Threatened and in Need of Protection
The Pit River Tribe has continuously defended the lands and waters of Sáttítla including pursuing litigation over violations of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other federal laws.
The Tribe’s successful litigation has resulted in recognition that development is inappropriate for these lands and could have disastrous impacts on the underground web of aquifers.
Despite broad acknowledgment of the region’s importance—both culturally and ecologically—more than two dozen federally issued industrial geothermal development leases have been issued for these unique lands. There are continued attempts by multinational companies to harness resources that experts have said are not economically viable.
Development in the national forest would increase traffic, noise, water, and air pollution and would fragment wildlife habitat. Geothermal development in particular would include the injection of hydrofluoric and hydrochloric acids and the release of arsenic, mercury, hydrogen sulfide, and other toxic substances into the air that are known to cause cancer or birth defects.
This would turn the remote landscape into an industrial wasteland that threatens a reliable source of pure water for millions of people.
While lawsuits have been successful in invalidating geothermal lease extensions and halting two proposed geothermal projects, there is a need to constantly defend Sáttítla.
It’s simply a place not suitable for development.
THREATS
Geothermal power plants
Utility lines
Clear-cutting of the forest
Hydraulic fracturing through Enhanced Geothermal Systems
All continue to be a threat to the sacredness and ecological importance of the Medicine Lake Highlands’ lands and waters.
Protecting Sáttítla
The Pit River Tribe conceived of and led the effort to establish a national monument for Sáttítla. The hope is to fend off the ongoing threat of development and to protect the ability of future generations of Indigenous people to celebrate cultural practices as they have for thousands of years and for the public to simply enjoy the beauty and healing power of this magnificent landscape.
Extensive work has been done to analyze the cultural, natural, hydrologic, and historic values of the area over the past couple of decades as well as to bring together local communities to unite around the protection of a little more than 200,000 acres of US Forest Service managed public land in Siskiyou County, California.
Designating Sáttítla as a national monument creates an opportunity for federal agencies to work with Tribal nations to steward important cultural resources and lands.
The monument garnered significant support from other tribal governments and organizations, elected officials, businesses, scientists, non-profit organizations, veterans, and local sportsmen and women.
In June of 2023, the National Congress of American Indians aligned with the Pit River by passing its own resolution supporting the establishment of a new national monument.
In the summer of 2024 the full California Legislature adopted Senate Joint Resolution 17 (SJR17) in support of designating Sáttítla National Monument. This followed a letter from California Governor Gavin Newsom in support of the Biden Administration taking action to designate Sáttítla and other national monuments.
In August of 2024 Senators Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler and Rep. Adam Schiff sent a letter to the President Joe Biden and his administration calling for the designation of the proposed Sáttítla National Monument. Their letter announced the Sáttítla National Monument Establishment Act and called for the President’s use of the Antiquities Act to designate Sáttítla National Monument and the creation of a co-stewardship agreement to best integrate our Tribe’s Traditional Knowledge of this area.
The Sáttítla National Monument Establishment Act proposed to protect over 200,000 acres of culturally significant, ecologically rich, and geologically unique land within the Shasta-Trinity, Klamath, and Modoc National Forests in northeastern California.
A map of the proposal is available here.
Full text of the Sáttítla National Monument Establishment Act is available here.
Full text of the letter is available here.
The new national monument designation ensures long-term protection for Sáttítla, ending threats from industrial development that pose severe risks to cultural and historical sites, recreational opportunities, the purity of water, and sensitive rare plants and wildlife.
Learn more about the Pit River Tribe by visiting the Tribal website.
