MDLT is troubled to learn of a Department of Interior decision that weakens environmental protections around a controversial water project in the Mojave Desert. MDLT strongly disagrees with the Bureau of Land Management ruling made public Monday stating Cadiz Inc does not need a federal permit to build a 43-mile pipeline along a railroad right-of-way situated on public lands in the Mojave.

 The Mojave Trails National Monument remains on the White House chopping block – despite not being on the list of ten monuments named in leaked recommendations for change. The leaked draft report by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke makes it clear that the Trump Administration is preparing for an unprecedented attack on protected public lands that could result in the destruction of Native American archaeological sites, widespread loss of wildlife habitat, and economic harm to local businesses.

Today was the deadline for Secretary of Interior Zinke to release his recommendations on the national monuments under review. During the review process, 2.7 million people submitted public comment. Despite the public support for national monuments, and the public’s interest in this review process, Secretary Zinke had not released his recommendations to the public, and only privately submitted them to the White House. According to a Department of the Interior (DOI) press release, Secretary Zinke will not eliminate any national monuments, but he plans to reduce an undisclosed number of them. The public is left to guess which of the national monuments under review will be reduced.

Rep. Paul Cook has redoubled his efforts to adjust the boundaries of Mojave Trails National Monument while adding proposed changes to Castle Mountains National Monument. Rep. Paul Cook has suggested removing the southern portion of Mojave Trails National Monument, including important wilderness areas like the Cadiz Dunes and Sheephole Valley, and historic World War II training camps Iron Mountain and Granite. The proposed changes remove about 500,000 acres from the current boundaries. Castle Mountains National Monument, which was not originally included in the review, was nevertheless mentioned in a letter from Rep. Paul Cook to Secretary Zinke for the mining interests in the area.

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.

Today, the Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) placed full-page color newspaper ads defending Sand to Snow, Castle Mountains, and Mojave Trails national monuments in the San Bernardino Sun, Victorville Daily Press, Barstow Desert Dispatch, and the Daily Inter Lake, a Montana paper in Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's home district. The ads call on Representative Paul Cook and Secretary Zinke to protect the Mojave Monuments, and the economic benefits these monuments bring to our local communities.

At a time of political change, one thing is clear and consistent: Americans strongly support saving the open spaces they love. Since 2006, the Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) has been doing just that for the people of the Mojave Desert. Now MDLT has achieved national recognition – joining a network of only 389 accredited land trusts across the nation that have demonstrated their commitment to professional excellence and to maintaining the public’s trust in their work.

Today, David Bernhardt was confirmed as Deputy Interior Secretary, the second ranking position in the Department of the Interior. Bernhardt’s career as a lobbyist, and work at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck for Cadiz Inc, a company that aims to drain water from an aquifer in the Mojave Trails National Monument for use in coastal communities, makes his appointment a direct threat to the health and well-being of the Mojave Desert. As second in command at DOI, Bernhardt will have the power to ease regulations on the same interests he has been paid to represent.

Rimrock Ranch, founded in 1947 and located 5 miles from historic Pioneertown, will host a fundraiser for the Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) featuring Academy Award, Grammy Award, and Golden Globe-winning musician Ryan Bingham. Bingham will perform an acoustic set on the 11-acre property to a sold-out limited audience on July 22, 2017. Joshua Tree Coffee Company and Hangar 24 Craft Brewery will also donate coffee and beer, respectively, to the show in support of MDLT.

Representative Cook has not communicated with his constituents about the Trump Administration’s Executive Order to review select national monuments. Despite his lack of a public statement, Rep. Cook expressed his position in a letter to Department of the Interior Secretary Zinke, encouraging that the Mojave Trails National Monument be reduced in size.

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.

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.

In June, the Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) finalized the acquisition of a 60-acre parcel of land containing Samuelson’s Rocks, a unique cultural site inside Joshua Tree National Park. A long-time favorite spot for local hikers, the property is best known for its eight boulders carved with quotes from John Samuelson, a homesteader and Swedish immigrant who worked in an area goldmine starting in 1927. Samuelson carved his philosophies into the boulders around his property.

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.

In response to the Trump administration’s Executive Order to review national monuments, California legislators today passed Assembly Joint Resolution 15, a bill in support of the California State Legislature to continue protecting national monuments. The bill received bipartisan support in the legislature, with four Republican Assemblymembers and one Republican Senator voting in favor. The national monuments protect ecosystems, preserve local cultural heritage, and provide economic opportunities for surrounding communities.

Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources approved David Bernhardt as Deputy Interior Secretary, the second ranking official in the Department of the Interior. Bernhardt has conducted legal work for Cadiz Inc., a company that aims to drain water from an aquifer in the Mojave Trails National Monument for use in coastal communities. He was approved in a 14-9 vote and will proceed to a full Senate hearing.

Today, President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris Agreement, an international climate change agreement addressing greenhouse gases emissions mitigation, adaptation and finance starting in the year 2020. Without the United States’ commitment to reducing greenhouse gases emissions, scientists predict that the Earth is likely to hit dangerous levels of warming sooner than expected.

Today, the California State Assembly passed Assembly Joint Resolution (AJR) 15, a bill to protect federal public lands, maintain the integrity of the Antiquities Act, and honor the designation of national monuments designated since 1906. The bill is a response to the Department of the Interior (DOI) review of the national monuments designated using the Antiquities Act.

Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources approved David Bernhardt as Deputy Interior Secretary, the second ranking official in the Department of the Interior. Bernhardt has conducted legal work for Cadiz Inc., a company that aims to drain water from an aquifer in the Mojave Trails National Monument for use in coastal communities. He was approved in a 14-9 vote and will proceed to a full Senate hearing.

Today, the Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) launched the next phase of its Desert Defenders campaign to protect the new California desert national monuments. MDLT has led local organizing in response to President Trump’s executive order that threatens the protected status of Sand to Snow and Mojave Trails National Monuments. On the morning of the executive order, they launched their Desert Defenders campaign to encourage supporters to call their representatives and show support for their national monuments.