Earlier this month, the Los Angeles City Council took a big step forward when it voted to honor the 20-year anniversary of the California Desert Protection Act and to recognize the importance of wild desert places for Angelenos. The vote builds on the council’s environmental track record and shows that Los Angeles has leaders that understand the importance of the desert for the quality of life of the people of our city.
The beautiful desert landscapes near Los Angeles enrich our lives in innumerable ways. On any given weekend, you can find people who’ve headed out of the city to hike, rock climb, enjoy hot springs, mountain bike, take photographs, and shoot movies in the stunning dunes, valleys, and rock formations that make up Southern California’s natural domain.
In L.A., we’re active enough to know that state and national parks are not just something to admire from afar; they are something that we experience and share with others as a way to enrich our lives. For many people, having access to world-class destinations like Joshua Tree, Death Valley, and Mojave National Preserve is part of our way of life.
When you live in L.A., it can be hard to get to a place where you don’t experience the urban life of the city in some way. Out in the desert, we have access to real night skies with shining stars, clear air, wild roadless areas, open views, and reminders of the natural world to replenish our spirits.
These places are finite and irreplaceable, and home to many wonderful wildlife and plants which have had their habitat threatened in other parts of the state. We must always tread carefully and steward the desert landscapes that we enjoy, because despite their harsh beauty they are extremely fragile and take a long time to regenerate from any damage done. These lands are truly treasures that need to be valued and treated as such.
We’re fortunate to have leaders on the Los Angeles City Council who recognize this. Councilmen Huizar, Blumenfield, and Koretz, the sponsors of the resolution, are long-time environmental champions. They understand that protecting and caring for the environment is a core value, and that for many Angelenos, some of what they love most about living in L.A. can be found outside the city limits, in the beautiful and peaceful desert lands we are lucky enough to have nearby.
- Sarah Friedman, Sierra Club Senior Campaign Representative and proud Angeleno