Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.
The Mojave Desert Land Trust Added 7,000 Acres To Protected California Lands
Recently acquired desert land in California, 2022.
(
Courtesy Mojave Desert Land Trust
)
Some 7,000 acres of land was permanently protected this year through conservation efforts by The Mojave Desert Land Trust — including a highly significant acquisition of property in the Cadiz Valley.
What Was Protected?
The 640-acre property in the Cadiz Valley located in Mojave Trails National Monument. It's significant because the property contains ample signs of wildlife with little human disturbance.
In total, more than 8,000 acres of this monument have been preserved over the years.
Another property acquired this year is located in Crystal Hill, Death Valley, contains The Epsom Sites Monorail — a 28-mile-long Lartigue Monorail system — that operated in the 1920s.
Other notable acquisitions include parts of the Mojave National Reserve and parts of the Jacumba Mountains Wilderness.
The Impact
California’s desert lands store 10% of the state’s carbon underground, which helps combat climate change. When these lands are protected, carbon will not be released through the development and disturbance of soil. Additionally, animal habitats can be better cared for.
According to an MDLT news release:
Sponsored message
“Wilderness has the highest form of protection of any federal wildland. Acquisitions in wilderness areas help preserve landscapes where people can experience silence and recreate, and flora and fauna can thrive undisturbed. MDLT acquired five parcels totaling 100 acres in wilderness areas this year.”
Why This Matters
Wildlife continually loses habitat to development and urban sprawl. Fragmented habitat impacts the future of species’ survival and quality of life. When animals have less space to roam and mate genetic diversity decreases.
Advocates for land preservation and conservation note that expanded wildlife protections help increase biodiversity and combat climate change, which are essential to survival for all life — animals, plants, and humans.
Go Deeper
- Banning Ranch, OC's Last Undeveloped Coastal Treasure, To Be Preserved
- California Approved A Very Bold Plan To Cut Planet-Heating Pollution
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 before year-end 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 before year-end 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
