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Summer 2005 |
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Water, Air Quality, and Cultural Treasures at Risk in Desert Parks
Little more than a decade after the passage of the California Desert Protection Act, water, air quality, and the desert's cultural heritage are threatened, according to a new National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) State of the Parks® report released in June.
While the legislation was a critical step toward better desert conservation, the NPCA assessment of Joshua Tree National Park, Death Valley National Park, and Mojave National Preserve illustrates that more work is needed. The report points to rapid regional population growth, development of surrounding lands, and insufficient park funding as key threats, and provides a blueprint for where additional emphasis is needed in protecting these parks for the future.
According to the detailed State of the Parks methodology, Joshua Tree National Park received overall ratings of “fair” for natural resources and “poor” for cultural resources. Death Valley National Park received overall ratings of “fair” for both natural and cultural resources, while the Mojave National Preserve received overall ratings of “poor” for each category.
NPCA asserts that skyrocketing population growth in southern California and southern Nevada has imposed increased demands on the region’s most precious commodity—water. Additionally, more people have also meant more cars and movement of goods via ports, rail, and highway. This growth has outweighed gains made through cleaner vehicles and is a leading threat to the desert region’s air quality.
Nearby land developments also threaten resources in the parks. Joshua Tree faces the possibility of becoming neighbor to the world’s largest garbage dump—the Eagle Mountain Landfill, which would receive 20,000 tons of garbage per day for 117 years, if built. The proposed Ivanpah airport just north of Mojave represents a significant threat to the park’s naturally quiet soundscapes and dark night skies. The potential for a nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, just 50 miles northeast of Death Valley, could further deplete groundwater resources and introduce myriad threats. Likewise, developers are proposing new cities of 60,000 housing units east of Death Valley and 15,000-house developments south of Joshua Tree.
The California Desert Parks report is available online at www.npca.org/across_the_nation/park_pulse/californiadesert
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