This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Happy 15th Birthday, California Desert Protection Act!
Mt. Teutonia in Mojave National Preserve. Light from Los Angeles, 175 miles away, can be seen to the right. | Photo by isubiker via Flickr
Mt. Teutonia in Mojave National Preserve. Light from Los Angeles, 175 miles away, can be seen to the right. | Photo by isubiker via Flickr
It may be Halloween, but it is also the anniversary of a major environmental bill that affected close to 9.2 million acres of California desert back in 1994. The California Desert Protection Act brought us two national parks, one national preserve, millions of acres of federal wilderness areas, as well as other special areas from Death Valley to the Mexico border.
Specifically, the Act brought us...
- Designated the 1.4-million-acre Mojave National Preserve from public lands transferred from BLM to NPS;
- Added 1.3 million acres to Death Valley from lands transferred from BLM to NPS and designated it a national park;
- Added 234,000 million acres to Joshua Tree from lands transferred from BLM to NPS and designated it a national park;
- Designated 74 new wilderness areas in the California Desert, totaling 7,661,069 acres managed by NPS, BLM, and Forest Service;
- Designated eight wilderness study areas (WSAs), totaling 326,430 acres managed by BLM;
- Designated several areas with special features, including the 9,000-acre Granite Mountain Natural Preserve the Soda Springs Desert Study Center, the 2,040-acre Desert Lily Sanctuary, and the 590-acre Dinosaur Trackway Area of Critical Environmental Concern;
- Transferred 20,500 acres of public lands from BLM to the state of California to expand the Red Rock Canyon State Park; and
- Reauthorized several military withdrawals to be managed by the Department of Defense in cooperation with the Department of the Interior.
A celebration today at the Mojave National Preserve marked the launch of a new non-profit conservancy group, the Mojave National Preserve Conservancy. Mojave, by the way, is the third largest National Park Service unit outside Alaska. Something to take note of when driving between L.A and Las Vegas.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
