A Joshua tree found along Highway 178 (Isabella Walker Pass Road near Highway 14) is seen on November 14, 2022 near Inyokern, California.
George Rose | Getty Images
California Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed a bill for the first time this week that would protect the western Joshua tree, a native desert plant, and prohibit anyone from importing, exporting, selling or removing the species without a state permit.
Legislation is called western joshua tree protection actThis comes after the California Fish and Game Commission failed to act on a 2019 petition that sought to list the tree as threatened under the California Endangered Species Act.
The commission voted unanimously Wednesday to postpone its decision on the Center for Biological Diversity’s petition until Newsom’s proposed legislation is approved or rejected by the Legislature.
An increase in development and climate-related events such as drought and wildfires threaten the western Joshua tree, an iconic and ecologically important species located in the state’s desert region. recent studies show Joshua trees are dying from hot and dry conditions, and without state protections they could be largely gone from Joshua Tree National Park by the end of the century.
However, opponents of the petition have argued that listing the trees as threatened could harm private property development and renewable energy projects planned for the area. About half of the western Joshua Tree’s range in California is on private land and most habitats are not currently protected from development.
The bill would require the department to prepare a conservation plan for the species by the end of next year, with periodic reviews and consultation with affected Native American tribes to confirm the plan’s effectiveness.
The department said that because the tree is so widespread in public and private desert areas, the permitting process for the species is more complex than any species currently listed under the California Endangered Species Act.
Brendan Cummings, conservation director for the Center for Biological Diversity and a Joshua Tree resident, called the trees “an irreplaceable and highly threatened part of California’s natural heritage.”
“We are pleased that the Newsom Administration has recognized their importance and proposed important legislation to ensure these amazing trees remain part of California’s Mojave Desert landscape forever,” Cummings said in a statement.
