Presentation Copy, California Desert Protection Act

1994

After years of often contentious work by California legislators, environmental advocacy groups, and governmental agencies, the California Desert Protection Act (CDPA) added enhanced protection to the Southern California deserts. In 1994, the CDPA redesignated Joshua Tree National Monument as a national park and extended its boundaries. This landmark conservation bill was designed to protect California’s desert landscapes and emphasize the unique biological resources and character of California’s deserts and wilderness.

The CDPA also extended the boundaries of Death Valley and converted it into a national park, created the 1.6 million acre Mojave National Preserve, and gave official wilderness protections to over 70 locations managed jointly by the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, US Forest Service, and US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Paper. H 38, W 25 cm
Joshua Tree National Park, JOTR 824