Azusa, CA – On October 9th, 2026 local partners, community leaders, and representatives convened in the Azusa River Wilderness Park to celebrate the 12th anniversary of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument.
The ceremony began with a tribal acknowledgement led by Seth Johnson, Tribal Stewardship Crew Lead, Gabrieleno Tongva Band of Mission Indians, and Nathan Nunez, lineal descendant of Japchivit, Native American village located in the San Gabriel Mountains. They opened the celebration with traditional songs and talked about their Tribal history tied to the mountains.
Our former Executive Director, Belinda Faustinos, reflected on the efforts that led to the original designation of the National Monument by President Barack Obama. Representative Judy Chu also joined us to discuss her continuous commitment to protecting the San Gabriel Mountains and the importance of the Monument’s expansion in 2024. Representative Judy Chu and Senator Alex Padilla introduced legislation to expand the San Gabriel Mountains National monument and protect more land.
Additionally, our partners Duke Choi (API Forward Movement), Derek Farias (National Forest Foundation), Francisco “Paco” Moreno (COFEM), and Melissa Nova-Rivera (San Gabriel Valley Conservation Corps) spoke about ongoing stewardship efforts and the development of future leadership through their programs.
We ended the celebration with a mindful nature walk to the San Gabriel River led by our team members Jorge and Melissa.
Throughout the event, community leaders stressed the importance of continuing to advocate for public lands in the face of attacks by the current administration. Places like the San Gabriel Mountains preserve history, provide millions of people with fresh water and clean air, and offer a vital natural escape from the city. Let’s continue advocating for them so future generations can experience their beauty.
Please help us continue to advocate for our local public lands by signing our petition requesting more funding and resources for the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument:
