New Nevada Monument Earns Praise from Tribes, Criticisms from Governor

President Joe Biden's declaration of a new national monument in Nevada was praised by tribal nations but criticized by the state's Republican governor.

The Details: The Avi Kwa Ame National Monument will protect roughly 506,000 acres, including Nevada’s Spirit Mountain and the surrounding desert. The area is sacred to Indigenous groups. It's also reportedly rich in minerals, including lithium.

Key Quotes: Timothy Williams, chairman of the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe, said Avi Kwa Ame "is a place we know as our creation. It is the beginning of our traditional songs. And it is the place that Native nations throughout the Southwest hold sacred." Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) said the declaration will "cost our state jobs and economic opportunity" and make "land more expensive and more difficult to develop for affordable housing and critical infrastructure projects." He also said the Biden administration didn't respond to his concerns.

For Context: Biden's designation used the Antiquities Act, a 1906 law that allows the president to protect land for cultural and natural resources. The move is a step toward Biden's goal of conserving at least 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030.

How the Media Covered It: Left-rated sources focused on the monument's importance to tribes and how it'll protect the land from development. Some right-rated sources focused on Lombardo's comments and the limits on drilling, mining, and renewable energy efforts. The Nevada Independent reported that Lombardo "was inaugurated after proposals for the monument had largely been finalized."