CDFW Hosting April 4 Virtual Meeting To Discuss Joshua Tree Conservation

The following press release is courtesy of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife:

CDFW is Requesting Public Feedback for the Western Joshua Tree Program

Please join the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) on Thursday, April 4, 2024, from 10 a.m. to noon for a virtual meeting on the development of a western Joshua tree conservation plan. Sign up here to register for this meeting.

Preparation of this conservation plan is required by the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act (WJTCA). Consultation and collaboration with California Native American tribes, governmental agencies and the public is required by the act and is integral for the successful development and implementation of the conservation plan.

The WJTCA is a California law enacted in July 2023 to conserve the culturally and ecologically important western Joshua tree and its habitat while supporting the state’s renewable energy and housing priorities. The conservation plan will describe management actions necessary to conserve the species, objective and measurable criteria to assess the effectiveness of those actions, guidance to avoid and minimize impacts to the species and protocols for the successful relocation of western Joshua trees.

During the meeting, CDFW will present a brief overview of the act, a status update on CDFW’s implementation of the WTJCA and ideas for conservation strategies currently in development.

Questions or comments can be submitted at any time before or after the meeting by e-mailing WJT@wildlife.ca.gov.

For more information, please go to Western Joshua Tree Conservation website.