EBlast June 8, 2020
- Desert Wise Living Landscape Tour 2020 goes virtual !
- Petition to list Yucca brevifolia as a threatened species.
- A week of Invasive Species Lunchtime Webinars.
- Opposition to Yellow Pine Solar Project
- Action on Eagle Crest Pumping Opposition.
- Funding Mojave Trails Acquisition
- Environmental Justice in Lucerne Valley.
- Opposition to Habitat Conservation Fund Budget Trailer Bill.
- Support for AB3030 For Land and Water Conservation.
- Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease found in the Morongo Basin.
- Ruth Denison 2020 Environmental scholarship recipient.
Comments on Joshua Trees as a California Threatened Species Due June 11
On April 16 MBCA published a News Update about the requested listing of the Western Joshua tree as a threatened species in California. The petition was presented in October 2019 by the Center for Biological Diversity. In April 2020 the state's Department of Fish and Wildlife agreed that the information provided warranted the listing and referred their opinion to the California Fish and Game Commission. The Commissioners are scheduled to vote on the recommendation on June 25. If they agree, a yearlong review would begin and the trees would be protected during the review. We ask readers to review this very comprehensive Background and Talking Points document and submit comments in favor of the threatened species listing by the deadline of June 11. Send comments via email to [email protected].
EBlast April 20, 2020
- Earth Day
- 50th Anniversary Commemorative book distribution
- Desert Wise Living Landscape Tour 2020 postponed
- MBCA and social media initiative
- Ruth Denison Environmental Scholarship: 2020 recipient
- OHV enforcement in the Basin: the Sheriff’s report
- Protecting our dark night sky
- Advancing protection for Joshua trees
- Mountain lions to be considered for protection
- Eagle Crest pumped storage update
- Morongo Basin health care capability vs COVID-19
Joshua Trees May Be Designated Threatened in California
Last fall the Center for Biological Diversity petitioned California to list the western Joshua tree as a threatened species under California's Endangered Species Act. On April 13 the state's Department of Fish and Wildlife agreed. The Department's Commissioners are scheduled to vote on the recommendation in June. You can find thorough coverage of the story on local radio KCDZ, on the Mojave Watch blog(no longer available), and in the Desert Sun and Los Angeles Times online newspapers.EBlast December 8, 2019
- Appeal of Daggett Solar Power Facility to be heard by Board of Supervisors Tuesday December 10
- Fish and Game Commission to consider listing of Joshua Tree as a threatened or endangered species
- MBCA monthly Board Meeting venue change
- Hold the date for or annual meeting January 25, 2020
New Petition Filed for Joshua Tree Protection
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.Joshua Trees in Peril, Updated
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.
