While many people are familiar with the Painted Hills National Monument, few know the greater landscape that surrounds it. Known as the Sutton Mountain Wilderness Proposal, these lands are not yet protected but certainly deserve to be. The proposal aims to conserve 58,000 acres of public land that are invaluable for their wildlife, geologic, and recreational values. The landscape is characterized by dramatic basalt cliffs and rolling hills of juniper, sagebrush, and bunchgrass that provide vital habitat for 36 sensitive plant and animal species, including spring Chinook salmon, pacific lamprey, Mountain Quail, Yellow-breasted Chat, and arrow-leaf thelypody.

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