California’s Mojave desert is squeezed between expanding Los Angeles and burgeoning Las Vegas. At Wilderness, we are working to preserve the California Desert as a legacy of the American West.
Our work focuses on passing the California Desert Protection Act and steering renewable energy projects away from the most sensitive desert wildlands.
The Mojave legacy of the American West
The California desert is a part of the one-of-a-kind American west. The Mojave needs to be protected for its:
- Dramatic sand dunes, pastel canyons and wildflowers
- Desert tortoise, bighorn sheep and other rare and endangered species
- Ancient lava flows and volcano craters
- Indian petroglyphs and cultural sites
- Historic trails, old mines and Route 66
Protecting recreational sites from urban development
The California desert draws international visitors to Death Valley and Joshua Tree national parks. But it is squeezed between constantly developing Los Angeles and Las Vegas. This development can harm delicate and scenic wildlands. We are working to pass California Senator Dianne Feinstein’s California Desert Protection Act to preserve this unique legacy of the American West.
Preserving the desert also bolsters the local tourism economy. Death Valley and Joshua Tree national parks draw nearly three million visitors each year, who spend more than $230 million annually on outdoor recreation.
Making sure solar projects are in the right places
We are also focused on wise management of desert wildlands. As our nation moves away from reliance on fossil fuels, we must make sure that solar projects are built away from our most sensitive and special places.
See also:
Work we're doing in the California Desert
Helpful links
- California Desert Campaign:
http://www.californiadesert.org
- Senator Diane Feinstein:
http://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/_named_files/106900_desert_booklet.pdf
