A transformation is underway across the Desert West to meet current and future electricity needs, especially in California and Nevada’s biodiverse deserts, where vast, open areas are being converted into industrial energy zones that previously hosted desert tortoises, kit foxes, and old-growth Joshua trees. View-obstructing transmission lines will crisscross the land, and data centers may follow. This change, driven by a collision of sunlight, technology, and ecology, will be significant and permanent, and is reshaping the desert as we know it.

For almost 20 years, the Mojave Desert Land Trust has worked to preserve prime desert habitat, protecting more than 125,000 acres of California desert. Recently, the trust acquired 1,280 acres at the entrance to Mojave Trails National Monument, a massive swath of federal land south of Mojave National Preserve that had been suffering from illegal dumping, graffiti and more.

In June, the Mojave Desert Land Trust, a conservation nonprofit, partnered with Joshua Tree to grow more than 3,000 plants of 29 common species — including hundreds of Joshua trees — from seeds gathered in the park. The plan is to transfer them to the park next fall.

Expect more than 85 species of California native plants designed for desert living. New species this year include desert needlegrass (Stipa speciosa), desert fluffgrass (Dasyochloa pulchella) and winterfat (Krascheninnikovia lanata). A full list of available plants will be listed on the website by mid-October. Admission is free, but this popular sale attracts hundreds, so it’s wise to arrive early.

The Trump administration’s initiatives to reduce the size of the federal government have resulted in the departure of 24% of the Park Service’s permanent staff, and in May, the passage of Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” cut $267 million in Park Service funding that had been previously allocated for staffing.  

“So when you add in a shutdown that’s now furloughing additional members of that already stretched thin team, there’s more gaps in things like the visitor experience,” Lahage told SFGATE.

The Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) fears the current federal shutdown exacerbates an already critical situation.

At present, the Department of the Interior has directed all national parks to remain open with limited staffing during this federal shutdown. Most staff are furloughed.

Visitor centers may be closed, and restrooms and trash collection may be limited, MDLT directors said. Law enforcement and fire staff will be working, but can quickly become overwhelmed.

“The ongoing federal government shutdown has the potential to do irreparable harm to our public lands," MDLT Public Policy Officer Krystian Lahage told the Daily Press.