FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 16, 2017
Contact: Sam Schipani, Media Coordinator, Mojave Desert Land Trust
Phone: 760-820-2275
samantha@mdlt.org

Mojave Desert Land Trust Hosts Rally in Barstow for California Desert National Monuments

Joshua Tree, CA – Yesterday, Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) hosted a Monuments for All rally at Idle Spurs Steakhouse in Barstow. The event had around 35 attendees standing up in support of the California desert national monuments.

The rally featured live music and inspirational speeches from community leaders, including David Lamfrom, Director of the California Desert and National Wildlife programs at the National Parks Conservation Association, and Carmen Hernandez, Mayor Pro Tem of Barstow.

“These lands play a role in our communities as well for jobs and for commerce,” commented Danielle Segura, Executive Director, MDLT. “There are so many special things in this community, and we need to protect those things.”

The event was the third rally held by the organization in response to the executive order signed April 26, 2017, instructing the Department of the Interior (DOI) to review the designations of national monuments under the Antiquities Act. MDLT launched its Desert Defenders campaign to encourage its community to call in to their elected officials to support the three Mojave national monuments: Castle Mountains, Sand to Snow, and Mojave Trails. Their campaign to collect public comments for the DOI review currently has over 980 signatories.

After the success of the first two rallies, the organization built on the energy of the community to offer continued concrete next steps for people looking to get involved with the fight to protect public lands. MDLT held the rally in Barstow to reach out to the gateway communities to the Mojave Trails National Monument."It is the grassroots that make the difference in this country,” commented Carmen Hernandez, Mayor Pro Tem, City of Barstow. “The desert is so unique. There is so much to see, and there is so much that we can do.”

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