Simple wire fencing — miles of it — is being used at Mojave National Preserve in California to protect Desert tortoises, a threatened species, from being runover by vehicles.
Wildfires, drought, sea level rise, more frequent and intense storms, and warming oceans are sometimes destroying and occasionally improving or allowing cultural resources to emerge at national park units.
"The Mescal Historic Mining District was a small-scale producer of tungsten and tin in the Mojave Desert, and produced tin for domestic World War II stockpiles. Due to the temporary nature of mining activity on the site, some of the features have deteriorated, but the character and significance of the site remains strong."
Mountain lions are an incredibly charismatic animal on landscapes within, and adjacent to, the National Park System. But they’re seldom seen because of their nocturnal tendencies.
There recently was a new report that focused on a comprehensive estimate of mountain lions in California, and the number is much smaller than many had thought it was.
Roughly 400 people were marooned inside Death Valley National Park on Monday due to road damage inflicted by storm Hilary, though crews were working to open some routes out of the park.
Death Valley National Park closed Sunday as torrential rains from Tropical Storm Hilary pummeled the park, spurring flash floods that were undercutting roads and prompting park officials to urge anyone still in the park to "turn around, don't drown." Mojave National Preserve, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, and Joshua Tree National Park all had closed a day earlier because of the historic storm.
With the prospect of "catastrophic" flooding in the forecast, Death Valley and Joshua Tree national parks, along with Mojave National Preseve and Lake Mead National Recreation Area, braced Saturday for the arrival of Tropical Storm Hilary.