A bipartisan bill which will protect nearly a Half Million Acres of California Desert Lands was signed into law today by the President. The California Desert Protection and Recreation Act, introduced as S. 67 and H.R. 376, designates 375,500 acres of wilderness and more than 70 miles of wild and scenic rivers, and adds 43,000 acres to Death Valley and Joshua Tree national parks. The bill, sponsored by Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris, both (D-CA), and Representatives Paul Cook (R-CA), Juan Vargas (D-CA), and Pete Aguilar (D-CA), establishes the 81,800-acre Vinagre Wash Special Management Area in Imperial County to protect ecologically sensitive areas and Native American heritage sites. It also designates the 18,840-acre Alabama Hills National Scenic Area in Inyo County for continued recreational use.
“This legislation is a huge win for conservation,” said Geary Hund, Executive Director, Mojave Desert Land Trust. “It ensures that some of the most important natural and cultural resources in the Mojave Desert will be protected and connected in perpetuity. It contributes to the creation of an interconnected system of reserves including Joshua Tree National Park, the Mojave Trails National Monument, and the Mojave National Preserve. These areas are critically important to maintaining the health of desert ecosystems and more specifically, they are important to iconic desert species such as desert tortoise and bighorn sheep.”
The signing of this bill into law is the
culmination of a decades-long effort to protect the unique landscape and
preserve desert heritage for future generations.
Link to protected areas: https://cook.house.gov/corca
