President Barack Obama has designated three California desert areas made up of some 1.8 million acres as national monuments, roughly doubling the amount of protected public land during his presidency.

All three scenic desert areas lie east of Los Angeles, with two, namely Mojave Trails and Castle Mountains, are situated near the Californian border with Nevada.

With the protection of the sections of the Mojave and Sonoran deserts, the federal government remains the owner of the land but will be prohibited from selling it, constructing new roads or allowing further development that is not aligned with ecological protection, recreation or flood control measures.

“The California desert is a cherished and irreplaceable resource for the people of Southern California,” said interior secretary Sally Jewell last Friday.

According to a White House statement, the new national monuments will link lands that are already protected, including the Mojave National Preserve, Joshua Tree National Park, and 15 wilderness areas.

The move, they added, will permanently protect “key wildlife corridors” and offer animals and plants “the space and elevation range that they will need in order to adapt to the impacts of climate change.”

Of the three new monuments, the Mojave Trails is the largest at 1.6 million acres and features rugged mountains and stunning sand dunes. It is considered a reteller of the American story with its historic trading routes, a transcontinental rail line and the country’s most famous highway, Route 66.

The Sand to Snow National Monument boasts Southern California’s tallest mountain and showcases 154,000 acres of diverse terrain, while the Castle Mountains is the smallest at 20,920 acres yet home to awe-inspiring wildlife including golden eagles and mountain lions.

In less than two years, this is the second time that the executive power acted to protect California wilderness areas after a stalled case in Congress – a disagreement stemming from partisan politics.

In 2014, the president endowed the same protection on a 540-square mile portion of the San Gabriel Mountains after Representative Judy Chu’s attempt to win protection approval in the House.

The White House said that President Obama has now protected over 265 million acres of water and land, which is more than any other U.S. presidency’s action.

Photo : Kārlis Dambrāns | Flickr