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

 
Proclamation 9395 of February 12, 2016

Establishment of the Mojave Trails National Monument

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

The Mojave Trails area of southern California is a stunning mosaic of
rugged mountain ranges, ancient lava flows, and spectacular sand dunes.
It is a landscape defined by scarcity and shaped by travel. The area
exemplifies the remarkable ecology of the Mojave Desert, where the
hearty insistence of life is scratched out from unrelenting heat and

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dryness. This punishing environment has also forged the unique human
history of the area, from ancient settlements uprooted by a changing
climate to the armies of General George S. Patton, Jr., as they trained
for battle in North Africa. With historic American trading routes,
trails followed by Spanish explorers, a transcontinental rail line, and
the Nation's most famous highway, the Mojave Trails area tells the
American story of exploration, migration, and commerce. The Mojave
Trails area is an invaluable treasure and will continue to serve as an
irreplaceable national resource for geologists, ecologists,
archaeologists, and historians for generations to come.
The Mojave Trails area has been a focus of geological research for
decades. This unique landscape contains a stunning diversity of lava
flows, mountains, playas, sand dunes, bajadas, washes, and other
features. The area contains a number of significant sand dune features,
most notably the stunning Cadiz Dunes, which have been extensively
studied. The mountains of the Mojave Trails area include several
significant formations, and seismologists have studied this area for
insight into faulting, tectonics, and magmatism. A number of young
volcanoes and their associated lava flows in the area have been heavily
studied by volcanologists. Amboy Crater, designated as a National
Natural Landmark in 1973, has been the focus of research on a number of
volcanic phenomena. The Pisgah Volcano lava flow's vast network of lava
tubes constitutes southern California's highest density of caves, and is
used by both speleologists and recreational cavers. The area's terrain
and geology have provided a surrogate for lunar and Martian landscapes,
and many of the robotic and imaging technologies used to better
understand volcanism and Aeolian processes have been developed and
tested in the Mojave Trails area.
Outstanding paleontological resources can be found throughout the Mojave
Trails area. The Cady Mountains contain important fossil fauna
assemblages dating to the Miocene Period. The Marble Mountain Fossil Bed
area contains one of the classic Cambrian trilobite fossil sites in the
Western United States. Set in the green-brown lower Cambrian Latham
Shale, the fossil beds also contain the fossilized remains of
brachiopods, mollusks, echinoderms, and algal bodies that are of great
interest to paleontologists. The southern Bristol Mountains contain
Tertiary fossils such as camel tracks, invertebrates, and numerous
plants; this fossil history has also been used to understand the climate
history of the Mojave Desert. Significant vertebrate fossils and other
fossil resources have also been identified in Piute Valley and Cadiz
Valley as well as the Ship Mountains, Little Piute Mountains, and
Sacramento Mountains.
The Mojave Trails area has been important for ecological research,
including studies on the effects of climate change and land management
practices on ecological communities and wildlife. It provides
opportunity for further research on ecological connectivity in the
Mojave Desert region, as it is among the most ecologically intact areas
in southern California. The species that have managed to thrive here are
specialists in perseverance and resourcefulness and are remarkable for
their ability to withstand the desert extremes. The area's scarce
springs and riparian areas such as Afton Canyon, Chuckwalla Spring,
Hummingbird Spring, Barrel Spring, and Fenner Spring provide refuges for
a wide variety of plants and animals. The complex network of groundwater
underlying the Mojave Trails area has been the subject of past

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and ongoing hydrological study. Underground aquifers feed springs and
seeps that are important for sensitive ecosystems and wildlife, though
specific connections are not yet well understood.
Rare plant species such as the scrub lotus, rosy two-tone beardtongue,
whitemargin beardtongue, Emory's crucifixion-thorn, small-flowered
androstephium, white-margined penstemon, and Borrego milkvetch rely on
the specific habitat types found in the Mojave Trails area. The Piute
Valley area in the northeastern part of the Mojave Trails area is home
to the northernmost occurrences of smoke trees in the California desert,
as well as the Homer Mountain Ocotillo Assemblage. The lowlands and
middle elevations are also home to other unique or ecologically
significant plants such as the endemic Orocopia Mountains spurge.
Numerous cactus species are also found here, including the densest
concentration of Bigelow cholla cactus in California. Ongoing research
in the Mojave Trails area has identified other plant species that are
new to science, many of which have not yet been described.
Birds including the endangered Least Bell's vireo, southwestern willow
flycatcher, and yellow-billed cuckoo depend on this area, as do raptors
such as the burrowing owl, red-tailed hawk, golden eagle, American
kestrel, and prairie falcon. Fragile desert fish species such as the
bonytail chub rely on the scarce waters of the desert riparian
ecosystems. A wide variety of fascinating native mammal species can be
found in the Mojave Trails area, including the kit fox, ringtail,
American badger, mountain lion, and bighorn sheep. Reptiles and
amphibians, including the Mojave Desert's largest lizard, the
chuckwalla, have been extensively studied in the Mojave Trails area. The
area contains some of the Mojave Desert's best habitat for the
threatened desert tortoise and provides important dispersal corridors
for that fragile species. An unusual community of invertebrates
associated with lava tubes in the Pisgah area offers an ongoing
opportunity for entomological research.
Humans have lived in and moved through the Mojave Trails area for more
than 10,000 years. The archeological record tells of a human existence
shaped by a changing climate. During the Paleo-Indian period, now-dry
lakes provided fresh water to small groups of nomadic people and the
animals they hunted. From around 7,000 to 2,000 BC, rising temperatures
resulted in a change from wet to dry conditions. Associated ecological
changes in the region led to new patterns of subsistence for native
peoples. Although people remained closely tied to water sources
following the temperature increase, desert inhabitants adjusted their
diets to rely more heavily on plants and fish, invented new tools, and
expanded the sizes of their social groups. During the Formative Period
(2,500 to 1,500 BC), dry conditions meant the inhabitants of the Mojave
Desert remained in small groups. They relied heavily for their survival
on the Mojave River, a name derived from the traditional name for these
people, Pipa Aha Macav (``the people by the river''). The Mojave people
left their mark on the landscape through petroglyphs, pictographs, old
trails, and stone work, some of which can still be found today,
especially near springs and rivers and along the shores of now-extinct
lakes.
The Mojave were not the only people to use or pass through this
landscape. Ancestors of the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe, a branch of the
Southern Paiute, have been persistent occupants of the Mojave Desert for
thousands of years. Sacred Chemehuevi trails are often tied to tradi

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tional and ceremonial songs. The Salt Song Trail, one of the longest
song trails of the Chemehuevi people, passes through the Mojave Trails
area near the town of Fenner and the Ward Valley. Natural land patterns
form the route of this trail, with specific songs sung at specific
wayside locations. Other Native Americans who have lived in or passed
through the Mojave Desert include the Shoshone, Serrano, Kawaiisu, and
the Paiute. The Ward Valley, located between the Old Woman and Piute
Mountains, is sacred to a number of these tribes, as are the Mesquite
and Crucero Hills, which contain over 50 archaeological sites including
petroglyphs, milling stations, temporary camps, intaglios, lithic
scatters, and pottery dating as far back as 4,000 years.
The Mojave Trails area has been a critical travel corridor for
millennia, linking the Pacific Coast to the deserts of the southwest and
beyond. The Mojave Indian Trail is the earliest known travel route
passing through the Mojave Trails area, used by Native Americans for
thousands of years and by early Spanish explorers and traders. In 1829,
Mexican explorer Antonio Armijo pioneered the Old Spanish Trail through
this area. Evidence of the trail, now designated a National Historic
Trail, can still be found at Afton Canyon.
By the end of the 19th century, transcontinental rail travel had changed
the American West in profound ways. In 1882, Southern Pacific
constructed a railroad route from Barstow to Needles. In addition to the
major rail stops established at Needles and Barstow, several smaller
towns and rail stops were established along this stretch, including the
alphabetically named Amboy, Bristol, Cadiz, Danby, Essex, Fenner, and
Goffs. These towns remain, some as inhabited hamlets and others as
abandoned ghost towns, and some historical artifacts from the original
rail line still exist, including original rail ties and track and later
improvements of communications poles, insulators, and wires.
A modest dirt road--an original trackside component of the railroad
project--would later become the most famous highway in America. In 1911,
in the infancy of the automobile era, the County of San Bernardino paved
the first stretch of that road from Barstow to Needles. The next year,
this stretch became part of the National Old Trails Road, which extended
more than 3,000 miles from New York, New York, to Los Angeles,
California, and connected the American coasts by pavement for the first
time. In 1926, the road was officially designated as U.S. Highway 66, a
designation soon known around the world as Route 66. During the 1930s,
Route 66 became an important route for migrants escaping economic
hardships of the Great Depression and droughts in the Central plains. As
the national economy rebounded following World War II, Americans took to
the highways in unprecedented numbers. The road became an American icon,
earning the nickname the ``Main Street of America'' and inspiring
popular culture through music, literature, and film.
The popularity of Route 66, however, hastened its downfall; increasing
traffic quickly exceeded its two-lane capacity. In 1985, Route 66 was
officially decommissioned, leaving behind a powerful albeit fragmented
narrative history of America's automobile culture of the first half of
the 20th century and its legacy of related commerce and architecture.
The Mojave Trails area contains the longest remaining undeveloped
stretch of Route 66, offering spectacular and serene desert vistas and a
glimpse into what travelers experienced during the peak of the route's
popularity in the mid-20th century. Today, the ghost towns

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along this stretch of Route 66 are a visual legacy of how the automobile
shaped the American landscape.
In addition to its important role in the transportation history of the
United States, the Mojave Trails area is a unique resource for
understanding one of the most formative periods in American military
history. During the height of World War II, the United States military
recognized a need to develop a desert training program in order to
prepare its troops to fight the tank armies of Nazi Germany in North
Africa. Major General George S. Patton, Jr., commander of the I Armored
Corps, selected the site of the Desert Training Center in the Mojave
Trails area, the largest training area in the world at the time. More
than one million troops trained in the area between 1942 and 1944,
including at Camp Ibis, Camp Clipper, Camp Iron Mountain, Camp Granite,
and Camp Essex. Remnants of these camps can still be found today,
including rock-lined streets, staging areas, flag circles, altars, tent
areas, and even tank tracks on some of the area's hardpan playas.
The protection of the Mojave Trails area will preserve its cultural,
prehistoric, and historic legacy and maintain its diverse array of
natural and scientific resources, ensuring that the prehistoric,
historic, and scientific values of this area remain for the benefit of
all Americans.
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 in all cases 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 the objects of
scientific and historic interest on the Mojave Trails lands;
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 Mojave Trails National Monument
(monument) and, for the purpose of protecting those objects, reserve as
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. These
reserved Federal lands and interests in lands encompass approximately
1.6 million 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 of the
monument 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,
other than by exchange that furthers the protective purposes of the
monument or disposal for the limited purpose of providing materials for
repairing or maintaining roads and bridges within the monu

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ment consistent with care and management of the objects identified
above.
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.
The Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) shall manage the monument
through the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) as a unit of the National
Landscape Conservation System, pursuant to applicable legal authorities,
to protect the objects identified above.
For purposes of the care and management of the objects identified above,
the Secretary, through the BLM, shall within 3 years of the date of this
proclamation prepare and maintain a management plan for the monument and
shall provide for maximum public involvement in the development of that
plan including, but not limited to, consultation with tribal, State, and
local governments.
Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to preclude the renewal
or assignment of, or interfere with the operation or maintenance of, or
with the replacement, modification, or upgrade within or adjacent to an
existing authorization boundary of, existing flood control, utility,
pipeline, or telecommunications facilities that are located within the
monument in a manner consistent with the care and management of the
objects identified above. Existing flood control, utility, pipeline, or
telecommunications facilities located within the monument may be
expanded, and new facilities may be constructed within the monument, but
only to the extent consistent with the care and management of the
objects identified above.
The Secretary shall work with appropriate State officials to ensure the
availability of water resources, including groundwater resources, needed
for monument purposes.
Except for emergency or authorized administrative purposes, motorized
vehicle use in the monument shall be permitted only on roads existing as
of the date of this proclamation. Non-motorized mechanized vehicle use
shall be permitted only on roads and trails designated for their use
consistent with the care and management of the objects identified above.
The Secretary shall prepare a transportation plan that designates the
roads and trails where motorized or non-motorized mechanized vehicle use
will be permitted.
Laws, regulations, and policies followed by the BLM in issuing and
administering grazing permits or leases on lands under its jurisdiction,
including provisions specific to the California Desert Conservation
Area, shall continue to apply with regard to the lands in the monument,
consistent with the 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, including its jurisdiction and
authority with respect to fish and wildlife management.

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Nothing in this proclamation shall preclude low level overflights of
military aircraft, the designation of new units of special use airspace,
the use or establishment of military flight training routes over the
lands reserved by this proclamation, or related military uses,
consistent with the care and management of the objects identified above.
Nothing in this proclamation shall alter the Department of Defense's use
of the Restricted Airspace established by the Federal Aviation
Administration. Further, nothing in this proclamation shall preclude (i)
air or ground access for existing or new electronic tracking and
communications; (ii) landing and drop zones; and (iii) readiness and
training by the U.S. Armed Services, Joint and Coalition forces,
including training using motorized vehicles both on and off road, in
accordance with applicable interagency agreements.
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 enlarge or diminish the
rights of any Indian tribe. The 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).
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 the 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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