More good news from the Obama administration, where three key areas of the California desert are now national monuments and designated as public lands. Take THAT, Malheur malcontents!

ThinkProgress:

President Obama has permanently protected three new national monuments in the California desert. This move will preserve over 1.8 million acres of land as monuments, helping to safeguard wildlife and communities from climate change and guaranteeing continued public access to these places for generations to come.

“The California desert is a cherished and irreplaceable resource for the people of southern California,” said Interior Secretary Sally Jewell in a statement. “It is an oasis of nature’s quiet beauty just outside two of our nation’s largest metropolitan areas.”

Mojave Trails, Sand to Snow, and Castle Mountains are the 20th, 21st, and 22nd national monuments that have been created or expanded under President Obama, adding up to a total of 3.5 million acres of new protections for public lands. Both Democratic and Republican presidents have used their authority under the Antiquities Act to designate national monuments, many of which have later become some of America’s most iconic national parks, including the Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, and Zion National Park. This being Obama’s largest designation to date is a meaningful moment in the National Park’s centennial year.

View from inside Air Force One of the national monument preserve Obama designated today in Calif. as Potus flew over pic.twitter.com/T4MJ9EQxrU

— David Nakamura (@DavidNakamura) February 12, 2016