Where some see a wasteland, desert people see a place worth protecting (TPL)

The Trust for Public LandApril 12th, 2018"...What do you see when you look at a desert? An empty space? A forbidding wasteland? For some, the sun is too bright, the air too dry, and the cactus too thorny. Others might find the desert a nice place to visit, but no place to live. But for some people—desert people—the space and the solitude found where the soil turns to sand is an invitation to create and explore. In the high Mojave Desert east of Los Angeles, the unincorporated community of Joshua Tree is home to offbeat artists, rock climbers, and a military community: people who’ve found something in the desert worth staying for. As the Mojave faces increasing threats from energy development, climate change, and sprawl, this eclectic community has come together to protect the desert they love. Since 2014, The Trust for Public Land has worked with the Mojave Desert Land Trust to conserve 2,500 acres around Joshua Tree National Park—including a property once slated for a huge subdivision, a new backcountry access point, and a site under consideration for an ADA-accessible campground..."Read Full Article