Avi Kwa Ame, Nevada: Biden is expected to announce the largest national monument of his presidency next week

CNN
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President Joe Biden plans to designate Avi Kwa Ame in Nevada as a national monument next week, according to a person familiar with the plans.

The nearly half a million acres would be the largest area Biden placed under state protection since taking office.

Earlier this week, the White House announced that Biden plans to attend an environmental summit hosted by the Department of the Interior on Tuesday.

Biden previously announced his commitment to protecting the area, which is sacred to Fort Mojave and other Native American tribes, on Tribal summit at the White House in November.

“When it comes to Spirit Mountain and the surrounding canyons and regions in southern Nevada, I am determined to protect this sacred site that is important to the history of the creation of so many tribes that live here today,” Biden said in November.

Among those who advocated the creation of a national monument were local organizations and environmental groups. The creation of a national monument could expand the ranges of a number of species, including bighorn sheep, deer and several bird species.

Biden has previously used his presidential powers to designate national monuments in Colorado and to restore areas whose monument status was removed or reduced by President Donald Trump.