California lawmakers are considering a bill that would ease protections for Joshua trees to encourage commercial development. Here, Joshua trees stand at Lee Flat in Death Valley National Park in Inyo County on Dec. 4, 2023. Photo by Greg Vaughn, VWPics via AP ImagesEnvironmentalists warn that a California Democrat’s bill “drives a bulldozer” through the state’s new law that protects imperiled Joshua trees from commercial development.
An estimated 4 to 11 million Joshua trees grow across the vast area of Southern California, including in the Joshua Tree National Park,. Climate models suggest that by the end of the 21st century, much of the species’ range may no longer be viable due to droughts and wildfires.
Meanwhile, the California Building Industry Association, which supports this year’s bill, has donated at least $300,000 to sitting legislators’ campaigns in the past two years. By comparison, the Sierra Club, an opponent, has only donated around $19,000 over the same period.Last year’s bill had grudging support from environmentalists.
“The bill is an unnecessary, overbroad, counterproductive, and … would unravel the delicate and carefully-crafted compromise,” he wrote.
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