California’s new Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act is the first of its kind in the state. The trees, native to California and the southwestern states, adorn landscapes ranging from the Joshua Tree National Park area to the San Bernardino and San Gabriel mountains. Without assistance, their habitat within the park might decline to 14% of its original range by the end of the century, studies suggest. The new legislation restricts the trade, ownership, and removal of Western Joshua trees and their parts. A comprehensive conservation plan will be developed in partnership with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, Indigenous groups, and the general public, and a fund created to acquire and administer areas for Joshua tree conservation.

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