Section 33 Partner Quotes:

Neil Derry, San Bernardino County Supervisor, Third District
“This parcel, known as Section 33, is an important property that I believe should be preserved for several reasons: environmental and biological diversity, significance of/and impact on regional tourism industry, and history of community opposition. This property contains an estimated 12,000 Joshua Trees and provides a biologically diverse habitat for the threatened desert tortoise and other species while serving as a wildlife linkage corridor between the Joshua Tree National Park and the Twentynine Palms Marine Base.”

Jim Ricker, Asst. Chief of Staff, G-5, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC), Twentynine Palms
“MCAGCC is working to create wildlife linkages between MCAGCC and Joshua Tree National Park. These linkages promote conservation by reducing wildlife isolation aboard MCAGCC. Section 33 is within a proposed wildlife linkage. The associated infrastructure and recreational activities on any proposed high density residential area or commercial use of Section 33 will not only cut off a proposed linkage entirely, but will also contribute to edge effects. Edge effects are adverse ecological changes that enter open space from nearby developed areas and can include invasive plants, ravens, artificial lighting, pesticides, and predation of house pets. MCAGCC supports using sustainable urban design features compatible with wildlife linkages that will reduce future development of edge effects.”

Mark Butler, Superintendent, Joshua Tree National Park
“On behalf of those who value open space conservation, it is essential that the National Park Service (NPS) rely on partners in the conservation arena to assist with the protection of resources. The Mojave Desert Land Trust is truly the American public's gold nugget in the desert.”

Alex Size, Project Manager, The Trust for Public Land
"The Trust for Public Land is looking forward to working with the Mojave Desert Land Trust to permanently protect this land.  It is a key property, located near Joshua Tree National Park, and the Twentynine Palms Marine Base, and the protection of this land is important to the people who live there.  There is widespread support in the community for this project, and we are going to work with the MDLT to make sure the community's vision happens."

George Kopp, Past President, Joshua Tree Chamber of Commerce
“Maintaining the rural and natural character of Joshua Tree is of the highest importance to future economic development. Keeping Section 33 as open space is a key component of that effort.”

Brendan Cummings, Senior Counsel and Public Lands Director, Center for Biological Diversity
“The parcel [Section 33] is important both for the wildlife and botanical resources on-site (e.g. desert tortoise and thousands of mature Joshua trees), as well as for the critical role it plays as the cornerstone of a habitat and wildlife linkage between Joshua Tree National Park and other public lands to the north, including the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms. La Contenta Wash, which drains northward from the national park into and through the [Section 33] property, is one of the most important habitat corridors in the region and represents the most intact corridor remaining between highly-developed areas in Yucca Valley to the west and the higher-density parts of Joshua Tree to the east. Development of the parcel would effectively destroy the remaining functionality of this corridor.”

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Painting © Diane Best