REINTRODUCED LEGISLATION COULD EXPAND JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK

Legislation reintroduced by Senator Dianne Feinstein would expand Joshua Tree National Park. The bill would create five off-road vehicle areas, designate 230,000 acres as wildlife areas, and add about 4,500 acres to Joshua Tree National Park and 39,000 acres to Death Valley National Park. The expansion does not include Eagle Mountain, but expands the northwest portion of the park near Joshua Tree and Yucca Valley. The proposal also designates 77 miles of rivers as wild and scenic, and in an effort to avoid conflicts with land intended for conservation, would designate “solar zones” where development of renewable energy projects would be encouraged.