Joshua Trees NPS Photo

Volcanic spires and Joshua trees: Obama protects 1.8 million acres in California’s desert

The LA Times reported today, “President Obama designated three new national monuments in the California desert Thursday, expanding federal protection to 1.8 million acres of landscapes that have retained their natural beauty despite decades of heavy mining, cattle ranching and off-roading….Concern over the long-term health of the deceptively delicate terrain spurred Obama to designate the Mojave Trails, Sand to Snow and Castle Mountains monuments under the 1906 Antiquities Act, which authorizes presidents to create national monuments on federal land to protect ‘objects of historic and scientific interest.'”

Read the whole story here: https://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-monuments-20160212-story.html

230 thoughts on “Volcanic spires and Joshua trees: Obama protects 1.8 million acres in California’s desert”

  1. Not a big Obama fan but this is good news! Every time I go to the desert I am amazed by it’s beauty. I appreciate it much more than I did growing up in Yucca Valley.

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