The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has unveiled a comprehensive new strategy aimed at safeguarding the state’s renowned Joshua trees, which face significant threats from factors such as wildfires, human encroachment, and the effects of climate change.
The draft, consisting of 294 pages, emphasizes the necessity of mitigating both direct and indirect impacts related to issues like overgrazing, pesticide application, and unauthorized off-road activities. It outlines steps for relocating trees when projects necessitate their removal or could potentially harm them, as well as identifying and safeguarding areas where Joshua trees can thrive in a future characterized by higher temperatures and lower moisture levels.
Brendan Cummings, the conservation director for the Center for Biological Diversity, expressed positive feedback about the plan, stating that it is a thorough approach aimed at ensuring the survival of the western Joshua tree through the challenging decades ahead. His organization had previously petitioned for the western Joshua tree to be designated as a threatened species under California’s Endangered Species Act in 2019.
This conservation initiative is a product of the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act, passed last year, marking it as California’s inaugural legislation to offer protection to a species against the consequences of climate change. The law strictly prohibits any individual from harming, destroying, or eliminating a Joshua tree without obtaining a permit from the state.
Among the plan’s propositions is the establishment of specific criteria and characteristics to prioritize land for conservation, focusing on regions with extensive Joshua tree populations or areas boasting a high density of healthy, mature trees. Furthermore, it advocates for the preservation of areas with minimal risks posed by wildfires, invasive species, and urban development, as well as locations inhabited by critical pollinators such as moths and small mammals that aid in seed dispersal. The objective is to pinpoint these vital lands by December 2025 and ultimately secure permanent protection for 70% of them by 2033.
The draft also urges land managers and wildfire response teams to formulate strategies designed to both reduce the risks of wildfires and combat those that threaten these trees and their ecosystem. It includes measures such as shielding existing trees, replanting those that have been lost, and managing invasive species in rehabilitated areas.
However, the effectiveness of this plan and the future of the Joshua trees heavily relies on humanity’s commitment to curbing greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels, which are major contributors to climate change. Cummings warned that under a typical scenario of continued emissions, climate change could devastate a significant portion, if not all, of the habitat that supports the Joshua trees.
He emphasized that if mid-level emissions can be maintained, there’s a strong possibility of preserving the species, provided that all the actions outlined in the plan are implemented. “It’s crucial to take proactive steps to protect as many of them as we can,” he noted.
The draft plan awaits approval from the California Fish and Game Commission before it can be finalized.