Eblast April 18, 2022
- Attend MBCA’s Landscape Tour Sunday April 24!
- Comments due on the Flamingo 640 Glamping Project
- Proposed Wonder Inn Hotel
- Short Term Rentals and the SB County Housing Element
- Is the Joshua Tree a Threatened Species?
State Agency Recommends Against Threatened Listing for Joshua Trees
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has published a status review concluding that Western Joshua trees do not warrant threatened status in California. The ultimate determination is in the hands of the California Fish and Game Commission, which in September 2020 granted the species interim threatened status and implemented guidelines for its protection. The official presentation of the status review by the Department to the Commission is scheduled for April 21; however, the Commission’s vote is not expected until its June 16 meeting. This April 13 press release by the Center for Biological Diversity, which filed a petition that initiated the status review by the Commission, provides background and outlines the expected sequence of forthcoming actions. Additional information can be found in this Los Angeles Times story and the Times' editorial opinion in favor of listing the Joshua tree.
MDLT Provides Comprehensive Joshua Tree Regulations
(Photo by Alexandra Hicks)
Last fall the California Fish and Game Commission voted to advance this iconic Mojave desert plant as a candidate for threatened species status. There is a one-year assessment period when special regulations regarding their movement or destruction are in place.
Refresh yourself on the situation by reading our September 23 News Update then go to MDLT's Western Joshua Tree Regulations page for all the current requirements.
EBlast January 16, 2021
- Joshua Tree Candidacy as Threatened Status
- Draft EIS for Amendment to DRECP Issued
- Federal Energy Policy in Southern California
- Check the MBCA Calendar for Online Events
EBlast December 1, 2020
- Joshua Tree Candidacy for Threatened Status
- Desert Tortoise Candidacy for Endangered Status
- Countywide Plan / Repeal of Community Plans
- Stagecoach Solar
- XPressWest Wildlife Crossings
- Stinknet Invasive Plant!
- Virtually Attend MBCA Board Meetings
- Check the MBCA Calendar for Online Events
- Support MBCA through Amazon Smile
EBlast August 3, 2020
- Desert Wise Living Landscape Desert Tour 2020 goes virtual!
- Petition to list yucca brevifolia as a threatened species
- Opposition to Eagle Crest pumped storage project
- Reject nomination of William Pendley to head BLM
- Daggett Solar Energy project update
- Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease in the Morongo Basin
- Complete the 2020 Census
- Support MBCA through Amazon Smile
More News on the Proposed Joshua Tree Listing
This Los Angeles Times article highlights and summarizes the conflict locally and at the state level about listing the Joshua Tree as a threatened species in California. Assemblymember Chad Mayes is reported to have filed a "hastily crafted emergency bill" to make it easier to "take" threatened or endangered species when economic development or infrastructure is at issue.
MBCA Supports Listing the Joshua Tree as Threatened
Read MBCA's letter to the California Fish & Game Commission supporting the listing of Yucca brevifolia, the western Joshua tree, as a threatened species. For background see our recent News Update on the topic and the second item in the June 8 EBlast.
