In March 2023, President Joe Biden established the Castner Range National Monument in El Paso, Texas, to protect cultural, scientific, and historic objects and to honor U.S. veterans, service members, and Tribal Nations. Located on Fort Bliss, Castner Range served as a training and testing site for the U.S. Army from 1926 until 1966. It contains several sites of cultural significance to Tribes, including the Apache and Pueblo peoples and the Comanche Nation, Hopi Tribe, and Kiowa Indian Tribe of Oklahoma.

According to the White House, the Army will work with Tribes and the community to secure public access to the monument in phases, as it is safe and appropriate. Once the area is sufficiently remediated to be safe for public access, Castner Range will offer unique opportunities for the El Paso community to experience, explore, and learn from nature. Protecting Castner Range connects the area with the Franklin Mountains State Park, creating continuous habitat for wildlife and improved public access for outdoor recreation.

The Department of Defense is an ACHP member, and it is important to note the Army will manage this new national monument. Though previous national monument designations have protected important historic military sites, this would be the first national monument directly managed by the U.S. military since national battlefields were transferred to the National Park Service in the 1930s.

Read more here: FACT SHEET: President Biden Designates Castner Range National Monument | The White House