The California Desert Land Conservancy

15.944 NATURAL RESOURCE STEWARDSHIPSAM.GOV LINK: CLICK HERE FOR THE SAM.GOV ASSISTANCE LISTINGTEMPLATE: THE NATURAL RESOURCE STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM IS THE PRINCIPLE MEANS THROUGH WHICH THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE (NPS) EVALUATES AND IMPROVES THE HEALTH OF WATERSHEDS, LANDSCAPES, AND MARINE AND COASTAL RESOURCES, SUSTAINS BIOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES ON THE LANDS AND WATERS IN PARKS, AND ACTIVELY ENDEAVORS TO IMPROVE THE RESILIENCY OF THESE NATURAL RESOURCES AND ADAPT THEM TO THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE. TO CARRY OUT AND FURTHER THIS STEWARDSHIP RESPONSIBILITY, NPS IMPLEMENTS PROGRAMS THAT ENCOMPASS A BROAD RANGE OF RESEARCH, OPERATIONAL, AND EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES BY UTILIZING PARK PERSONNEL AND CONTRACTOR SUPPORT OR COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.THE GOALS OF THIS PROJECT ARE TO PRODUCE PLANT MATERIALS USING SEEDS PROVIDED BY JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK (JOTR) AND TO ULTIMATELY GROW 3,300 MOJAVE DESERT CONTAINER PLANTS FOR USE IN POST-FIRE REHABILITATION. AN ADDITIONAL GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS FOR CROSS-POLLINATION LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES BY JOTR STAFF TO ASSIST AT MDLT NURSERY FACILITIES AND INCORPORATE NEW TECHNIQUES INTO JOTRS NURSERY OPERATIONS. BENEFICIARIES INCLUDE THE GENERAL PUBLIC.

NATIVE SEED HARVESTING AND PROPAGATION PROTOCOL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

IN MARCH 2022, A FIRE WAS STARTED ON NEARBY PRIVATE LAND, BURNING OVER 400 ACRES ALONG THE MOJAVE RIVER IN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA THIS FIRE WAS NAMED THE HERITAGE FIRE AND ON PALISADES RANCH, OWNED BY THE MOJAVE DESERT LAND TRUST, THE FIRE BURNED 35 ACRES OF RIPARIAN FOREST INCLUDING THE BEST HABITAT FOR MOJAVE RIVER VOLE, A SPECIES OF SPECIAL CONCERN IN CALIFORNIA, AND NESTING LOCATIONS FOR THE FEDERALLY ENDANGERED LEAST BELL S VIREO IN ADDITION, THE FEDERALLY THREATENED YELLOW BILLED CUCKOO AND SIX OTHER SPECIES OF SPECIAL CONCERN IN CALIFORNIA USE THIS RIPARIAN FOREST MUCH OF THE VEGETATION IN THE HERITAGE FIRE PERIMETER IS RESPROUTING BECAUSE THE FOREST IS MORE OPEN THAN BEFORE, THREE STATE LISTED NOXIOUS WEEDS HAVE BECOME MORE VISIBLE PERENNIAL PEPPERWEED LEPIDIUM LATIFOLIUM TALL WHITETOP , GIANT REED ARUNDO DONAX , AND SALT CEDAR TAMARIX RAMOSISSIMA PERENNIAL PEPPERWEED IN PARTICULAR HAS INCREASED SINCE THE FIRE AND SALT CEDAR IS KNOWN TO RESPROUT WELL AFTER FIRE IN THIS PROJECT, MOJAVE DESERT LAND TRUST PROPOSES TO TREAT THE NOXIOUS WEEDS WITHIN THE FIRE PERIMETER TO IMPROVE RIPARIAN HABITAT FOR THE LISTED SPECIES AND SPECIES OF SPECIAL CONCERN THEY WOULD USE VARIETY OF ESTABLISHED MECHANICAL AND CHEMICAL TREATMENT METHODS

TESTING POST-FIRE RESTORATION STRATEGIES IN A JOSHUA TREE WOODLAND PROJECT