On Wednesday The Washington Post reported on the new, 450,000-acre national monument President Biden was “committed to protecting.” Biden’s comment almost sets in stone the creation of the Ave Kwa Ame, or Spirit Mountain, National Monument in southern Nevada.
It would be the second national monument designated by the Biden Administration as part of the 30% by 2030 plan. The first was the Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument in Colorado designated in October.
These also came after Biden used the Antiquities Act to restore the Grand Staircase and Bear’s Ears National Monuments in Utah, triggering a lawsuit at the end of the summer.
Unlike with the Camp Hale monument, however, the Administration actually had the tribal nations’ consent to designate Spirit Mountain. In fact, at least five tribal entities petitioned for its creation, including the Fort Mojave and the Bishop Paiute Tribes.
The area has vast cultural and spiritual significance for these people, who believe their ancestors originally emerged from Spirit Mountain. They believe that through the creation of a national monument, the significance of this area to their people will also be protected.
Not so with Camp Hale, which drew strong disapproval from the Ute Indian Tribe in Utah. They called the designation “an unlawful act of genocide.”
Complications to the Ave Kwa Ame Designation
As with any public lands designation, the Ave Kwa Ame is a complicated issue.
President Biden’s commitment comes as Crescent Peak Renewables also tries to use some of the land for a wind farm.
Nevada lawmakers are quick to endorse the monument’s creation and protect the land before anyone else tries to use it.
– The Byway
Feature image caption: President Biden greets Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland. Courtesy CNN.
This decision comes as Native American tribes also push for another, much larger 3 Million Acre National Monument near Reno.