FIELDREPORT Pacific Region | Summer 2017

Trump Administration Will the Trump Administration Fast Tracks Desert Abolish National Monuments and Development Cut Park Funding by 12 Percent? n October 2015, the Obama adminis- tration issued a determination that the ICadiz water mining project required ur national parks have been on a federal review and could not use a railroad roller coaster since the start of the Our national parks right of way to carry a water pipeline OTrump administration. NPCA was have been on a roller until that review was completed. Cadiz encouraged to hear that Secretary of the seeks to drain 16 billion gallons of water coaster since the Interior Ryan Zinke stated that he would be start of the Trump per year for 50 years from a desert aquifer opposed to selling federal lands and that his that underlies Mojave Trails National top priority would be fixing the Park Service’s administration. Monument and Mojave . $12 billion repair backlog. removal of protections or reduction in the Since then, unfortunately, the administration size of the sites. NPCA, with the pro-bono proposed its fiscal year 2018 (October 2017- legal support of Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer September 2018) budget for the Interior law firm, will be making the case that our Department (which the Park Service is part national parks and monuments that protect of) that would slash an already strained our waters, air, wildlife, and diverse cultural budget by another 12 percent. These cuts stories, should not be abolished or altered. would further prevent the Park Service from adequately serving visitors, conducting In Congress, NPCA continues to lead efforts scientific research, and repairing trails, to build support for the bi-partisan National visitor centers, and roads that make the parks Parks Legacy Act of 2017, which is sponsored safe and enjoyable. NPCA, and bi-partisan by Sens. Portman (R-Ohio) and Warner members of Congress, will be fighting these (D-Va.). The legislation would provide In February 2016, the Obama adminis- proposed cuts. $12 billion over 30 years to address the tration took powerful action to protect repair backlog. 1.8 million acres of the desert by Additionally, President Trump has decided creating three new national monuments: to put protected areas, including national Mojave Trails (managed by the Bureau park sites, on the chopping block through of Land Management), Sand to Snow executive action that requires the review of Left: Bonanza Spring is the largest surface water feature in the South East Mojave. A vital part of (jointly managed by the Bureau of Land national monuments created since 1996. Mojave Trails National Monument, this spring is This review includes Mojave Trails, Giant threatened by the Cadiz project. ©David Lamfrom Sequoia and National Monu- NPCA Top: Vernal Fall, continued on page 4 ments, among others, and could lead to ©Mariusz Blach | Dreamstime FIELD Letter from the Senior Regional Director Building Young Los Angeles, where young REPORT Advocates for people in some neighborhoods Summer 2017 National Parks have minimal access to green spaces and recreation.

Pacific Regional Office Staff e tend to assume that This issue features one of these 1330 Broadway, Ste 415 leaders will continue young people, Esther Acosta, Oakland, CA 94612 Wto emerge in support of who joined Dennis Arguelles 415.728.0839 our national parks and public and Laura Torres, NPCA’s Los lands. That is not necessarily the Angeles Program Manager and Ron Sundergill case. NPCA believes that we have Field Representative, on an SR. REGIONAL DIRECTOR a responsibility to reach out to exciting trip to Washington, D.C., Neal Desai and train a new set of leaders. This is to lobby members of Congress on a range of especially important for young people of national park issues. The trip was preceded DIRECTOR OF FIELD OPERATIONS color who are often missing from debates by her participation in our Civic Voice Kati Schmidt about public land issues, environmental Lessons training program, which prepared ASSOC. DIRECTOR OF MEDIA RELATIONS protection and historic preservation. her to be an advocate and spokesperson.

Shareeka Spooner We are excited to report that, to date, the We hope that many more young people like SR. COORDINATOR Los Angeles NPCA staff has trained over 40 Esther will be able to accompany us on trips young people to advocate for our park- to the halls of Congress and to other places John Garder lands. The training programs have focused where policy decisions are made, such as DIRECTOR, GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS specifically on advocacy to affect political Los Angeles City Hall. Because of young leaders at the local and national level. Once leaders like Esther our future is bright! Barstow Field Office the young people are trained, they can 400 S. 2nd Ave., Ste 213 help their elected political leaders recognize Barstow, CA 92311 the inequities that exist in cities such as 760.957.7887 David Lamfrom DIRECTOR From LA to DC Advocating for National Parks California Desert Field Office 61325 29 Palms Hwy, Ste B Joshua Tree, CA 92252 760.366.7785 Los Angeles Field Office 1055 Wilshire Blvd., Ste 1660 Los Angeles, CA 90017 213.482.0642 Ron Sundergill Dennis Arguelles PROGRAM MANAGER Laura Torres FIELD REPRESENTATIVE

NPCA Membership n January, Dennis Arguelles and Laura congressional offices, committee staff and Services Team Torres from NPCA’s Los Angeles Field organizational partners to garner support 800.628.7275 Office traveled to Capitol Hill in for the park campaigns. They also advocated [email protected] I Washington, D.C., with youth leader Esther for reducing the park system’s $12 billion Newsletter Design by Acosta to advocate for the Rim of the Valley repair backlog. Esther grew up in Compton, kelleyalbertdesign.com expansion of the Santa Monica Mountains California, where she helped found her high National Recreation Area and the proposed school nature club. She is currently attending Cesar Chavez National Historical Park. Long Beach City College and is an outdoor Esther, a recent graduate of NPCA’s Civic leader for Outward Bound Adventures. She Voice Lessons program, put her advocacy continues to work with NPCA to protect the training into practice as the team met with places she loves.

Above (left to right): Los Angeles Program Manager Dennis Arguelles, Field Representative Laura Torres and youth advocate Esther Acosta, meet with House Natural Resources Committee staff members Bertha Guerrero, Justin Monetti and Brandon Bragato. ©NPCA npca.org Will Mountain Lions Continue to Roam Santa Monica Mountains?

ountain lions roamed the Santa other formidable barriers. In fact, lack of lands, protect and restore native habitat, Monica Mountains National habitat accounts for up to 75 percent of and continue the research, community MRecreation Area, Los Angeles’ closest mountain lion mortality. Combined with a education and advocacy that give the cats national park, long before humans came to loss of genetic diversity from inbreeding, and other wildlife a voice in our public policy. the region. The park is now one of the few which makes the population more suscep- As such, NPCA continues to lead the Rim of places in the world where large, predatory tible to diseases and other threats, it is no the Valley campaign, which would more than cats co-exist with people on the edges of wonder they face possible extinction from double the size of the park and strengthen the a sprawling metropolis. Unfortunately, the region unless we take immediate actions. role of the in the region. a 2016 report by the National Park Service and UCLA found that mountain lions could For its part, NPCA has monitored issues NPCA also supports efforts to change a rigid disappear from the area within 50 years, affecting mountain lions and, in 2014, state law that requires officials to issue the result of multiple threats including the supported the successful effort to pass permits to kill mountain lions suspected use of rat poisons that make their way up legislation banning the use of certain of preying on livestock. The hope is to find the food chain and wreak havoc on the rodenticide poisonings in and near parks a compromise whereby applicants exhaust animals’ health. However, the single greatest and other environmentally sensitive areas all other means of protecting their livestock threat to mountain lion survival is the loss across the state. NPCA is also working with before the issuance of a permit. Alternatively, of open space and habitat. numerous allies and local elected officials exemptions for vulnerable cat populations, to bring public attention to the plight of the such as those in the Santa Monica Mountains, For over a decade, the National Park Service mountain lions and supports the building may be a solution. Additionally, the trapping has researched and monitored mountain lions of a wildlife bridge across the Ventura method employed by the National Park in and around the park. As apex predators, Freeway, where mountain lions have been Service for its mountain lion research is in they serve as an important indicator species: killed attempting to cross. The effort, led possible conflict with state law, despite its a measure of the ecosystem’s overall health. by the Santa Monica Mountains Fund and impeccable safety record and success. NPCA National Wildlife Federation, would allow will continue to monitor these and other Mountain lions require extensive ranges and cats to disperse into other natural areas. relevant issues and engage when necessary to the current park provides enough space ensure that these majestic creatures continue for only a small population. This has led The wildlife bridge would also make it easier to remain a fixture of our national parks. For to mortality from intra-species fighting, and safer for cats from nearby regions to more information about the Rim of the Valley, competition for prey, the abandonment of enter the park. These cats would introduce go to www.npca.org/rimofthevalley. kittens, and traffic incidents as young cats new genetic material and curtail inbreeding. Below: A new litter of mountain lion kittens face an seek to escape the park and find themselves However, long-term survival depends on how uncertain future in the Santa Monica Mountains. crossing dangerous freeway systems and we manage our existing open space and public Photo courtesy of National Park Service.

NPCA supports the building of a wildlife bridge across the Ventura Freeway, where mountain lions have been killed attempting to cross. PACIFIC REGIONAL OFFICE 1330 Broadway, Suite 415 Oakland, CA 94612

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Trump Administration Fast Tracks Desert Development continued from page 1 The Trump administration has also called park-rich landscapes. NPCA will continue to for the review of the Mojave Trails and Sand fight to protect the desert, to stop the rollback Management and the Forest to Snow National Monuments. A public or reduction of our national monuments, Service), and Castle Mountains (managed by comment period has been opened and NPCA and to keep the Cadiz water in the ground. the National Park Service). NPCA played a will be forwarding information and e-alerts leadership role in all of those campaigns at to all members to combat this threat. both the political and the grassroots level. Below: Big Morongo Canyon, part of Sand to Snow National Monument, is a beautiful wetland Each of those actions taken by the adminis- Progress has been hard-won in the California comprised of Cottonwood, Willow, and California tration served to protect the California desert, and we will need the support of our Fan Palms. It is designated as an Important Bird desert and its precious water, wildlife, and members and allies to ensure protection of Area, and blazes with fall color in October and landscapes, for future generations. The one of America’s wildest and most national November. ©David Lamfrom | NPCA designation of 1.8 million acres of national monuments was one of the largest conser- vation designations in U.S. history. NPCA is incredibly proud to be a part of that remarkable accomplishment.

Unfortunately, the monuments and the Cadiz determination are now facing serious threats under the Trump administration. The Department of the Interior recently rescinded legal documents related to the Cadiz determination, indicating that there is a strong possibility of the determination being overturned. That action would allow the harmful Cadiz project to move forward.

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