Expanding the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument would bring environmental justice, recreation to millions

To residents of Greater Los Angeles, the San Gabriel Mountains are iconic. The snow-capped mountain peaks extend high up on the skyline, creating a picturesque backdrop for the city. They’re also within 90 miles of over <a href="https://sangabrielmountainsforever.org/benefits/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">18 million people</a>, which is one of the reasons a <a href="https://lanatureforall.org/coalition/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">coalition</a> of organizations as well as California elected officials are calling on President Joe Biden to expand the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument to include 109,000 acres that were not included in the original monument designation. The effort is led by <a href="https://lanatureforall.org/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Nature for All</a>, an organization committed to protecting public lands and natural spaces in an equitable manner for the over 18 million people in the Greater Los Angeles region. Nature for All has been working on protecting public lands and rivers in the San Gabriel Mountains for over 15 years — in 2008, the organization formed as the <a href="https://sangabrielmountainsforever.org/coalition/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">San Gabriel Mountains Forever</a> coalition to safeguard recreation, drinking water, wildlife habitat, and outdoor access. Now, the <a href="https://lanatureforall.org/coalition/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Nature for All coalition</a> includes a diverse set of local, regional, and national organizations, all of whom work together to advocate for the monument expansion and access to green and open spaces throughout the region. <a href="https://medium.com/westwise/expanding-the-san-gabriel-mountains-national-monument-would-bring-environmental-justice-recreation-5ff6addf0337">Website</a>