President Biden, 

Thank you for designating the Sáttítla Highlands National Monument and for honoring the Pit River Tribe and other tribe’s request for national monument protections for Sáttítla - sacred and traditional cultural lands in the Medicine Lake Highlands of Northern California. 

This monument will protect the unique geological resources, biodiversity, cultural history, and Tribal connections to this region. These lands, which have sustained Indigenous peoples for thousands of years, serve as critical headwaters in California, providing pure water resources downstream for agriculture and millions of people. 

The volcanically formed aquifers below the surface capture snow melt and store as much water as California’s 200 largest surface reservoirs combined, and deliver clean water to the Fall River Springs — the largest spring system in the state, and one of the biggest aquifer networks in the Western United States. 

The waters of nearby lakes and streams and the vast forest canopy provide a home to many unique plant and wildlife species that depend on these clean and healthy features to survive.

Thank you for permanently protecting the lands and waters of the Sáttítla Highlands.