Senator Dianne Feinstein has introduced legislation that would create two new national monuments in our region of the California desert and designate six new wilderness areas. The California Desert Protection Recreation Act of 2015 seeks to create the Mojave Trails National Monument, protecting 942,000 acres of federal land between Joshua Tree National Park and the Mojave Preserve, along nearby historic Route 66. It would also create the Sand to Snow National Monument covering 135,000 acres of federal land between Joshua Tree National Park and the San Bernardino National Forest in San Bernardino and Riverside counties. It would extend from the Coachella Valley through part of Morongo Valley to the top of Mount San Gorgonio. Feinstein’s bill amends and updates the California Desert Protection Act of 1994, which established Death Valley and Joshua Tree National Parks and the Mojave National Preserve, including more than 7.6 million acres of California desert wilderness. Reacting to the proposal, Congressman Paul Cook of Yucca Valley said, “This expansive proposal will have a significant impact on desert communities, and I want to ensure our voices are heard during the legislative process.”
