MBCA hopes that you will consider attending Saturday’s Rally supporting Chuckwalla National Monument as described in this message from Colin Barrows of Cactus to Cloud Institute. 

Last weekend, a White House fact sheet signaled attempts to terminate protections for nearly 1 million acres of recently protected public lands in California. The statement, though quickly deleted, raises alarms for the potential of an illegal action to try to remove Chuckwalla National Monument's protected status.

This uncertainty gives us a window to do everything in our power to protect the important resources and values our public lands hold. We have seen many comments on social media asking what you can do next - this is it! We're asking you to show up this Saturday, March 22, between 10am - 2pm at Downtown Park in Palm Springs for a rally and teach-in to support Chuckwalla. The park is located at the corner of Museum Way and Belardo Road, adjacent to the "Forever Marilyn" statue, and there is ample free parking next door.

Established in 2025, Chuckwalla National Monument is 624,000 acres of federal land sacred to local tribes and critical habitat for imperiled plant and animal species. Billionaires in Washington, 2,000 miles away, want to take all this away.

We need you, your friends, neighbors, and your Congressional Representatives to make our community heard! Come ready to learn about what makes Chuckwalla special and what YOU can do to protect it.

This rally is led by Resistance Rangers Joshua Tree, and Cactus To Cloud is assisting in any way we can. It will be part of a coordinated effort on public lands around the country. Share this far and wide with everyone you know. Tell your friends across the country they can find a rally near them.

• • This is a peaceful and non-partisan rally. Full stop.
  • We are discouraging partisan messages at this time. Focus instead on the widespread and diverse support for public lands and why Chuckwalla is important to you.
  • We are fine with anti-DOGE or anti-billionaire messages but please be generally positive and supportive for Parks, Monuments, and for rangers.
  • Take care of yourself: the high in Palm Springs is forecasted to be 86 F. Water will be provided -- make sure you stay hydrated!

One more thing you can do for us: Would you take 3 minutes right now and call your Congressional representative? 5calls.org makes it easy and provides a script for you to read. Even if it’s after hours, you can leave a voicemail.

Thank you! We hope to see you on Saturday in support of our desert!