The Morongo Basin has been designated a Sentinel Landscape by several government agencies. The designation allows several federal government agencies the ability to provide additional resources and protections for natural areas near U.S military bases.
The Mojave Desert Sentinel Landscape, is one of five Sentinel Landscapes, and the designation itself is newly created. The Mojave Desert Sentinel Landscape includes areas surrounding the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms.
As part of the Sentinel Landscape program, the U.S. The Department of Agriculture (USDA), Department of Defense (DOD), and Department of the Interior (DOI), will work with military bases, local landowners and municipalities, and Native American tribes to sustain water and land around military installations.
“The Sentinel Landscapes Partnership provides DOD with the unique opportunity to expand and diversify our partnerships with non-governmental organizations, state and local governments, Tribes and land managers to enhance the resilience of military installations and the local communities that support them,” said Brendan Owens, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations and Environment.
