Joshua trees are protected in California primarily due to threats from climate change, development, and wildfires, which are causing habitat loss and endangering the species. The Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act (WJTCA) was passed in 2023 to conserve the species and its habitat while supporting state priorities. California passed the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act in 2023, which prohibits the removal or killing of trees without a permit, requires a conservation plan, and creates a fund to protect Joshua tree habitat

The federal government failed by allowing The Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians to abuse the luxury of Native American sovereignty by permitting them to purchase off-site reservation land to become sovereign. With the federally approved land acquisition, the tribe will kill hundreds of Joshua Trees; the death of which will lead to the deaths of thousands of other species. The Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians have no respect for wildlife. The tribe’s compassion toward anything but themselves is nonexistent.

Joshua trees are a vital part of the Mojave Desert ecosystem, supporting thousands of species, including birds, mammals, insects, and lizards, with many relying on them for food, shelter, and nesting sites. They provide nesting sites for various birds including Scott’s orioles, ash-throated flycatchers, cactus wrens, western screech owls, house finches, phainopeplas, loggerheaded shrikes, woodpeckers, great-horned owls, ravens, and red-tailed hawks.

Animals like antelope ground squirrels, desert wood rats, and blacktail jackrabbits also rely on Joshua trees for moisture. Other mammals use the trees for food and shelter, including woodrats, jackrabbits, and rats.

The Joshua tree’s primary pollinator is the Tegeticula antithetica moth. The beetle Sycophorus yuccae also relies on the tree. Lizards and invertebrates use various parts of the tree for cover. Desert night lizards, termites, and snakes also benefit from the cooler-moister microclimate provided by Joshua trees.

FEDERALLY ENDANGERED Opuntia Basilaris, the “Beavertail Cactus” grows in Yucca Valley. The Opuntia basilaris variety treleasei, also known as the Bakersfield cactus, is federally and state listed as Endangered due to habitat loss and fragmentation. This desert is being lost to agricultural and urban development, leading to habitat conversion and fragmentation, which negatively impacts the species’ survival.

The cactus supplies shelter and shade to smaller animals and reptiles. Large bees are effective pollinators of Opuntia species. Beetles and hummingbirds are also known to visit the flowers of Opuntia, contributing to pollination.

Desert tortoises, coyotes, Jackrabbits, mice, rats, bats, and countless bird species, including cactus wrens, all eat the cactus pads and prickly pears. These animals that consume cactus fruits help disperse the seeds, which promotes the growth of new cactus plants.

The FEDERALLY ENDANGERED Desert Tortoise’s current population is below the threshold for survival in the wild. Located in the Yucca Valley, the Desert Tortoise is listed on the federal Endangered Species List, despite having a natural lifespan between 30 and 80 years. Off-road vehicles, widespread habitat destruction, and degradation from construction and development contribute to their demise.

Between 1970 and 2019, the population of the Desert Tortoise in California declined from approximately 150 to 350 per square mile to fewer than 10 per square mile.

The irony of The Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians using a caricature of a turtle for their Shelee’s commercial gas station logo is beyond offensive. Tractors will crush the nearly extinct desert tortoises under the earth where their proposed development site is.

There are now only 3,000 FEDERALLY ENDANGERED Bighorn Sheep left from the loss of their habitat from development. This is habitat in Yucca Valley, specifically, where the Tribe wants to develop the purchased land. The Bighorn sheep use the hills from Morongo Valley to move east toward The Joshua Tree National Park. As a very important corridor for the movement of the sheep, this land is crucial for their struggle to survive. With the proposed truck stop development less than 2 miles away from the Big Morongo Canyon Regional Wildlife Preserve, the Bighorn Sheep will lose more valuable sensitive land areas.

The FEDERALLY ENDANGERED Least Bell’s Vireo and the Vermillion Flycatcher are found in Yucca Valley, too. The primary reason for their endangerment is habitat loss and degradation due to urban development, exotic plant invasion, and expansion of agricultural practices into riparian areas.

Big Morongo Canyon Regional Wildlife Preserve is widely acknowledged as one of the premiere bird-watching sites in southern California with over 240 species recorded to date. This important migration and breeding region of the Least Bell’s Vireo will not be sustained with the truck stop less than 2 miles away from the Big Morongo Canyon Regional Wildlife Preserve.

We need to be proactive!

Our local representatives, town council, and County Supervisor have not disclosed any information about collaborating with the tribe to let them build on this precious parcel of land. In addition to the local government’s lack of concern for protecting wildlife, Congress is in the process of trying to kill the Endangered Species Act.

This is why we started the Morongo Basin Action Committee. It’s incumbent upon those who support our mission to have our voices heard.