• Sunrise at the Cholla Cactus Garden

    Joshua Tree

    National Park California

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  • Pinto Basin Road Renovation

    Pinto Basin Road is being renovated. On weekdays you may encounter travel delays of up to 30 minutes. Cholla Cactus Garden is closed on weekdays. Cottonwood Visitor Center hours are 9 to 4 on weekdays, 8 to 4 weekends. More »

  • Rattlesnake Canyon Will Remain Closed Through May

    To provide additional time to mitigate the vandalism, Rattlesnake Canyon will remain completely closed to the public for another 30 days. More »

Desert Managers Seek OHV Funds For Tortoise Conservation

In partnership with the National Park Service, the Desert Managers Group has applied for a grant from California State Parks Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) Recreation Commission. The grant would be used for education and safety messages focusing on conservation of the threatened desert tortoise.

Many of the designated OHV areas and routes in the California deserts are within desert tortoise habitat. The Mojave population of the desert tortoise, Gopherus agassizii, was listed as threatened under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA) in 1989 and the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1990. Environmental education programs based on the desert tortoise were identified in the Desert Tortoise Recovery Plan (FWS 1994) as a priority recovery action. The coordinated implementation of recovery actions for the tortoise is a high priority for the Desert Managers Group.

Improper OHV recreation has been identified as a threat to the tortoise. There are, however, a variety of behavioral changes desert recreationists (OHV and non-motorized) can make that will cause a lower impact to the tortoise and other sensitive desert resources. To educate OHV recreationalists about the desert tortoise and promote low impact behavior, California OHV grant funds will be used to support a variety of desert tortoise outreach projects including:

  • Attendance at OHV and community events in Southern California to create desert tortoise awareness. Volunteers will distribute safety information, brochures, and a variety of promotional items.
  • A media campaign will prepare and distribute print news stories, radio and television public service announcements, brochures, newsletters, and press packets.

These and other desert tortoise outreach projects will continue with the support of the OHV Commission grant. You may download a copy of the grant application in pdf format here or pick up a copy at Joshua Tree National Park Headquarters, located at 74485 National Park Drive, Twentynine Palms, California.

For Desert Managers Group information, go to http://www.dmg.gov

Did You Know?

Fault map of the park

Joshua Tree is crisscrossed with hundreds of faults, and is a great place to see raw rocks and the effects of earthquakes. The famous San Andreas Fault bounds the south side of the park and can be observed from Keys View. More...