690 acres acquired to expand Joshua Tree National Park; MDLT purchase protects adjacent Quail Wash Property

For Immediate Release
September 9, 2015
Contact: Shauna Tucker shauna@mojavedesertlandtrust.org

JOSHUA TREE, CA – Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) is pleased to announce it has successfully completed the acquisition of the 690-acre Quail Wash property in Joshua Tree, a landmark achievement that was nearly ten years in the making. This parcel, located adjacent to the west entrance of Joshua Tree National Park, was part of the original Joshua Tree National Monument proclaimed by President Roosevelt in 1936, but was removed by Congress for mining activity in 1950.

Now, thanks to generous grantor and donor gifts (including a local campaign that raised over $10,000 from the neighboring community), this land will be forever protected from development. MDLT plans to restore the property and then to donate it back to the National Park for all to enjoy. “This accomplishment represents the efforts of real partnership between neighbors, organizations and agencies coming together and investing in the protection and preservation of pristine lands for the future,” said MDLT Executive Director, Danielle Segura. “Quail Wash was identified in the top-tier list of lands to be preserved by the founders of MDLT in 2005. Its acquisition  is a special victory for MDLT.”

The property has important biological significance. It contains Joshua Tree woodlands, desert tortoise habitat, desert wash and mountainous terrain. The land remains largely undisturbed and is located in a critical part of the wildlife linkage corridor that follows Quail Wash from the peak of Quail Mountain inside the Park into the dispersed community of Joshua Tree. National Park Superintendent David Smith recently commented on its significance stating, “Parks are not just islands in the midst of our landscapes. They are connected to other public lands and crucial habitats through wildlife corridors, washes and mountain chains. The Quail Wash acquisition exemplifies how we can protect JTNP along with landscapes, ecosystems and communities along the urban-wildland interface and add to the genetic diversity and habitat in and around the Park. It is just one more example of the amazing work MDLT does to protect our nation’s public lands while providing the public a chance to reconnect with wild places.”

The completion of this significant acquisition comes at a perfect time for MDLT to raise awareness about the role of a small grassroots organization in the larger landscape of desert conservation and restoration of private lands for public access. “Our goal is to protect the most environmentally and culturally significant properties in the desert and to build community spirit and connection to the land. Our work is complementary to state and federal efforts that have that same goal in mind, such as Senator Feinstein’s proposed California Desert Conservation and Recreation Act and her recent call to name three new national Monuments in our region,” added Segura.

This acquisition was made possible by a grant administered through the Wildlands Acquisition Program of Resources Legacy Fund, the State of California’s Environmental Enhancement and Mitigation Program, and the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

Mojave Desert Land Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to protect the Mojave Desert ecosystem and its scenic and cultural resource values through acquisition, land stewardship and strategic partnerships. Since 2006 the organization has protected over 54,000 acres of desert land.