December 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 35

practices for an environmental justice
framework to address park, health and
conservation values and outcomes.
San Gabriel advocates relied on these
best practices in comments submitted
to the president, and John Podesta in
the White House, in August 2014.
The Presidential Proclamation also
recognizes the role of Native Americans in the rich cultural history of
the San Gabriels. In part, it reads,
" Native American history runs deep,
at least 8,000 years, including the
best preserved example of a Gabrielino pictograph rock painting. " The
management plan for the monument
" shall protect and preserve Indian sacred sites...and access by Indian tribal
members for traditional cultural, spiritual, and tree and forest product-, foodand medicine-gathering purposes. "
The San Gabriel Mountains are a
core part of the Los Angeles landscape, providing 70 percent of the
open space for residents and 30 percent of their drinking water. More
than 15 million people live within 90
minutes of the mountains. According to the president, " This incredible
346,000 acres of rugged slopes and
remote canyons are home to an extraordinary diversity of wildlife. The
rare Arroyo Chub swims through the
cool streams, while the California
condor soars above the vistas. You
can hike through the chaparral, amid
wild lilacs and mountain mahogany. "
These diverse values have been
well-received. Daniel Rossman, chair
of the San Gabriel Mountains Forever coalition (SGMF), said, " The president not only displayed compassion
and understanding of environmental
justice but was fundamentally motivated by the issues when he declared
the San Gabriel Mountains National
Monument. The City Project thanks
for your work to make the case for en

vironmental justice and the San Gabriel National Monument a reality. "
The recognition of Native American
values receives praise from Robert Bracamontes, Acjachemen Nation, Nican
Tlaca, who grew up nearby and continues to visit the San Gabriel Mountains
with his family. " To see those words
in writing used by the president in the
proclamation, 'preserve and protect sacred sites,' brings me a great sense of
hope. For indigenous people, the land
gives us food, a place to play, a place
where we are put to rest in peace, a
place for ceremony, a place where life
and culture are one. We need our land,
we need to protect it for future generations, " says Bracamontes.
George Sánchez-Tello, who teaches at California State University-Northridge and oversees the SGMF
Leadership Academy, emphasizes the
essential role of local community
groups. " While traditional conservation organizations, like the Wilderness Society and the Sierra Club, were
key allies, the San Gabriel Mountains
National Monument would not exist
without the support of local environmental justice, education and immigrant-advocacy groups. This scenario
will play out across the country in
future public land campaigns as communities of color and urban populations continue to grow. "
" The City Project's work on park
access is one of the two leading areas
in environmental justice, " according
to Leslie Fields, national director of
environmental justice and community
partnership at the Sierra Club.
A key argument for creating the
monument is to give the U.S. Forest
Service money and staff to maintain
trails, creeks and picnic areas damaged
by overuse. Under the Proclamation,
the secretaries of agriculture and the interior will prepare a management plan

with maximum public involvement,
including consultation with tribal,
state and local government, as well as
community environmental conservation, health and justice organizations.
Congresswoman Judy Chu has also
introduced legislation to create a San
Gabriel national recreation area, which
would bring in NPS oversight, money
and focus on recreation. The goal remains for the Forest Service and NPS to
work together to meet the needs of the
people as defined by the people. This is
a simple concept; it's called sharing.
Not all people have access to the San
Gabriels. People of color and low-income people visit national park land
at disproportionately low rates, but not
because they do not value the environment, health and outdoor recreation.
This is evident in NPS's findings that
" economically disadvantaged populations in the [area] lack access and the
ability to partake of existing opportunities due to lack of close-to-home open
space, lack of effective transportation,
lack of culturally advantageous facilities
or opportunities, and lack of knowledge
about recreation and natural resources. "
One solution is the Transit to Trails
program developed by Mountains
Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA), NPS, Anahuak Youth
Sports Association and The City Project with diverse allies. Transit to Trails
provides opportunities for park-poor,
income-poor communities to learn
about water, land, wildlife and cultural
history, and engage in healthy physical
activity. Transit to Trails is a best practice according to NPS, and will help
increase access to the San Gabriels, as
emphasized in the president's speech.
Monument status is only the latest
milestone to enhance the San Gabriels for all. Hilda Solis, who originally
called for the national recreation area
as a congresswoman, will help imple-

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December 2014 - Parks & Recreation

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