FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 11, 2017
Contact: Samantha Schipani, Media Coordinator, Mojave Desert Land Trust
Phone: 760-820-2275
samantha@mdlt.org

Mojave Desert Land Trust Submits Over 1,200 Public Comments to Department of the Interior

Joshua Tree, CA – Yesterday, the Department of the Interior (DOI) closed its public comment period for the review of the national monuments designated under the Antiquities Act. The Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) submitted 1,259 public comments in support of the two California desert national monuments under review: Mojave Trails and Sand to Snow.In response to April’s executive order threatening the national monuments designations, MDLT launched its Desert Defenders campaign to rally community members in support of the three California desert national monuments. Since May, they have held 5 rallies in locations across the desert, including Barstow, Indio, and Redlands.Leading up to the end of the public comment period, MDLT presented its public comments to the San Bernardino County Supervisors at a regularly scheduled meeting of the board. The organization also held a final Desert Defenders rally last Friday at their headquarters in Joshua Tree with over 100 attendees.

“We are proud of the community’s efforts to defend our public lands,” commented Danielle Segura, Executive Director, MDLT. “No matter what result comes out of the Department of the Interior’s review of the national monuments, we know our Desert Defenders are ready to stand up and fight for our desert.”

An early analysis from the Center for Western Priorities (CWP) of more than 650,000 comments posted to the DOI online submission form found overwhelming support for keeping and protecting America’s national monuments, with 98 percent expressing support for maintaining or expanding national monument designations and just one percent requesting to shrink or erase monument boundaries.

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