The Desert Sun reports that the Center for Biological Diversity recently filed a petition with the state's Fish and Game Commission for protection of the Western Joshua Tree from climate change by listing it as a threatened species under the California Endangered Species Act. The news article provides scientific and political background on the issue. The Commission has 10 days to certify the petition and send it to the Department of Fish and Wildlife, which then has 90 days to provide an initial recommendation. Here is the LA Times story on this topic.

A keenly interested audience of almost 60 attended MBCA’s Fall Desert-Wise Living Lecture on September 28.


Mojave Water Agency’s General Manager, Tom McCarthy, provided not only a clear presentation about MWA's history and processes, he also responded patiently and instructively to a number of detailed questions.

Local resident Tom O'Key, who initiated and was critical to the success of the statewide campaign against bobcat trapping several years ago (see MBCA News Update "End of Bobcat Trapping") has been a key part of a followup effort to end all fur trapping in California. That campaign was successful and Tom is quoted several times in this LA Times article describing the Governor's signing of this first-in-America bill.

In April, MBCA submitted a letter in support of the Tubbs Canyon Desert Conservancy in their effort to convince the US Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) to seek new ways of controlling Saharan mustard. The Conservancy has alerted us of a positive response from the USDA, stating that their upcoming 5-year plan for 2020-2025 “will [emphasis added] include studies on identifying and assessing potential biocontrol agents that can be used for Sahara mustard mitigation and eradication." Here is the USDA-ARS letter for full details. (See MBCA's Invasive Plants page for more on Sahara mustard.) 

We received word from MBCA President Steve Bardwell shortly after the decision on the afternoon of August 21 that the proposed Paradise Valley housing development planned for the southern edge of Joshua Tree National Park was voted down by the Riverside County Planning Commission, in a 4-1 vote.  Read more details in this Desert Sun article. Enjoy the photos below taken at the venue. MBCA Directors and supporters, especially Steve Bardwell, Sarah Kennington, and our stalwart science guru Pat Flanagan were vigilant in keeping track of the project, attending meetings, and making comments against the ill-conceived project.

 

DENY PARADISE VALLEY!
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
Riverside County Planning Commission  

The Riverside County Planning Department has thrown a roadblock in front of the huge "new town" of Paradise Valley proposed at the southern border of Joshua Tree National Park. The Desert Sun reports that Planning staff have said they cannot support the plan as submitted, in part due to questions not being satisfactorily answered by the project proponent, GLC Enterprises. The Planning Commission is due to vote on the project at its August 21 meeting. It may now either deny the project or direct staff to continue working to resolve issues. (Note in the second photo in the article that MBCA President and Immediate Past President Steve Bardwell and Sarah Kennington are sitting two rows behind the GLC representative Frank Bigelow at the May Planning Commission meeting. You can also read a lot more that MBCA has published on this issue by typing Paradise Valley into our Search button.)

Many news outlets have recently been highlighting research about potentially severe climate change effects on Joshua Trees. MBCA published a News Update about the issue last year, but here are some of the latest articles about subsequent research with the same message.

“Climate Change may eliminate Joshua Trees…” on local radio KCDZ 107.7.
A video from the Empire Network (KVCR).
“Why Joshua Tree National Park may be saying goodbye to most of its iconic trees in the next 81 years” in the Desert Sun.
"The Iconic Joshua Tree is in Trouble” from EcoWatch.
“Joshua Trees will be all-but-extinct by 2070 without climate action…” from the website Live Science.

Governor Newsom today signed SB 307, a bill that requires that any water mining projects such as the Cadiz water project undergo new additional review processes to prove it will avoid environmental harm. Many thanks are owed to the many MBCA supporters who wrote comments and called the Governor's office in support of the bill. The Governor's letter approving SB 307 outlines the reasons for his action.