Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act Permitting Program

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is preparing a Program EIR and efficient project-level California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review process that would provide a streamlined mechanism of CEQA compliance for property owners and land managers engaging in actions with potential to result in limited take of western Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia), as authorized under the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act (WJTCA). The geographic focus area of take permit applications would be centered on the species' current range, plus an 8-kilometer buffer, which encompasses approximately 9,000,000 acres in portions of Mono, Inyo, Tulare, Kern, San Bernardino, Ventura, Los Angeles, and Riverside counties.