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Some of the Coachella Valley's picturesque landscape will be preserved for generations to come thanks to the designation of the Sand To Snow National Monument.

It is one of three national monuments designated by President Obama during his trip to the Coachella Valley last month. The President also designated the Mojave Trails and Castle Mountains National Monuments.

CVAG, the Coachella Valley Conservation Commission (CVCC), the Greater Palm Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau and leaders from across Riverside County were part of a diverse coalition that supported Sen. Dianne Feinstein's effort to get the lands preserved.

The Whitewater Preserve is part of the newly designated Sand To Snow National Monument.

To find the Sand To Snow National Monument, look northwest from the Coachella Valley and continue on until you see the top of Southern California's tallest peak, Mount San Gorgonio. As the name "Sand to Snow" indicates, this is a place to both explore desert lands and, in the cooler months, head to higher elevations for winter sports.

The Sand to Snow National Monument is easily accessible for the residents of and visitors to the Coachella Valley, encompassing 25 miles of the iconic Pacific Crest Trail as well as the valley's own Whitewater Preserve.

The Sand To Snow National Monument also complements the land conservation goals that are spearheaded by the CVCC, which is the lead agency for the Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan. There are 154,000 acres of federal land within the new Monument, and 48,821 acres overlap with our conservation areas. The Sand to Snow National Monument is a critical wildlife corridor in Southern California, and designating these public lands helps our effort to protect open desert and threatened and endangered species.

Designating the Sand to Snow National Monument also is good for our regional economy, as these visitors stay in our hotels and shop in our businesses. Visitors to Joshua Tree, as well as Death Valley National Park and the Mojave National Preserve, added $165 million to the economy and supported 2,000 jobs in 2013.

The new National Monuments will provide future generations an opportunity to get outside and enjoy the wonders of our desert lands.

After more than four years of planning and securing funding, CV Link has gained a lot of momentum. But, as with every big project, CVAG has received a number of questions about the plans for a 50-mile multi-modal pathway.

We've been issuing newsletters to address some of the most frequently asked questions.

Did you miss a previous bulletin? Be sure to read how:

CVAG has assembled more than $75 million to fund CV Link, with

a lot of the funding coming from outside of the Coachella Valley;

Cathedral City is working with CV Link consultants to break ground

on a pathway along the Whitewater River channel by early 2017;

Adding golf carts and neighborhood electric vehicles adds only 3.8 percent to the project costs, but opens up all sorts of funding opportunities not available to standard bike paths;

CVAG is taking a proactive approach to funding the long-term maintenance for the project;

CVAG has spent years working with Rancho Mirage City Council

and community leaders on a route through the city;

And how Measure A funding has helped improved our region's transportation network, but we have not spent any on CV Link.

CVAG is a busy agency, helping coordinate the region's transportation plans, green energy programs, conservation efforts and social services. Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow @CVAGnews on Twitter.

Do you have old tires that need to be recycled? We've kicked off a series of collection events that will take us across the Coachella Valley.

It's free to participate and you can drop off as many as nine tires per trip. We'll accept passenger, light truck, neighborhood electric vehicle (NEV) and golf cart tires. Sorry, no semi-truck, semi-trailer, agricultural tractor or construction equipment tires can be accepted.

These events have proven to be very popular: More than 150 tires were collected during last month's event in Desert Hot Springs. Some people even made multiple trips.

Mark your calendars for the 2016 events:

-- March 5 at Indio Home Depot, 42100 Jackson St.

-- April 9 at La Quinta City Hall, 78495 Calle Tampico

- April 16 at Palm Desert Civic Center, 73710 Fred Waring Drive

-- May 7 at the Mecca/ Thermal campus of College of the Desert, 61-120 Buchanan St. in Thermal

-- Oct. 8 at the Rancho Mirage City Yard, 72201 Manufacturing Road

-- Nov. 5 at Coachella Bagdouma Park, 51723 Douma St.

The events are open to all Coachella Valley residents. No tires will be accepted from businesses or non-profit organizations.

For more details, contact CVAG at (760) 346-1127.

Some of the tires collected in Desert Hot Springs.

The valley's efforts to conserve land and protect threatened animals and plant species is getting a major financial boost.

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has announced it will commit $7 million to fulfill a major obligation outlined in the Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (CVMSHCP). The amount is more than double what was initially expected to be included in the upcoming budget.

"Caltrans strongly supports the objectives outlined in the Coachella Valley Multiple Species

Habitat Conservation Plan," said John Bulinski, Director of Caltrans District 8.

"By working together, Caltrans and leaders in the Coachella Valley

have been able to maintain and improve roads while preserving the desert's natural environment."