Hart at the base of Hart Peak. Between 1908 and 1910, the town of Hart
underwent a rapid boom and bust, and by 1920, Hart had become a ghost
town. Throughout this period of western expansion, railroads served the
ranchers, miners, Hart residents, and others in the eastern Mojave
Desert. Part of the former 23-mile Barnwell and Searchlight Railway,
later incorporated into the California Eastern Railway, ran through the
Castle Mountains area.
WHEREAS, section 320301 of title 54, United States Code (known as the
``Antiquities Act''), authorizes the President, in his discretion, to
declare by public proclamation historic landmarks, historic and
prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific
interest that are situated upon the lands owned or controlled by the
Federal Government to be national monuments, and to reserve as a part
thereof parcels of land, the limits of which shall be confined to the
smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the
objects to be protected;
WHEREAS, it is in the public interest to preserve and protect the
historic and scientific objects in the Castle Mountains area;
WHEREAS, the protection of the Castle Mountains area's outstanding
objects of historic and scientific interest would also contribute to the
protection of the resources and values of the Preserve;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, by the authority vested in me by section 320301 of title 54,
United States Code, hereby proclaim the objects identified above that
are situated upon lands and interests in lands owned or controlled by
the Federal Government to be the Castle Mountains National Monument
(monument) and, for the purpose of protecting those objects, reserve as
a part thereof all lands and interests in lands owned or controlled by
the Federal Government within the boundaries described on the
accompanying map, which is attached to and forms a part of this
proclamation. The reserved Federal lands and interests in lands
encompass approximately 20,920 acres. The boundaries described on the
accompanying map are confined to the smallest area compatible with the
proper care and management of the objects to be protected.
All Federal lands and interests in lands within the boundaries described
on the accompanying map are hereby appropriated and withdrawn from all
forms of entry, location, selection, sale, or other disposition under
the public land laws, from location, entry, and patent under the mining
laws, and from disposition under all laws relating to mineral and
geothermal leasing.

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The establishment of the monument is subject to valid existing rights.
If the Federal Government acquires any lands or interests in lands not
owned or controlled by the Federal Government within the boundaries
described on the accompanying map, such lands and interests in lands
shall be reserved as a part of the monument, and objects identified
above that are situated upon those lands and interests in lands shall be
part of the monument, upon acquisition of ownership or control by the
Federal Government.
Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to enlarge or diminish the
rights of any Indian tribe. The Secretary of the Interior (Secretary)
shall, to the maximum extent permitted by law and in consultation with
Indian tribes, ensure the protection of Indian sacred sites and cultural
sites in the monument and provide access to the sites by members of
Indian tribes for traditional cultural and customary uses, consistent
with the American Indian Religious Freedom Act (42 U.S.C. 1996) and
Executive Order 13007 of May 24, 1996 (Indian Sacred Sites).
The Secretary shall manage these lands through the National Park
Service, pursuant to applicable authorities, consistent with the
purposes and provisions of this proclamation. The Secretary shall
prepare a management plan to implement the purposes of this
proclamation, with full public involvement, within 3 years of the date
of this proclamation. For the purpose of protecting the objects
identified above, all motorized and mechanized vehicle use off road will
be prohibited, except for emergency or authorized administrative
purposes.
The Secretary shall continue to manage the Federal lands and interests
in lands within the adjacent area labelled ``Castle Mountain Mine Area''
on the accompanying map through the Bureau of Land Management, pursuant
to applicable authorities. Upon the determination of the Secretary that
either (1) all mining and mining-related activities have terminated and
reclamation has been completed, or (2) a period of 10 years from the
date of this proclamation has elapsed during which no commercial mining
activities have occurred pursuant to a Bureau of Land Management
approved plan of operations, the Secretary shall, consistent with
applicable legal authorities, transfer jurisdiction of the lands within
the Castle Mountain Mine Area to the National Park Service and ensure
that the lands are managed in a manner compatible with the proper care
and management of the objects identified above.
Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to enlarge or diminish the
jurisdiction of the State of California with respect to fish and
wildlife management.
The Federal land managing agencies shall, in cooperation with
appropriate State officials and subject to applicable State and Federal
law, ensure the availability of water resources, including groundwater
resources, needed for monument purposes.
Nothing in this proclamation shall restrict or preclude low level
overflights of military aircraft, the designation of new units of
special use airspace, or the use or establishment of military flight
training routes over the lands reserved by this proclamation, consistent
with the care and management of the objects to be protected.

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Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to alter the authority
or responsibility of any party with respect to emergency response
activities within the monument, including wildland fire response.
Nothing in this proclamation shall be deemed to revoke any existing
withdrawal, reservation, or appropriation; however, the monument shall
be the dominant reservation.
Warning is hereby given to all unauthorized persons not to appropriate,
injure, destroy, or remove any feature of this monument and not to
locate or settle upon any of the lands thereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twelfth day of
February, in the year of our Lord two thousand sixteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
fortieth.
BARACK OBAMA



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