On September 22, the California Fish and Game Commission (FGC) approved a staff recommendation that the western Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia) be listed as a candidate species under CESA (California Endangered Species Act).  During the 12 months as a candidate species, the species would be temporarily protected while additional information is collected. At the end of the 12 months period FGC will make a final decision whether to list or not. The commission also approved conditional takes for 15 shovel ready projects or projects already underway during the candidate year. That means more Joshua trees will be lost, but hopefully in small numbers.

The western Joshua Tree is threated by climate warming and often various lax enforcement of locally enacted protective measures. As evidence of the effects of climate change, the Dome Fire caused by a lightening strike on August 15, burned over 43,000 acres of Joshua trees in the Mojave National Preserve near Cima Dome. (see LA Times article).

Joshua trees grow well in parts of Inyo County. Conglomerate Mesa and Lee and Santa Rosa Flats leading to the mesa, are covered in a healthy Joshua tree forest. There are new recruits as well as large, very old trees. It might be the climate change refugia for the Joshua tree that is not thriving in Joshua Tree National Park. However, if K2 Gold decides to mine gold at Conglomerate Mesa, we will lose much of this important habitat.