Baldy Mesa Elementary School Modernization Project (Project) (Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act (WJTCA) Incidental Take Permit No. 1927-ITP-2026-022-06 (ITP)

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has authorized the Snowline Joint Unified School District to proceed with upgrades at Baldy Mesa Elementary School under an incidental take permit that permits the limited disturbance of nine western Joshua trees, a species protected under both the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act and the California Endangered Species Act. The project involves modernization efforts including renovations to the west parking lot and the installation of a new asphalt playground located south of that lot, with the permitted take of western Joshua trees being an unavoidable result of these construction activities. The permit, numbered 1927-ITP-2026-022-06, was issued pursuant to Section 1927.3 of the Fish and Game Code and is the legal basis allowing the school district to proceed while ensuring compliance with state protections for this vulnerable plant species. The project is administered through the Fish and Wildlife Region 6 – Inland Deserts office in Ontario, California, with primary points of contact on the state side being Environmental Scientist Steven Recinos and on the district side being Assistant Superintendent Robert Chacon and Director of Facilities Andrea Bilodeau. The permit was posted on June 4, 2026, as a forecast and is part of a broader regulatory framework designed to balance infrastructure development with the conservation of sensitive native species. All construction activity must align with the conditions of the permit to ensure that any impact on the western Joshua trees is minimized and mitigated in accordance with state law.