The California Chapter of the Wild Sheep Foundation (CAWSF) is leading an effort on Capitol Hill to seek the introduction of federal legislation which would move the recently created Castle Mountains National Monument into the Mojave National Preserve. The Castle Mountains National Monument was created by Presidential Proclamation in February 2016 by President Obama, with all hunting within its boundaries subsequently prohibited in Monument's management plan. The move of Castle Mountains Monument into the Mojave National Preserve would not only reestablish public hunting opportunity, but also provide for improved coordination between the State of California and federal agencies on the research, enhancement and active management of wildlife and their habitats within the Castle Mountains. Because the 20,920 acre Castle Mountains National Monument falls within the district of U.S. Representative Paul Cook (R-CA/8th), CAWSF and our conservation partners are appropriately urging Representative Cook to introduce the bill.
The letter was presented to Representative Cook at a meeting in Washington DC on Wednesday, February 21st.