President Joe Biden, who has vowed to conserve more public lands and waters, will create national monuments in Texas and Nevada. But at the Castner Range National Monument outside El Paso, in particular, a lot of work remains to make the former Army artillery range accessible to the public.
The biologically diverse land is central to the creation story of the Mojave and other tribes. Energy companies have also identified it as a prime location for wind or solar installations.
The 450,000 acres are known for bird watching, dark skies, and Joshua tree forests over 900 years old soon, they may become the Avi Kwa Ame National Monument.