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California has a plan to save Joshua trees
Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia) stand in Joshua Tree National Park on July 23, 2021 near Twentynine Palms, California. The park is among California's most popular tourist destinations.
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Topline:
California officials have released a new plan to conserve the western Joshua tree. The spiky fixtures of the Mojave Desert are under threat from climate change, increasingly prevalent wildfires and land development for solar projects.
What’s the plan? The nearly 300-page draft Western Joshua Tree Conservation Plan calls for protecting some of the succulents’ (they’re technically succulents, not trees) natural habitat from development, fighting wildfires that threaten the western Joshua tree and even “adopt-a-tree” programs in which the public can participate in conservation.
Why now? According to California Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Charlton Bonham, western Joshua trees “are facing an increasing variety and intensity of threats,” including climate change, habitat loss, and wildland fires. Last year, Joshua trees were devastated by the York Fire, which burned tens of thousands of acres in the Mojave National Preserve.
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Fun fact: The western Joshua tree “may require approximately 50 to 70 years to reach reproductive maturity and begin producing flowers” and has a symbiotic relationship with fungi in the soil that helps get nutrients to its roots, according to the CDFW.
What’s next? The state says next steps include identifying areas that should be high priority for preservation and figuring out which solar array or other developments could endanger western Joshua tree habitat. The plan also calls for developing educational materials like brochures to educate the public on Joshua trees and the dangers they face.
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