The future of the western Joshua tree may be decided in a Los Angeles conference room this morning. Debate over the tree’s sustainability has been a hot topic since the fall of 2020 when the California Fish and Game Commission granted the tree temporary threatened status under the California Endangered Species Act. Western Joshua trees have enjoyed significant protections since then, but whether or not those protections continue is agenda item number five at this morning’s 8:30 a.m. meeting of the California Fish and Game Commission in Los Angeles.
Since the Center for Biological Diversity first petitioned for the iconic tree’s protection nearly two years ago debate over the tree’s questionable longevity has played out across editorial pages, government meetings, and scientific journals. Climate change, wildfire, and large-scale development continue to encroach on the already narrow range needed for the trees to thrive. Efforts to mitigate those pressures run up against the rights of property owners, renewable energy mandates, and public works projects.
While scientific modeling indicates the trees could disappear by the end of this century, a California Fish and Wildlife Report released in April suggested that continued protections are unwarranted.
Should robust public comment at today’s meeting leave insufficient time for commissioners to discuss the issue, a final decision on the future of the Joshua tree may still be some time away.
Fish and Game Commission
Wildlife Heritage and Conservation Since 1870
SECOND** REVISED* MEETING AGENDA June 15-16, 2022
Participate in Person California Department of Transportation
Conference Room 1.040 (1st Floor)
100 S. Main Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
