California Department of Fish and Wildlife Western Joshua Tree Seed Collection Project

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife and its agents will collect and store western Joshua tree seed to provide source material for the long-term maintenance, restoration, and enhancement of western Joshua tree habitat. Project activities directly support conservation and recovery activities as outlined in the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Plan (August 2025). CDFW and its agents will attempt to collect from at least 110 locations throughout the range of western Joshua tree in California between 2026 and 2033. Only a very small percentage (not to exceed 10%) of available fruit will be collected. At each collection site, CDFW and its agents will harvest approximately 20,000 - 30,000 seeds, roughly 10 gallons of ripened fruit, from at least 50 individuals. Collections will only occur in “mast” years (i.e., when many western Joshua trees within a region flower and produce fruit synchronously) and will follow Center for Plant Conservation standards. Staff will use telescoping poles with a hooked attachment or long trash grabbers to gently remove fruit from trees. Site information will be recorded for each collection location. Seed will be processed and placed into long-term storage using standard seed banking practices at a CDFW storage facility. Seed will be used for future restoration, enhancement, or research projects.