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FACT BRIEF

Did President Biden create a new national monument in Nevada?

By Todd Butterworth
View this fact brief on The Nevada Independent
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YES

After announcing in November 2022 that he intended to make Avi Kwa Ame (which means “Spirit Mountain” in Mojave) Nevada’s fourth national monument, President Joe Biden officially made the declaration in March 2023. It joins Nevada’s three other national monuments: Tule Springs Fossil Beds, Basin & Range and Gold Butte.

The designation will protect 450,000 acres in southern Nevada from development. Spirit Mountain is 90 minutes south of Las Vegas. The national monument covers an area from the Newberry mountains in the east to the New York South McCullough, Castle and Piute mountains in the west. Avi Kwa Ame is a sacred cultural site to about a dozen Yuman-speaking tribes.

A national monument is a historic site or land area that Congress or the president has given permanent protection through the Antiquities Act. There are more than 100 national monuments. 

See a full discussion of this at The Nevada Independent
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
White House Remarks by President Biden at the White House Tribal Nations Summit
White House A Proclamation on Establishment of the Avi Kwa Ame National Monument
Travel Nevada Three Must-Explore National Monuments in Nevada
Las Vegas Review-Journal Biden to designate Nevada’s 4th national monument
The Wilderness Society Monument Designation FAQs
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
The Nevada Independent
The Nevada Independent is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news and opinion website founded in 2017 by veteran political journalist and commentator Jon Ralston. The site and its supporting channels are focused on ethical, unbiased and transparent journalism. In general, we aim to gather and disseminate important public information and increase civic engagement. We are supported by corporate donations, memberships, event ticket sales and sponsorships and foundation grants. We disclose all our members and donors. Donors have no influence over our content, ever. The Nevada Independent is the dba for Nevada News Bureau, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 2010 by Elizabeth Thompson, who now serves as one of The Nevada Independent's managing directors and its Editor.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.