The California Desert Protection Act
The California Desert Protection Act, sponsored by Senator Dianne Feinstein(D-CA), was signed into law on October 31,1994, after being blocked in committees for seven years. This landmark legislation designates two new national parks -- Death Valley and Joshua Tree -- and one national preserve -- the Mojave. "As a native Californian, I am very proud of our state's natural heritage. The protection of the California desert is extremely important to me and the people of California. This area of the country contains some of the most extraordinary resources in the nation. The scenic, recreational, cultural and scientific value of the California desert must be preserved. We cannot afford to lose these resources, which deserve protection as part of the national park and national wilderness system."
What the Act Protects The California Desert Protection Act protects 6.37 million acres now managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The legislation: • Designates nearly 3.5 million acres of BLM land in the California desert as wilderness; The Mojave National Preserve The Mojave National Preserve has been called the "crown jewel" of the California Desert Protection Act. This 1.4 million acre area contains 11 mountain ranges, four dry lakes, cindercones, badlands, innumerable washes, mesas, buttes, lava beds, caves, one of California's most complex sand dune systems and alluvial fans. Because it is at the junction of three major desert ecosystems - the Sonoran, Mojave and Great Basin - its biological resources are extremely varied. For more information, visit the Mojave National Preserve website. Death Valley National Park Death Valley National Park has more than 3.3 million acres of spectacular desert scenery, interesting and rare desert wildlife, complex geology, undisturbed wilderness, and sites of historical and cultural interest. Bounded on the west by 11,049 foot Telescope Peak and on the east by 5,475 foot Dante's View, Death Valley's Badwater is the lowest point (-282 feet) in the Western Hemisphere. For more information, visit the Death Valley National Park website. Joshua Tree National Park The Joshua Tree National Park is comprised of two deserts and two large ecosystems primarily determined by differences in elevation. Few areas in the world more vividly illustrate the contrast between high and low desert. Below 3000 feet (910 meters), the Colorado Desert, occupying the eastern half of the park, is dominated by the abundant creosote bush. Adding interest to this arid land are small stands of spidery ocotillo and cholla cactus. The higher, slightly cooler, and wetter Mojave Desert is the special habitat of the undisciplined Joshua tree, extensive stands of which occur throughout the western half of the park. The park also contains some of the most interesting geologic terrain found in California's deserts. For more information, visit the Joshua Tree National Park website. |
For information regarding the fifth anniversary of the California Desert Protection Act, please click 
The California desert contains some of the most outstanding scenic, cultural, ecological, scientific and recreational resources in the nation. Comprising 25 million acres, the California desert is incredibly diverse. There are sand dunes, extinct volcanoes, 90 mountain ranges, the world's largest Joshua tree forest and over 100,000 archeological sites. These varied land forms provide habitats for more than 760 different wildlife species.