At the beginning of the month, Rep. Tony Cardenas (CA-29), Rep. Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36), Rep. Mark Takano (CA-41), Rep. Pete Aguilar (CA-31), and Rep. Juan Vargas (CA-51) sent a letter to the National Park Service Deputy Director Shawn Benge urging the Administration to green light upgrades to the Joshua Tree National Park Cottonwood Visitor Center. Reporter Cassidy Taylor tells us what the letter said…
The Cottonwood Entrance to the Joshua Tree National Park is not only outdated, but it is ill-equipped to accommodate the over three million visitors the park receives each year. In a letter to the National Park Service Deputy Director, five California congressmen stated that the national park brings a great deal of value to constituents and investing in the park will protect the benefits for years to come. They asked for upgrades to the Cottonwood Visitor Center to provide additional space for exhibits on the cultural history of local tribal nations, safety orientations, adequate restrooms, and information on hikes and campgrounds.
Despite playing a prominent role for the park, the current Cottonwood Visitor Center consists of a double-wide trailer that was originally intended to be a temporary structure when it was put in place more than twenty years ago. The congressmen claim that the facility lacks space to display meaningful exhibits or information on the park and has inadequate parking and restrooms for the volume of tourists it receives.
