Stakeholders on both sides of the issue of whether to permanently include the western Joshua tree on the California Endangered Species Act’s list of threatened species will be closely monitoring the proceedings of the California Fish and Game Commission when it meets this Wednesday and Thursday (February 8-9, 2023) in Sacramento.
The Western Joshua tree has enjoyed protected status since October of 2020 when the state’s Fish and Game Commission included it as a candidate species for inclusion on the list. At its meeting last October, the Commission closed the public hearing and administrative record on the matter. It is not expected to take any further comment other than from tribal governments. And while deliberation picks back up at this week’s meeting, the Commission’s findings are expected to be adopted at a future meeting.
If the status does ultimately change to a permanent listing, the Western Joshua tree (Yucca Brevifolia) will become the first plant species to be listed as threatened in California due to climate change.
Access to the California Fish and Game Commission’s February 8-9 agenda here: https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=208994&inline=&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
To observe the meeting via live stream, go to fgc.ca.gov on the day of the meeting.
