JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK, Twentynine Palms, California -
Joshua Tree National Park is inviting the public to comment on its 2016/17 preliminary restoration grant application to the California State Parks Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation (OHMVR) Division. The proposed project aims to restore and protect resources from unauthorized off-highway vehicle (OHV) use in the park. Illegal OHV use in the park disproportionately affects wilderness areas and prime desert tortoise habitat, negatively impacting wilderness character, wildlife, vegetation, cultural resources, and other ecological processes.
In addition to restoring disturbed sites, new fencing will allow OHV riders to identify the park boundary, and prevent inadvertent incursions into Joshua Tree NP. Several areas of the park have already been successfully restored and protected through this program, and funding from this grant will assist park staff to restore OHV-related disturbances associated with the unprecedented visitation Joshua Tree NP has experienced over the past year.
The public comment period for grant applications begins March 7, 2017. The public is invited to review and comment on the preliminary application package. The Joshua Tree National Park grant application can be found starting on March 7 by going to the California State Parks OHV Grant website. The public comment period on the preliminary grant application ends Monday, April 3, 2017.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
