JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK – Joshua Tree National Park could be expanded in two directions. One campaign seeks to extend the California park’s eastern border and a separate proposal would create a national monument to the south.
The proposed 700,000-acre Chuckwalla National Monument to the south is named after the large desert lizard that lives in the area. The region is also home to special native animals like the desert tortoise and bighorn sheep.
A national monument can be created through a congressional vote or by a presidential designation. Both the expansion to the east and to the south are being proposed by environmental and conservation groups. Their emphasis is on preserving outdoor spaces for human recreation as much as it helps to protect ecosystems.
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