The Mojave Desert Land Trust has announced some new land acquisitions, 16 parcels that add 272 acres to the over 110 thousand acres of colorado and mojave desert that the land trust has protected since its formation in 2007.
The first acquisition is 36 acres in Shadow Valley, which sits at the base of multiple Mojave mountains in and around the Mojave National Preserve. Clark Mountain – which sits at nearly 8000 feet, is the tallest peak in the preserve and has records of indigenous occupation for over 4,000 years.
The second chunk of land sits about 150 miles north of Joshua Tree. Nestled in a valley south of Grass Valley Wilderness and north of the Black Mountain Wilderness – the parcel contains ancient lava flows and is home to species such as the prairie falcon, desert tortoises and mojave ground squirrels that forage amongst creosote and rabbitbrush.
According to a post on the Mojave Desert Land Trusts’ Instagram account – Both land acquisitions conserve four different areas of critical environmental concern – these are areas where special management is needed to protect historical, cultural, and natural resources, including wildlife habitat, riparian corridors, and threatened and endangered species.
You can learn more about the Mojave Desert Land Trust’s and the land they protect at mdlt.org
