(This story was updated to correct the number of national monuments in California.)
In one of his final acts in the White House, President Joe Biden is expected to travel to California on Jan. 7 and declare two new national monuments honoring tribal lands.
The sites, one near Joshua Tree in Southern California and the other near the Oregon border in Northern California, will increase the number of national monuments to most of any state in the nation.
Here’s what you need to know about national monuments and how they are created.
What is a national monument?
A national monument is a federal land area that the US government protects to preserve important features of the national landscape, according to the National Park Service. These features can include historical sites and landmarks, sites of geological interest, and sacred indigenous areas.
How are national monuments designated?
The president can establish a national monument by executive order, or Congress can pass legislation to do so. The Antiquities Act of 1906 allows the president to proclaim national monuments on federal lands, according to the National Park Service. The purpose of the Antiquities Act is to enable the president to preserve public land quickly without waiting for Congress to act.
How many national monuments have there been in California?
Since the passage of the Antiquities Act in 1906, signed by President Theodore Roosevelt to protect natural, cultural, and historical sites, that gives presidents the power to establish or expand existing national monuments without approval from Congress, 20 national monuments have been designated by presidents since 1907. Several of those national monuments were later designated national parks by Congress.
-
May 6, 1907 – Lassen Peak and Cinder Cone National Monument, now part of Lassen Volcanic National Park
-
Jan. 9, 1908 – Muir Woods National Monument
-
Jan. 16, 1908 – Pinnacles National Monument, now designated a national park
-
July 16, 1911 – Devils Postpile National Monument
-
Jan. 16, 1913 – Cabrillo National Monument
-
Nov. 21, 1925 – Lava Beds National Monument
-
Feb. 11, 1933 – Death Valley National Monument, now designated a national park
-
Aug. 10, 1936 – Joshua Tree National Monument, now designated a national park
-
April 26, 1938 – Channel Islands National Monument, now designated a national park
-
Jan. 11, 2000 – California Coastal National Monument
-
April 15, 2000 – Giant Sequoia National Monument
-
Jan. 17, 2001 – Carrizo Plain National Monument
-
April 20, 2012 – Fort Ord National Monument
-
Oct. 8, 2012 – Cesar E. Chavez National Monument
-
Oct. 10, 2014 – San Gabriel Mountains National Monument
-
July 10, 2015 – Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument
-
Feb. 12, 2016 – Mojave Trails National Monument
-
Feb. 12, 2016 – Sand to Snow National Monument
-
Feb. 12, 2016 – Castle Mountains National Monument
-
March 12, 2019 – Tule Lake National Monument
What is the difference between a national monument and a national park?
The primary difference between national monuments and national parks is how they are created, according to the National Park Service. National monuments are created by presidential proclamation, while an act of Congress is required to create a national park.
California has 28 combined national parks and monuments that are managed by the National Park Service, along with other monuments managed by different federal agencies.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: How many national mounuments are in California?