Mojave Desert Land Trust shares 2023 conservation wins, urges bold action for threatened iconic species

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
April 16, 2024 
Contact: Jessica Dacey, Director of Communications and Public Engagement 
Phone: 760-820-2275. Email: jessica@mdlt.org  

Mojave Desert Land Trust shares 2023 conservation wins, urges bold action for threatened iconic species  

The Mojave Desert Land Trust announced all-round conservation wins for the California desert in its 2023 Annual Report and outlined bold action to preserve two of the California desert’s most iconic species in the years ahead.  

Using its multifaceted conservation approach, MDLT permanently protected 6,385 acres of ecologically significant habitat, cleared several tons of trash, made 52 new seed collections, grew over 15,000 native plants for a Salton Sea restoration project, and delivered educational programs to nearly 1,000 young people.  

• To support public lands, 2,458 acres were transferred to the Bureau of Land Management in the Old Woman Mountains Wilderness Area and Mojave Trails National Monument in 2023. MDLT has conserved 120,315 acres of the California desert to date, some of which are conveyed to federal agencies to be incorporated into national parks, monuments, and federal wilderness. MDLT has conveyed more tracts of land to the National Park Service than any non-profit since 2006.  

• MDLT currently manages over 60,000 acres across the California desert. As part of on-going stewardship needs last year, staff removed nearly seven tons of trash including tires and household waste, installed over 320 linear feet of fencing, and carried out eight wildlife surveys.    

• In a plant conservation highlight, MDLT partnered with the California Botanic Garden and the California Department of Water Resources to grow over 15,000 native plants for a significant restoration project to revegetate the receded shoreline of the Salton Sea. Additionally, MDLT held its largest-ever community Native Plant Sale, selling 3,857 plants representing over 65 species. MDLT has grown over 120,000 native plants since 2016.  

• The Mojave Desert Seed Bank was awarded a $3.19 million grant from California’s Wildlife Conservation Board to enable staff to collect, process and store more seed at a time when there is a lack of adequate seed for restoration in the west. The Mojave Desert Seed Bank added 52 new collections in 2023, including the special status Death Valley sandmat (Euphorbia vallis-mortae). The seed bank has over 700 collections representing over 200 taxa.  

The 2023 Annual Report takes a closer look at several programs that will define MDLT’s work in the decade ahead.  

In 2023, MDLT and a few key partners founded the Joshua Tree Conservation Coalition, a new regional body that will work to ensure timely, measurable conservation action is taken to protect the species.  

To save critical desert tortoise habitat, MDLT is coordinating a three-year project to restore one of the most heavily impacted regions for the state’s reptile, which is expected to be uplisted by the State to Endangered in April.  

“Our purpose took on new meaning and urgency in 2023, driven by impacts to two of the desert’s most iconic species, the western Joshua tree and the Mojave Desert tortoise. In the years ahead MDLT will be playing a key role in the preservation of these two species. The challenges facing these two keystone species are symptomatic of the twin overarching threats facing the California desert – climate disruption and habitat loss,” said Kelly Herbinson, Executive Director. 

“We are here to ensure this ecosystem remains connected to support the wildlife and people that rely on it every day. We could not do this work without the support of our community. Together we can make a difference.” 

NOTE TO EDITORS 

To read the Annual Report, click here.  

To hear an exclusive extended interview with Kelly Herbinson about efforts to protect the western Joshua tree and Mojave Desert tortoise, click here. 

The Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with the mission to protect and care for lands with natural, scenic, and cultural value within the Colorado and Mojave Deserts. Since its founding in 2006, MDLT has conserved over 120,000 acres, conveying more tracts of land to the National Park Service than any other nonprofit. MDLT established a conservation seed bank to ensure the preservation of native species and operates an onsite nursery at its Joshua Tree headquarters which has grown over 120,000 native plants for restoration projects and community landscaping. MDLT educates and advocates for the conservation of the desert, involving hundreds of volunteers in our work. For more information, visit mdlt.org.