People have come to love the harsh but fragile California desert; over 40 million of them live within a day’s drive. On the western edge of the desert lies the Coachella Valley, a population center of about a quarter of a million people. Not only is the valley easily accessible to most people living in Southern California, it is also a destination for 3.5 million people each year who visit from all over the world.

A number of agencies have an important role in conserving and managing the lands that make the Coachella Valley such an attractive place to live in and to visit. The local cities and Riverside County provide local land use planning. Several Tribes are active land managers in the valley. And several federal and state agencies manage millions of acres of public land including a BLM Scenic Area, several state and federal wildlife preserves, the Joshua Tree National Park, several state parks, the Deep Canyon research area, and Chocolate Mountains Marine Corp base.

To deliver conservation and land management results effectively, coordination is necessary—and that is where the California Desert Managers Group (DMG) can be part of the solution. The DMG was established in 1994 to bring together various Federal and State agencies with diverse missions—yet common goals—to more effectively manage and conserve the deserts natural and cultural resources. The DMG serves as a forum for facilitating collaboration among federal and state land and resource managers in the California Desert (see chart below). Much of the DMG’s work is carried out by nine interagency working groups dealing with habitat restoration, science, data management, law enforcement, hazardous materials, public information, cultural resources, noise and overflights, and wilderness management.

The DMG has already accomplished a lot. They have coordinated a desert-wide wild burro capture and adoption program, developed a comprehensive Geographic Information System for the entire Mojave desert, developed interagency visitor centers, and sponsored several restoration workshops and science symposiums. In addition, $3 million are included in next year’s budget proposed by President Clinton for several new DMG initiatives for the California deserts, described below.

Ecological Monitoring
A major challenge faced by land managers is to determine the health of the ecosystem over time and whether or not their conservation actions are achieving the desired result. This is especially important in areas such as the Coachella Valley, which are experiencing rapid growth and development. Frequently, monitoring programs are not implemented because of lack of funds and the inability of any one agency to effectively monitor all the important elements of the ecosystem. The DMG is addressing this issue by developing an ecological monitoring program to assess the status of important indicators of the health of the ecosystem. Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey will develop this program in conjunction with land managers to ensure that the program will provide relevant, scientifically credible information.

Habitat Restoration
Human activities in the California deserts (unplanned development, illegal off-highway vehicle use, and mining) have extensively damaged desert lands. Restorations of impacted areas can take decades or even centuries in arid environments. In addition, the invasion and spread of the exotic tamarisk tree have impacted most riparian areas and spring habitats in the desert. Tamarisk out competes native plants, provides few wildlife benefits, uses massive amounts of water, and is often so dense that wildlife can not access critical water sources. The Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service are seeking funds to expand efforts to restore damaged upland and riparian areas in the California desert.

Illegal Dump Clean-up and Prevention
For decades, the California deserts have served as an easy site to illegally dispose of refuse, and as a result, dumps are now widespread. Illegal dumps are an unsightly visual impact, threaten public health and safety by contaminating ground water, and encourage the improper disposal of hazardous wastes. Additionally, illegal dumps decrease values on surrounding property, in turn decreasing tax revenues collected by the counties. Federal and state agencies are working with local governments to clean up and restore illegal dumpsites and to reduce illegal dumping in the future.

Desert Tortoise Recovery and Monitoring
The desert tortoise has been seriously impacted by human development in the Mojave Desert and is protected under the Federal Endangered Species Act. The desert tortoise ranges over large portions of the California deserts and is a significant factor affecting public and private land use decisions in many areas. This year, a coordinated program will be implemented to assess the status and trends in tortoise populations throughout the Mojave and Colorado deserts. Funding is being requested to implement the program next year.

Desert Water Resources Protection
Water is the life-blood of the desert. Springs, wetlands, and riparian area and other water-dependent habitats are rich in biodiversity; support numerous endangered, threatened and sensitive/endemic species; and provide desirable recreational opportunities for visitors. The desert’s ground water systems, however, are poorly understood, and the capability to evaluate and respond to threats to water resources is limited. Funding is being sought to better understand the desert's ground water aquifer systems and their associated biological resource values, and to develop effective protection strategies.

The job of conserving the deserts is a big one and can only be accomplished if land managers and regulatory agencies work together. The DMG is working to make that job easier and more effective by providing a forum for collaboration and communication.

More information on the Desert Managers Group can be obtained by contacting the John Hamill at (760) 255-8888 or by visiting www.californiadesert.gov.

Bureau of Land Management

• Barstow Field Office
• El Centro Field Office
• Needles Field Office
• Palm Springs Field Office
• Ridgecrest Field Office

• Ventura and Carlsbad Field Offices

National Park Service

• Death Valley National Park
• Joshua Tree National Park
• Mojave National Preserve

Geological Survey

• Biological Resources Division, Riverside
• Water Resource Division, San Diego

California State Parks

• Colorado Desert State Parks, Borrego Springs
• Mojave Desert State Parks, Lancaster

Caltrans

Department of Fish and Game, Chino

Naval Weapons Station, China Lake

Edwards Air Force Base

National Training Center, Fort Irwin

Marine Corp Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms

Marine Corp Logistical Base, Barstow