FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 7, 2017
Contact: Samantha Schipani, Media Coordinator, Mojave Desert Land Trust
Phone: 760-820-2275
samantha@mdlt.org

Mojave Desert Land Trust Hosts Final Rally for California Desert National Monuments

Joshua Tree, CA – Today, Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) hosted a final rally at their headquarters in Joshua Tree with over 100 attendees standing up in support of the California desert national monuments.

On April 26, 2017, President Trump signed an executive order instructing the Department of the Interior to review the designations of national monuments under the Antiquities Act. MDLT launched its Desert Defenders campaign to rally community members in support of the Mojave National Monuments in response to the federal attacks to their protection.

With the Department of the Interior’s public comment period for the review of the national monuments closing on July 10th, the rally served as a celebration of the 1,300 comments the organization has already collected as well as a final push to collect comments from community members who have not yet submitted them.

"We have come together in unprecedented ways to fight -- from here to Barstow, to Redlands, to Indio, and everywhere in between,” commented Danielle Segura, Executive Director, MDLT.The rally featured live performances by Kate McCabe, Diane Best, Rachel and Tim, and Wendy Gadzuk, along with inspirational speeches from community leaders, including Kim Stringfellow from the Mojave Project and Marina Barragán from the Sierra Club San Gorgonio Chapter.

“This is a fight that is going to be for generations and we have to be prepared for that,” commented Marina Barragán, Junior Community Organizer, Sierra Club San Gorgonio Chapter. "We need to save these lands. It is our responsibility and our duty."

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