Dispatches From the Road: The Nevada Desert
In his latest dispatch, Courthouse News’ western bureau chief follows the same trail through the Nevada desert as travelers of old.
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Mojave Desert Housing Project Advances
A Los Angeles County commission approved a 12,000-acre housing project to be built on the edge of the Mojave Desert in the undeveloped wilderness Wednesday, much to the dismay of environmental advocates who say the project’s footprint on the ecosystem will change the face of the region.
Read moreEnvironmentalists Sue to Stop Water Pipeline in Mojave Desert
Environmental groups sued the Trump administration in federal court on Tuesday, claiming its approval of a project that aims to pump billions of gallons from desert aquifers in California’s Mojave Desert to supply thirsty coastal cities is illegal.
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BLM OKs Mojave Desert Water Pipeline, Reversing Obama-Era Policy
The Trump administration has given the go-ahead for a project to siphon millions of gallons of water from an underground aquifer in the Mojave Desert and sell it to Southern California water districts.
Read moreLocals Fight for Ironwood Forest in Face of Trump Review
The majestic saguaro cactus may be Arizona’s best-known desert plant, but at the Ironwood Forest National Monument, it is a gnarled, hardy tree that commands attention.
Read moreLocals Urge Trump to Keep Sand to Snow Monument Off Chopping Block
Southern California is known for its diverse landscape, including the tallest mountain peaks in the state down to the desert, which has been teeming with life since experiencing a super bloom after an unusually wet winter. But when the area connecting the two different landscapes was left unprotected from development – particularly by the energy sector – despite having support from varied groups including environmentalists and off-road enthusiasts, it took an executive order by former President Barack Obama to do what locals say Congress failed to: create the Sand to Snow National Monument.
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Decoded Genome May Help Tortoise Win Survival Race
A “slow and steady” adaptation to evolving hazards will not save the Mojave Desert tortoise from extinction, and to save the endangered iconic species researchers have decoded the tortoise’s genome to identify specific genes that will guide conservation efforts and improve its likelihood of survival.
Read moreSonoran Desert Lovers Fight Possible Delisting of Arizona Monument
President Bill Clinton created the Sonoran Desert National Monument by executive order in 2001 to serve as an example of what the Sonoran Desert could look like if untouched by the fast-growing urban sprawl of Phoenix. Nearly two decades later, the monument’s creation has been called into question by the Trump administration.
Read moreWinter Rains Bring ‘Super Bloom’ to Calif. Deserts
Winter storms that drenched the Golden State have brought a blanket of wildflowers which cloaked the Anza-Borrego Desert in a “super bloom” not seen for decades.
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Would You Spring for a Tortoise This Year?
The arrival of spring nudges the desert tortoises at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum out of their hibernation burrows, and that means they are ready for a new home. Each year, the Desert Museum puts up for adoption as many as 90 rescue tortoises.
Read moreGobi Desert Dust Nourishing California Sequoias
Dust from the Gobi Desert in Asia is crucial to the survival of the giant sequoias in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, half a world away.
Read more‘Ant-Like’ Bee Species Found in Desert Southwest
The males of two newly identified species of bees closely resemble ants, and the researchers that discovered them aren’t sure why.
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