Sacramento, CA – Assemblymember Greg Wallis (R-Palm Desert) received the Force for Nature Award from the Power In Nature Coalition at the Third Annual Force for Nature Reception and Awards, recognizing his leadership in advancing California’s commitment to protect 30 percent of the state’s lands and coastal waters by 2030.
Power In Nature is a statewide coalition of more than 250 community-based organizations, conservation groups, land trusts, Indigenous organizations, and tribal partners working to advance conservation, climate resilience, and California’s 30×30 goals.
“Theodore Roosevelt once said, ‘Of all the questions which can come before this nation . . . there is none which compares in importance with the great central task of leaving this land even a better land for our descendants than it is for us,’ ” Wallis said. “That vision still holds.”
Wallis has championed multiple legislative efforts aligned with the state’s 30×30 goals. He authored AJR 9, calling on Congress and the President to restore full and consistent funding for the National Park Service to support the long-term protection of Joshua Tree, Yosemite, Sequoia, and other iconic parks. He also authored ACR 8, establishing World Desert Day in California to recognize the ecological, cultural, and biodiversity significance of the state’s desert regions.
In addition to his legislative work, Wallis has been a leading voice in the effort to protect the Chuckwalla National Monument, a 660,000-acre landscape south of Joshua Tree National Park. The monument represents the largest protected area in the Colorado Desert bioregion and holds deep cultural significance for Indigenous communities.
Wallis joined local leaders, tribal partners, business owners, and community members in urging federal officials to maintain protections for Chuckwalla, emphasizing its value to local economies and future generations. He noted the monument has earned “strong bipartisan support” from communities that recognize the importance of preserving its natural and cultural resources.
“Joshua Tree National Park sits entirely within the 47th District. Chuckwalla expands that protection south into one of the most ecologically significant desert landscapes in California,” Wallis said. “This isn’t about locking land away. It’s about ensuring these places remain accessible, resilient, and intact for the generations that come. That’s the work ahead, and it’s work worth doing.”
The 2026 Force for Nature Awards also recognized Senate President pro Tempore Monique Limón, Senator Catherine Blakespear, Assemblymembers Chris Rogers, Nick Schultz, and Jeff Gonzalez, and California Natural Resources Agency Deputy Secretary Meghan Hertel.
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