(10/25) Updated: The photos have been removed at the request of the property owner
(10/23) Updated with photos. This is a developing story and we will continue to update this story as we get more details.
While Joshua Tree National Park (JTNP) borders encompass 792,623 acres, not all that land belongs to the public. Currently, there are approximately 100 privately-owned parcels – called ‘inholdings’ – in JTNP and concerns about tourist housing being built on one such parcel has led to an investigation by JTNP officials.
Residents in the Yucca Valley neighborhood of Covington Flats reported a sudden increase of large trucks and construction vehicles headed into the park. Several calls into JTNP prompted park law enforcement to visit the site, and all construction activity is now halted pending further investigation.
Though parcel owners can sell back to the park, if they choose, it is not required. The use of eminent domain does not apply here. The Department of Interior, which oversees all 63 national parks, does not have a right of first refusal in these dealings.
Those who do purchase a parcel are dismayed that the land – coveted pristine desert landscape though it may be – does not include road access, water, or electricity. Furthermore, the owner would have to trudge through a meaty list of federal, state and county land policies before even considering a structure build. Often, owners discover they cannot access their land at all, except on foot, so furiously trucking in building supplies would certainly spark suspicion.
Which is exactly how JTNP quickly got word that developers were perhaps prematurely busy in the Whispering Pine area of Covington Flats. Though park officials could not speak to any specifics, they did confirm that an investigation was underway with no timeline.
