Hidden amid a vast expanse of snow-brushed pines in northern California lies the rare, half-million-year-old volcano called Sáttítla. The area is home to more than 450 native plant species, 19 of which are rare or endangered, including the whitebark pine. It is part of the range of the threatened northern spotted owl, the Sierra martin and the Pacific fisher.
The Pit River Tribe, which has been fighting to protect the land for decades, is urging the Biden administration to designate Sáttítla as a new national monument. The tribe sees this as an opportunity to work with the broader community to maintain the landscape and preserve cultural sites important to the Pit River and Modoc tribes.
The area is not only ecologically significant but also culturally important to the Pit River and Modoc tribes. It is the location of the Pit River Tribe’s creation narrative, which is difficult to explain to those who have not visited the region. “When you’re there, you really do feel like you’re in another world, or on the moon or even another planet,” said Brandi McDaniels, a member of the Pit River Tribe.
The Trump administration’s goal to “drill, baby, drill” posed a significant threat to the region, and the Biden administration’s America the Beautiful plan aims to conserve 30% of US land and water by 2030. The designation of Sáttítla as a national monument would align with this plan and protect the area from future extractive development.
In October, over 160 scientists signed a letter urging Biden to designate Sáttítla, stating that “protecting this hydrological treasure is an essential factor towards California’s long-term resilience to climate change.” California Senators Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler, as well as Representative and Senator-elect Adam Schiff, have also urged Biden to make the designation.
The Pit River Tribe and environmental groups have been trying to protect the land for decades, fending off geothermal development, large-scale logging, poaching, and other threats. The tribe and local environmentalists warn that hydraulic fracturing technology used in geothermal energy processes could contaminate the massive volcanically formed aquifer in the region, tainting the main water source of the tribe and communities across northern California.
The tribe and local environmental groups are urging Biden to designate Sáttítla as a national monument and protect the area from future extractive development. This would not only preserve the region’s ecological significance but also its cultural importance to the Pit River and Modoc tribes.