The campaign to protect the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks area in southern New Mexico has been 10 years in the making, but last week, President Barack Obama designated nearly a half-million acres of the rugged — and spectacular — desert terrain as the country's newest national monument.

The proclamation, which Obama signed at the Department of Interior Wednesday, creates the largest national monument of Obama's presidency so far, according to the Washington Post.

The Organ Mountains, named for their similarity in appearance (particularly the granite "needles" in the highest part of the range) with pipes that would be part of a pipe organ,rise up to 5000 feet above the Mesilla Valley and Tularosa Basin. In addition to the Organ Mountains, the new national monument, which covers approximately 496,000 acres, includes parts of the Sierra de Las Uvas Mountains, Doña Ana Mountains, Robledo Mountains, and the Potrillo Mountains.

“The Organ Mountains and surrounding Desert Peaks are steeped in culture, history, wildlife and opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors – from hunting to hiking to gazing at ancient petroglyphs and fossils – and the President’s action ensures that these cherished landscapes are celebrated and passed on to the generations of New Mexicans and Americans to come," said Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewel.

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The area is home to a high diversity of animal life, including deer, pronghorn antelope, mountain lions, peregrine falcons and other raptors as well as rare plants, some found nowhere else in the world, such as the Organ Mountains pincushion cactus. Hundreds of archeologically and culturally significant sites are also found within the new monument, including some limited Paleo-Indian artifacts, extensive rock art sites and the ruins of a ten room pueblo, among other ancient dwellings. More recent history is memorialized with Geronimo’s Cave, Billy the Kid's Outlaw Rock, and sites related to early Spanish explorers. The Organ and Doña Ana Mountains are popular recreation areas, with multiple hiking trails, a popular campground, and opportunities for hunting, mountain biking, rock climbing, and other recreation.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said an independent study found that the new monument could also generate $.74 million "in new economic activity annually from new visitors and business opportunities, while preserving access for sportsmen, ranchers and recreational users."