JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK, Twentynine Palms, California -
Joshua Tree National Park interim superintendent Andrea Compton issued a Temporary Emergency Closure to protect nearby nesting raptors. The climbing routes affected by this closure include: Patagonia Pile-(East and West Faces), The Head, Labor Dome and Wall of Biblical Fallacies. Bouldering routes in the closure area include: Iron Door Cave, Voices, Tidal Wave, Tilt-O-Meter, Lizzy, Dino's Egg, and Chuckwalla bouldering area. This climbing area is approximately 380m northwest from the Hidden Valley Campground Loop.
The Prairie falcon pair is engaged in nest building behavior, and this area will remain closed until the nest has been abandoned to ensure the protection of the species for the duration of the nesting activities. The park does not anticipate the closure will last beyond June 30, 2014.
The authority granted for such a closure can be found in 36 CFR 1.5 (a) (1).
-NPS-
For more information see, www.nps.gov/jotr, or follow us onTwitter @JoshuaTreeNP, and on Facebook at Joshua Tree NP
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
