Mojave Desert Land Trust shares conservation wins, urges action for threatened species

Rene Ray De La Cruz, Victorville Daily Press
·4 min read

The Mojave Desert Land Trust announced all-round conservation wins for the California desert in its 2023 annual report.

The nonprofit organization’s report also outlined “bold action” to preserve two of the California desert’s most iconic species in the years ahead. Here's a look at the land trust's wins in 2023.

The Mojave Desert Land Trust announced all-round conservation wins for the California desert in its 2023 annual report, which also outlined “bold action” to preserve two of the California desert’s most iconic species.
The Mojave Desert Land Trust announced all-round conservation wins for the California desert in its 2023 annual report, which also outlined “bold action” to preserve two of the California desert’s most iconic species.

Conservation wins

  • The Mojave Desert Land Trust permanently protected 6,385 acres of ecologically significant habitat, cleared several tons of trash, made 52 new seed collections, grew over 15,000 native plants for a Salton Sea restoration project, and delivered educational programs to nearly 1,000 young people.

  • To support public lands, 2,458 acres were transferred to the Bureau of Land Management in the Old Woman Mountains Wilderness Area and Mojave Trails National Monument in 2023. The land trust has conserved 120,315 acres of the California desert to date, some of which are conveyed to federal agencies to be incorporated into national parks, monuments, and federal wilderness. The land trust has also conveyed more tracts of land to the National Park Service than any nonprofit since 2006.

  • The land trust currently manages over 60,000 acres across the California desert. As part of ongoing stewardship needs last year, staff removed nearly seven tons of trash including tires and household waste, installed over 320 linear feet of fencing, and carried out eight wildlife surveys.

  • In a plant conservation highlight, the land trust partnered with the California Botanic Garden and the California Department of Water Resources to grow over 15,000 native plants for a significant restoration project to revegetate the receded shoreline of the Salton Sea. Additionally, they held its largest-ever community Native Plant Sale, selling 3,857 plants representing over 65 species. The land trust has grown over 120,000 native plants since 2016.

  • The Mojave Desert Seed Bank was awarded a $3.19 million grant from California’s Wildlife Conservation Board to enable staff to collect, process, and store more seed at a time when there is a lack of adequate seed for restoration in the West. The Mojave Desert Seed Bank added 52 new collections in 2023, including the special status Death Valley sandmat (Euphorbia vallis-mortae). The seed bank has over 700 collections representing over 200 taxa.

Look ahead, saving tortoises 

The 2023 annual report takes a closer look at several programs that will define the land trust’s work in the decade ahead.

“Our purpose took on new meaning and urgency in 2023, driven by impacts to two of the desert’s most iconic species, the western Joshua tree and the Mojave Desert tortoise,” Executive Director Kelly Herbinson said. “In the years ahead [Mojave Desert Land Trust] will be playing a key role in the preservation of these two species. The challenges facing these two keystone species are symptomatic of the twin overarching threats facing the California desert – climate disruption and habitat loss.”

The report showcases a few key partners that founded the Joshua Tree Conservation Coalition, a new regional body that will work to ensure timely, measurable conservation action is taken to protect the species.

To save critical desert tortoise habitat, the land trust is coordinating a three-year project to restore one of the most heavily impacted regions for the state’s reptiles, which is expected to be uplisted by the state to endangered in April.

The Mojave Desert Land Trust announced all-round conservation wins for the California desert in its 2023 annual report, which also outlined “bold action” to preserve two of the California desert’s most iconic species, one being the desert tortoise.
The Mojave Desert Land Trust announced all-round conservation wins for the California desert in its 2023 annual report, which also outlined “bold action” to preserve two of the California desert’s most iconic species, one being the desert tortoise.

Mojave Desert Land Trust

The Mojave Desert Land Trust’s mission is to protect and care for lands with natural, scenic, and cultural value within the Colorado and Mojave Deserts.

Since its founding in 2006, the land trust has conserved over 120,000 acres, conveying more tracts of land to the National Park Service than any other nonprofit, according to the land trust.

The land trust established a conservation seed bank to ensure the preservation of native species and operates an onsite nursery at its Joshua Tree headquarters which has grown over 120,000 native plants for restoration projects and community landscaping.

The land trust also educates and advocates for the conservation of the desert.

“We are here to ensure this ecosystem remains connected to support the wildlife and people that rely on it every day. We could not do this work without the support of our community," Herbinson said. "Together we can make a difference.”

Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Mojave Desert Land Trust shares conservation wins