Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.

The California desert, rugged and beautiful, is a very special place to many people, for many different reasons.

This was especially apparent at a public meeting I held last week at the Wildlands Conservancy’s Whitewater Preserve to discuss three new national monuments. I was thrilled to see a great turnout with a wide range of views. It should come as no surprise the debate has elicited strong opinions.

There were cheers and applause, respectful disagreements and plenty of impassioned remarks from Californians. We heard from children who love exploring the desert with their parents; veterans who benefit from the desert’s therapeutic nature; conservationists who described stunning natural wonders, wildlife habitats and diverse ecosystems; miners who rely on the land for their jobs; biologists and scientists; off-road vehicle riders who seek recreation; Native Americans who recounted their historical roots to the land; educators who use the desert to help troubled youth; and many others.

It was our American political process at its best — everyone got a say and we worked toward a consensus.

Given the deep passion for the desert, I left the meeting even more convinced that we must do everything we can to preserve this special land for generations to come. We must work to carefully balance the many uses of the desert.

The effort to preserve the desert has been a long one.

The first key step was passage of the California Desert Protection Act in 1994 — the largest public lands bill enacted in the continental United States at that time.

Six years ago, it became clear to me we needed to do more to carry that tradition further.

At that time, I learned there were 28 proposed wind and solar developments north and south of Route 66, projects that, in my view, would have destroyed the tranquil beauty of this area of the desert.

So I began working on new legislation. Since 2009, I’ve introduced it three times, and am disappointed to say it has failed to advance. In today’s political climate it is extremely difficult to pursue public lands legislation.

Nonetheless, I kept working at it with all the desert stakeholders. My staff and I kept making refinements, building support and making the legislation better.

We introduced the latest version in February. The goal is to protect additional land and help manage desert resources by carefully balancing conservation, recreation and renewable energy. It provides for off-road vehicle recreation and its cornerstone is the establishment of new national monuments. Earlier this month I testified in support of the bill before the Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

But it still has a tough path ahead. Because of the long delay, many people started coming to me suggesting we consider executive action as a way to establish the monuments. And that’s exactly what I’ve requested of the Obama administration.

In August I wrote President Obama asking him to use his authority under the Antiquities Act of 1906 to designate three new national monuments: Mojave Trails, Sand to Snow and Castle Mountains. As places of historic, natural, cultural and scientific import, these lands are most definitely eligible under this law.

The purpose of the Whitewater meeting was for administration officials to hear from the public about these possible designations. Estimates of attendance at the event were as high as a 1,000, and of the 500 comment cards submitted, supporters of the designations outnumbered opponents 4 to 1.

This was a critical aspect of the administration’s process and is part of my dual-track strategy, which means I will simultaneously push for the legislation while also pursuing executive action. If we can’t get the legislation passed, then at least we can get some of its provisions enacted.

To be clear: I very much prefer to move the legislation. That has been and always will be my preference.

Beyond the monuments, there are many other carefully-crafted conservation and off-road recreation provisions in the legislation that we still need to push through.

For example, the legislation would designate 250,000 new acres of wilderness areas near Fort Irwin; add acreage to existing national parks; designate 77 miles of waterways as Wild and Scenic Rivers; and protect the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area, among other desert lands.

The legislation would also create permanent protections for five off-highway recreation areas covering 142,000 acres. Off-road enthusiasts deserve the certainty that their use of the land is protected just as others do.

Whether or not President Obama designates the monuments, I remain committed to doing all I can to get the entirety of my legislation enacted. It’s the only way to adequately balance the many uses of the desert.

Dianne Feinstein represents California in the United States Senate. This commentary originally appeared in the Palm Springs Desert Sun.