Driving through the Mojave Desert, it’s impossible to miss Joshua trees. Standing sentinel along the roadways, their twisted branches and limbs offer up Dr. Seuss-like vibes during the day and cast eerie shadows at night.

The trees — actually large succulents that are members of the agave family —  are synonymous with Southern Nevada. They are found nowhere else in the world outside of the desert Southwest, growing only in Southern California, south and central Nevada, and corners of Arizona and Utah.

But the trees face threats ranging from development to wildfires to a warming climate, and scientists have been sounding the alarm that by the end of the century, much of the trees’ current habitat will be uninhabitable and the trees are likely to be functionally extinct.

Heeding that warning, advocates of the oversized succulents have lobbied for years for federal protections under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Those calls have largely gone unanswered.

But a small battle has been won. Earlier this month, a federal district court ruled a 2023 decision not to protect Joshua trees under the ESA was unlawful. 

The ruling opens up another opportunity for the trees to receive federal protection — but some say the clock is ticking. 

“Each year we stave off those [federal] protections is another year lost,” said Casey Bage, legal fellow for WildEarth Guardians, the grassroots environmental organization that has filed three lawsuits since 2015 to protect the trees.

Dire projections

The Joshua tree’s lifecycle starts with what the National Park Service describes as “the rare germination of a seed.” 

“Optimal reproduction” of Joshua trees hinges on a specific species of moth and climatic conditions for successful germination. They can also clone themselves via their extensive root system. Growth is slow — between one-half and 3 inches annually. If they survive, it will take a half century or more to reproduce.

Their slow rate of reproduction is why the current number of trees can be misleading, say conservationists. It isn’t the existing trees they’re advocating for — it's future generations.

There are two species of Joshua trees: eastern and western. They are distinct enough to keep the trees from crossbreeding but not distinct enough for the casual observer to notice.

The Tikaboo Valley near Alamo and Rachel in south central Nevada is the only place in the world where the two species naturally grow side by side.

With wide acceptance that the future will be warmer and drier, nearly 90 percent of the western trees’ current range — between 2,000 feet and 6,000 feet in elevation — “is projected to be climatically unfavorable” as soon as 2040, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the agency in charge of determining if species warrant federal protections.

Once that happens, the trees will likely be unable to reproduce, said Bage. In some areas, scientists are already seeing that for every two trees that die, just one tree replaces them.

“That’s only going to accelerate,” Bage said. “The next generation is particularly vulnerable.”

In its decision, the court determined the service “has not provided a rational explanation as to why climate change alone does not threaten the species” and ordered the agency to reconsider whether the trees warrant federal protection. 

Patchwork protections are ineffective 

Avi Kwa Ame, Nevada’s newest national monument, is home to one of the largest Joshua tree forests and houses trees more than 900 years old. The monument also boasts the state’s largest Joshua tree (87 inches in circumference and 24 feet tall) and the world’s third-largest Joshua tree.

In 2019, a ranking of the state’s Joshua trees by the Nevada Division of Natural Heritage determined they were “vulnerable to mostly secure” based on their historical range, current range and threats. The trees are due for another assessment, said Joshua Lovera, botanist at the division, and may warrant a new rank with the increase in proposed energy projects on public lands and forecasted climate change.

But Nevada’s management of Joshua trees is minimal. The plants fall under the regulatory authority of the Nevada Division of Forestry (NDF) if they are on state or private land, but the agency only has authority to follow what state law prescribes for Joshua trees — and those statutes largely regulate, rather than protect, said Maddie Houde, a protected plants specialist at NDF. 

State law allows removal or destruction of cactus or yucca growing on private land without permits; a permit from NDF is required to commercially ship the plants off private property. On state property, NDF generally doesn’t allow removal, and tribes and federal agencies have varying processes for their respective lands. In addition, Bage said, state protections only address threats such as removal or development — not threats from larger issues such as a warming climate or wildfires.

To protect the trees further, state law would need to change or they would need to be listed on the state’s list of critically endangered native flora, Houde said. 

In California, the trees do have some level of protection thanks to a 2023 law, but conservationists say the trees need broader federal protections.

“Relying upon a patchwork [of state protections] is just ineffective for the trees,” Bage said. 

“When the ESA is applied as Congress intended it, it works well,” he added. “We shouldn’t just have to rely on each state to make up their mind.”

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In the weeds:

Privatizing environmental cleanup — The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has completed its final analysis for a planned transfer of more than 2,000 acres of public land within the Anaconda Mine site to Atlantic Richfield Company. The transfer will facilitate cleanup, according to the agency, although opponents argue it leaves little federal oversight over one of the state’s most polluted areas. 

Check out my story from 2018 for more on the history of the site.

Trail openings and closings — Trail closures including Marlette Lake Trail and the popular Flume Trail overlooking Lake Tahoe are in effect in the Spooner Lake State Park backcountry through 2026 as the Nevada Public Works Division repairs Marlette Dam. Across the lake, most of D.L. Bliss State Park is closed pending completion of a water system refurbishment project.

In Southern Nevada, the Deer Creek Picnic Site and Cathedral Rock Trail at Spring Mountains National Recreation Area are reopening after being damaged in Tropical Storm Hilary, although other popular trails including the Mary Jane Falls, Trail Canyon and Upper Bristlecone trails remain closed.Mary Jane and Bristlecone are set to reopen in 2027 and 2029. 

Deforestation lawsuit — Western Watersheds Project and the Center for Biological Diversity are appealing a federal court decision that allows the BLM to remove more than 380,000 acres of pinyon-juniper forest in Spring Valley near Great Basin National Park. 

The project would use bulldozers to remove the trees and destroy an important cultural landscape for the Western Shoshone people and sagebrush habitat for greater sage-grouse, pygmy rabbits and pinyon jays, according to the appeal. 

Geothermal expansion — Ormat is in the process of acquiring the 20-megawatt Blue Mountain geothermal power plant near Winnemucca from Cryq Energy. Originally built with Ormat technology, Ormat intends to increase the plant’s capacity by 3.5 megawatts and add 13 megawatts of solar. The $88 million purchase includes a power purchase agreement with NV Energy through 2029. 

Wet and wild spring — With 1.44 inches of rain so far this month, Las Vegas has shattered its previous record for the wettest May. In 1968, the city received 0.96 inches of rain, according to State Climatologist Baker Perry. The wet and cool spring helped keep Mojave Max, Southern Nevada’s version of Punxsutawney Phil, in his burrow until May 8, 14 days later than his previous record on April 24, 2023. 

The emergence of the desert tortoise typically marks the beginning of springlike weather in Southern Nevada; this year’s rain, wind and cool temperatures contributed to his late emergence. The earliest Max has ever emerged was Valentine’s Day in 2005. 

Lawn care goes green — The Washoe County School District has transitioned one quarter of its lawn and garden equipment from gas-powered to electric using a $250,000 Northern Nevada Public Health Air Quality Management Division grant funded by state smog check fees. The transition provides a healthier and quieter environment for students and staff, according to the school district.

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ICYMI: 

‘Beholden to the mine’: Does rural Nevada depend on mines’ goodwill to foot hidden costs?

Bill spotlight: Solar consumer protections

NV Energy overcharged customers by millions over last two decades, state agency finds

NV Energy CEO departs after 6 years; switch comes after news of utility overcharging

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Here’s what else I’m reading (and listening to) this week:

KUNC describes how Colorado River bigwigs make 'disturbing' retreat from the public eye amid tense talks

From The New York Times: A Clean Energy Boom Was Just Starting. Now, a Republican Bill Aims to End It.

EPA terminates $20 million Walker River Paiute Tribe water infrastructure grant, per The Nevada Current 

Bill offers Nevada’s side of Lake Tahoe avenue to develop local funding source, from The Tahoe Daily Tribune 

The National Park Service will not open Yosemite’s popular High Sierra camps this summer, according to SF Gate 

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A closer look: