Proclamation 10534-Establishment of the Castner Range National Monument

Proclamation 10534 establishes the Castner Range National Monument in El Paso, Texas, protecting approximately 6,672 acres of former military training grounds that contain significant archaeological and cultural resources representing 10,000 years of human history, as well as diverse Chihuahuan Desert ecosystems. The area holds special significance for El Paso's Latino and Hispanic communities and for the Fort Bliss military community. The monument designation ensures permanent federal protection for these resources and facilitates public access for recreation and education.

The proclamation affects the communities surrounding El Paso, including Indigenous and Hispanic residents with cultural ties to the area, military families at Fort Bliss, outdoor recreation users, and the Bureau of Land Management, which will manage the monument. Local communities and advocacy groups had long sought the monument's establishment.

The legal basis is the Antiquities Act of 1906. Monument designations on formerly military-owned land transferred to the Interior Department for public use are within the Act's scope and are consistent with the administration's broader conservation agenda. The relatively modest size of the Castner Range monument reduces the legal complexity that can arise with much larger designations.

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