Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the California Desert Protection Act with Ecoflight and the Mojave Desert Land Trust

Yesterday I had the pleasure of accepting an invitation put out by the Mojave Desert Land Trust to partake in a 45-minute long flight from Palm Springs, across the Sand to Snow National Monument, across the Morongo Canyon Preserve, through Joshua Tree National Park, and back across the Little San Bernardino Mountains into Palm Springs on a Ecoflight single-engine Cessna 210…

This amazing experience was put on by Ecoflite, an organization whose main goal is to:

“…educate and advocate for the protection of remaining wildlands and wildlife habitat using small aircraft. The aerial perspective and our educational programs encourage an environmental
stewardship ethic among citizens of all ages. Flight has proven to be a catalyst that spurs action, creates advocacy, and instills commitment. EcoFlight works with over 300 partner organizations to bring the aerial perspective to conservation and public lands issues throughout the West.”

Bruce Gordon, our pilot, loaded up myself, and a few journalists, along with Jessica Dacey, the director of communications for the MDLT aboard his trusty Cessna 210 for the 45-minute jaunt.

The purpose of this trip is to bring awareness to the 25th anniversary of the California Desert Protection Act, which we’ll dive into much deeper here on the Radavist in the next few weeks. In short, the California Desert Protection Act was passed in 1994. It’s a federal law signed into existence by President Bill Clinton, thanks to a group of individuals who were passionate about protecting these desert lands from mineral extraction and other threats.

The law was passed by the United States Congress on October 8, 1994. This established not only Death Valley National Park and Joshua Tree National Parks but the Mojave National Preserve as well.

As a person who enjoys two and four-wheel exploration through the Mojave Desert and who has dedicated the past few years of my life documenting these immense landscapes, I can’t imagine what these lands would be like without this crucial protection.

Next week, a small group of riders will set off on yet another tour through Death Valley National Park to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the California Desert Protection Act. Stay tuned!