MDLT Responds to Department of the Interior Recommendation for Sand to Snow National Monument

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 16, 2017
Contact: Danielle Segura, Executive Director, Mojave Desert Land Trust
Phone: 760-820-2275
danielle@mdlt.org

Mojave Desert Land Trust Responds to Department of the Interior Recommendation for Sand to Snow National Monument

Joshua Tree, CA – Today, Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke delivered a recommendation that the Department of the Interior will not revoke or adjust the boundaries of Sand to Snow National Monument. The statement is the first from the Department of the Interior’s review of the national monuments addressing the California desert. Since the closing of the public comment period on July 10, Secretary Zinke has recommended no modifications to 5 other national monuments of the 27 under review: Craters of the Moon, Hanford Reach, Canyons of the Ancients, Upper Missouri River Breaks, and Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monuments.

“Sand to Snow National Monument has retained the protections it deserves, and the Interior should use the same judgment for our other national monuments,” commented Danielle Segura, Executive Director, MDLT. “Diverse communities across the desert fought for over a decade to designate all three of our California desert national monuments. We encourage Secretary Zinke to recognize the public's will and the unique ecological and historical significance of places like Mojave Trails National Monument in his forthcoming recommendations.”

Secretary Zinke’s recommendation for Mojave Trails National Monument is tied to the controversial Cadiz Inc. water project, which looks to pump groundwater from an aquifer surrounded by the national monument to coastal cities. David Bernhardt, former lobbyist and lawyer for Cadiz Inc., was confirmed on July 24 as Deputy Interior Secretary, the second ranking position in the Department of the Interior. In a letter to Secretary Zinke, Rep. Paul Cook expressed his position that the Mojave Trails National Monument be reduced in size to accommodate extractive industries in the area.

“The continued protection of Sand to Snow National Monument will preserve important wildlife corridors and habitats, but we must look at the big picture,” commented Frazier Haney, Conservation Director, MDLT. “Selectively slicing the Mojave Desert to appease private interests will ultimately undermine the desert’s landscapes and ecosystems. Protecting Mojave Trails and Castle Mountains National Monuments is equally important to achieving the region’s conservation goals.”

Secretary Zinke’s final recommendations on the remaining national monuments under review – including Mojave Trails National Monument – are due by August 24.

The Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with the mission to protect and care for lands with natural, scenic, and cultural value within the Mojave Desert. For more information, visit www.mdlt.org.