Sportsmen applaud national monument designation for San Gabriel Mountains

By Sam Davidson

California is renowned for its natural treasures. The most ecologically diverse state is famous for its beaches, mountains, deserts and rivers. And today, October 10, 2014, one of those treasures – the San Gabriel Mountains -- was deservedly designated our newest national monument.

President Obama used his executive powers this afternoon to honor the many years of community effort that have been invested in better protecting the San Gabriels, which constitute 70% of the open space in the Los Angeles metro area. Permanent protection for these public lands is widely supported in this region; nearly three out of four sportsmen polled recently favored permanent protection for the range.

Why? The San Gabriels provide rare stream fishing opportunities in southern California, harbor remnant populations of native – and endangered -- southern coastal steelhead, offer quality hunting for a variety of species, and supply a third of Los Angeles’ water.

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Thus today’s action by the President was cheered by TU and other sportsmen’s groups. National monument designation will not only help conserve and protect valuable habitat, it will also guarantee that fishing and hunting are always allowed in the San Gabriels.

Jessica Strickland, California Field Coordinator for TU, played a key role in organizing sportsmen to support the conservation campaign for the San Gabriels and was invited by the White House to attend the President's designation ceremony.

Click here to see TU’s press release on our newest national monument.

Sportsmen have long recognized that we are responsible for conserving our hunting and fishing traditions, and must act to protect our best places for fishing and hunting as well as our sporting heritage. That’s why in recent years hunters and anglers have supported national monument designations in places such as the Rio Grande del Norte in New Mexico – one of the finest backcountry fishing and hunting grounds in the West.

And that's why TU has worked for nearly a decade to permanently protect public lands in southern California which have high fish and game habitat values, including the San Gabriels. The East and West Forks of the San Gabriel River are a historic and unique fishery, which has been under increasing pressure from activities such as illegal mining in their headwaters and a lack of resources to handle the multitudes of people who visit the river on any given weekend.

Today, we can feel that sense of satisfaction that comes with knowing that this and future generations of anglers and hunters will be able to fish and hunt, as people have for thousands of years, in the streams and forests and crags of the San Gabriel Mountains. While TU believes additional measures should be taken to further protect and enhance habitat and sporting opportunities in this region, today’s action by the President is a strong and welcome step toward a better future for public lands fishing and hunting in southern California -- and for American sportsmen and women.

Sam Davidson is TU's Communications Director for California and Nevada.