IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 639 

Honoring the success of the more-than-a-decade-long process by Southern 

California locals to create the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 1, 2017 

Mrs. NAPOLITANO (for herself, Ms. JUDY CHU of California, Mrs. TORRES, 

Mr. SCHIFF, Ms. BROWNLEY of California, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Ms. 

SA ́NCHEZ, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, and Ms. BARRAGA ́N) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

RESOLUTION 

Honoring the success of the more-than-a-decade-long process 

by Southern California locals to create the San Gabriel 

Mountains National Monument. 

Whereas in the early 2000s conservation organizations 

pushed for greater protections of the San Gabriel Mountains; 

Whereas out of this grew the San Gabriel Mountains Forever 

Group (now known as Nature for All), which organized 

extensive public outreach campaigns and coordination efforts among State agencies, local officials, and other relevant stakeholders; 

Whereas, in 2003, Congresswoman Hilda Solis introduced 

legislation that required the National Park Service to deVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:50 Dec 02, 2017 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR639.IH HR639

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•HRES 639 IH 

termine if the area of the San Gabriel Mountains was nationally significant and to determine if a special designation would benefit the San Gabriel Mountains; 

Whereas Solis’ legislation generated over 10,000 favorable 

comments and received the backing of water agencies and 

the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments; 

Whereas Republican Congressman David Dreier, in 2011, 

and Democratic Congresswoman Judy Chu, in 2014, introduced bipartisan legislation to further protect the 

mountains; 

Whereas top officials from the Department of the Interior 

and the Department of Agriculture held listening sessions 

in the area of the San Gabriel Mountains in 2010 and 

a town hall in 2014; 

Whereas, in October 2014, President Barack Obama permanently protected the San Gabriel Mountains by designating it as a National Monument under the authority 

granted by the Antiquities Act of 1906 (54 U.S.C. 

320301 et seq.); 

Whereas the San Gabriel Mountains attract millions of visitors each year and provide two-thirds of the open space 

within the densely populated Los Angeles County; 

Whereas the San Gabriel Mountains are some of the steepest 

and most rugged mountains in the United States; 

Whereas the designation of the San Gabriel Mountains as a 

National Monument aimed to preserve miles of streams 

and hiking trails for people to enjoy for decades to come; 

Whereas the designation of the San Gabriel Mountains as a 

National Monument protects significant natural features, 

such as— 


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(1) approximately 300 California species and subspecies, including Pierson’s lupine and San Gabriel bedstraw, that occur only in the San Gabriel range; 

(2) 53 plants listed as sensitive by the Forest Service; and 

(3) one of the very few habitats of the critically endangered California condor; 

Whereas the designation of the San Gabriel Mountains as a 

National Monument protects significant scientific features, such as— 

(1) the Mount Wilson Observatory, where Edwin 

Hubble observed that the Universe extends beyond the 

Milky Way; 

(2) a convenient access point to study earthquake 

data from the San Andreas Fault; and 

(3) the San Dimas Experimental Forest which is 

used to document and quantify the water cycle in semiarid steeplands; 

Whereas the designation of the San Gabriel Mountains as a 

National Monument protects significant cultural features, 

such as more than 600 known archaeological sites, including several on the National Register of Historic 

Places; 

Whereas the designation of the San Gabriel Mountains as a 

National Monument has helped San Gabriel Valley communities leverage additional Federal dollars and private 

donations to help to clean up and restore green space; 

Whereas, prior to the designation of the San Gabriel Mountains as a National Monument, the San Gabriel Mountains were already part of the federally managed Angeles 

National Forest; 


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Whereas, concurrently with the 2014 designation of the San 

Gabriel Mountains as a National Monument, the San Gabriel Mountains Community Collaborative was launched 

to maintain an open line of communication and partnership with the Forest Service; 

Whereas the San Gabriel Mountains Community Collaborative includes water companies, local elected officials, 

county officials, recreation groups, and residents; 

Whereas the monument designation was supported by members of its Congressional Delegation and State elected officials; 

Whereas the designation of the San Gabriel Mountains as a 

National Monument was supported by the cities of Los 

Angeles and Pasadena and local elected officials from Alhambra, Baldwin Park, Covina, Claremont, El Monte, La 

Puente, Monterey Park, Rancho Cucamonga, Rosemead, 

San Dimas, San Gabriel, Santa Clarita, South El Monte, 

and West Covina; 

Whereas the designation of the San Gabriel Mountains as a 

National Monument was supported by water organizations members from the San Gabriel Valley Municipal 

Water District, Upper San Gabriel Municipal Water District, and the Valley County Water District; 

Whereas the designation of the San Gabriel Mountains as a 

National Monument was supported by educators and 

school board members from Alhambra Unified School 

District, Bassett Unified School District, El Monte Union 

High School District, Hacienda La Puente Unified 

School District, and Mt. San Antonio College; 


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Whereas the designation of the San Gabriel Mountains as a 

National Monument was supported by numerous local 

businesses and community support groups; 

Whereas, on April 26, 2017, President Donald Trump signed 

the Executive order entitled ‘‘Review of Designations 

Under the Antiquities Act’’ to conduct a review of all 

Presidential national monument designations since 1996 

that cover more than 100,000 acres, which included the 

350,000-acre area protected by the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument; 

Whereas, after the review was announced— 

(1) numerous organizations and residents submitted 

letters of support for the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, including the County of Los Angeles 

Board of Supervisors, San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments, City of El Monte, City of Glendora, San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership, and City of Baldwin 

Park; and 

(2) the San Gabriel Mountains Community Collaborative submitted a letter stating that the San Gabriel 

Mountains National Monument was properly designated 

under the Antiquities Act of 1906 (54 U.S.C. 320301 et 

seq.); and 

Whereas only Congress has the authority to change the 

boundary of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) recognizes the San Gabriel Mountains Na3 tional Monument’s significant natural, cultural, and 

4 scientific features; 


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1 (2) commends the residents of Southern Cali2 fornia for their more-than-a-decade-long push to fur3 ther protect the San Gabriel Mountains; and 

4 (3) acknowledges the 3-year anniversary of the 

5 October 2014 designation of the San Gabriel Moun6 tains National Monument. 

Æ 


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