California Desert: Work We Are Doing

View of the Soda Mountains from Cronise Sand Dunes, located in the Soda Mountains Wilderness Study Area, Mojave Desert, Calif.
Photo by John Dittli
The California Desert has 1.5 million acres of stunning wildlands, many endangered species and the unique history of California’s spectacular Mojave Desert.

At Wilderness, we are working to protect these rare desert lands, popular tourist destinations and wildlife habitats. We also want to ensure solar projects are built away from the Mojave’s special places.

California Desert Protection Act

We are working to pass Senator Dianne Feinstein’s Desert Protection Act to protect about 1.5 million acres. The bill creates two new national monuments, adds land to Death Valley and Joshua Tree national parks and the Mojave National Preserve and creates five wilderness areas.

Renewable energy

California and the nation are transitioning away from fossil fuels and into a cleaner future with renewable energy. At Wilderness, we are working to protect the California Desert by making sure solar projects are built away from sensitive Mojave wildlands.

Learn more about our renewable energy work in the California Desert.

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Why protect the California Desert?
The California Desert is squeezed between expanding Los Angeles and burgeoning Las Vegas. As development edges closer to the iconic western wildland, it needs more protection.
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Explore the California Desert
With spectacular pastel vistas, spring wildflowers and popular destinations like Death Valley and Joshua Tree national parks, the California desert is an amazing place to discover.
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Read about renewable energy in California
Protecting wildlands and wildlife habitat is a priority in the California desert, where ongoing projects support responsible renewable energy development.
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At a Glance

Some key take-aways from this article include:

  • At Wilderness, we're working to protect California’s spectacular Mojave Desert for its unique history, popular tourist destinations and wildlife habitats.
  • We are working to pass the Desert Protection Act and to ensure solar projects are built away from these special places.