Management of Park Resources As a unit of the national park system, Mojave must Plan Actions be managed in accordance with the National Park Mojave will assemble baseline inventory data Service preservation mission as provided in the describing the natural and cultural resources under agencies authorizing legislation (Organic Act of its stewardship, and will monitor the resources at 1916; 16 USC 1), which provides that the primary regular intervals to detect or predict changes. The purpose of park units is: resulting information will be analyzed to detect changes that may require intervention and to pro- “...to conserve the scenery and the natural and his- vide reference points for comparison with other, toric objects and the wild life therein, and to pro- more altered environments. Mojave will also use this vide for the enjoyment of the same in such a man- ner and by such means as will leave them unim- information to maintain — and, where necessary, paired for the enjoyment of future generations.” restore — the integrity of natural systems, and to pro- tect the public, park staff, and the park infrastructure. RESOURCE PROTECTION GOALS AND Mojave will develop and implement a systematic, integrated program to identify, inventory, and moni- CRITERIA tor its natural and cultural resources. This program Specific resource protection goals and criteria have will be developed through collaborative partnerships not yet been established. Management of the with government agencies and public and private Preserve’s resources is currently guided by direction organizations with natural and cultural resource provided in the enabling legislation and NPS regula- management or research expertise. A comprehen- tions and policies. A set of protection goals and cri- sive strategy will be developed and implemented to teria will be developed through the inventory and ensure that regional, local or national trends are doc- monitoring program to establish a standard set of umented and appropriate actions undertaken. The resource protection guidelines. National Park Service has identified twelve data sets that each park unit should collect in order to have a basic understanding of their resources. Mojave is INVENTORYING AND MONITORING actively working in cooperation with other desert parks on an integrated inventory and monitoring Background strategy, using the vital signs approach. Inventorying and monitoring of the Preserve’s natural and cultural resources is necessary to gain a more An example of a needed inventory is a biological complete understanding of their value and condition. inventory of all spring and wetland areas on Preserve lands, including the identification of Project priorities are determined on the basis of threats, impacts, and necessary protections. existing staff availability and funding. An annual Included in the inventory will be recommendations performance plan is prepared annually that provides for restoration. In addition to federal lands, the goals, objectives, and annual work plans. Mojave’s National Park Service will work with private holders strategic plan also establishes five-year goals that of water rights to restore modified water sources to provide a limited view of resource issues and alloca- natural conditions while still allowing for valid exist- tion of staffing and funding. ing uses. Mojave will consult with the research community The Bureau of Land Management established long- regarding the benefits of retaining exclosures if the term monitoring areas in the Ivanpah Valley and cattle grazing permits are retired. near Colton Hills. These are fenced areas that have precluded cattle and burro grazing for many years. Dr. Hal Avery of the Biological Resource Division, NATURAL RESOURCES USGS, Riverside, California, is presently conducting research and monitoring of the desert tortoise the Physical Resources Ivanpah area. A reexamination of the plant growth Air Quality/Visibility within and outside of Colton Hills enclosure has not been conducted for almost 20 years. This area has Background been segregated from large mammal grazing pres- The Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District sure for over 30 years and may be used to measure manages and enforces the Clean Air Act’s air quali- the effects of grazing on the desert environment. ty standards in the Mojave National Preserve. The 30 The Plan district includes the desert portion of San Plan Actions Bernardino County. The National Park Service will seek class I designa- tion for the Preserve and will seek to perpetuate the Congress established the Prevention of Significant best possible air quality in parks because of its criti- Deterioration program as part of the Clean Air Act. cal importance to visitor enjoyment, human health, Management of Park Resources To facilitate the implementation of this program, an scenic vistas, and the preservation of natural sys- area classification scheme was established. This clas- tems and cultural resources. The National Park sification scheme has class I receiving the highest Service will work toward promoting and pursuing degree of protection with only small amounts of measures to safeguard these values from air pollu- certain kinds of additional air pollution (sulfur diox- tion’s adverse effects and will strive to set the best ide and particulate matter) allowed. The other two example for others to follow in all the agency’s areas are class II, which allows moderate increases in development and management activities. In cases of certain air pollutants; and class III, which allows a doubt as to the effects of existing or potential air large amount of new air pollution (Congress has yet pollution on park resources, the National Park to designate any class III areas). There are no class I Service will err on the side of protecting air quality areas in the California Mojave Desert. Mojave and related values for future generations. National Preserve is a class II floor area, meaning that it may never be redesignated to class III. Since Mojave is located in a nonattainment area for one or more air pollutant, no action proposed in this The Clean Air Act developed national ambient air plan will lead to violations of federal or state air pol- quality standards for a finite number of criteria pol- lution control laws or regulations, and no action will lutants. The criteria pollutants are: sulfur dioxide, increase emissions or violate the state conformity carbon monoxide, total suspended particulates, requirements. The Preserve’s staff will work with nitrogen oxides, lead, ozone, and particulate matter appropriate air pollution control officials to ensure less than 10 microns in diameter (PM10). compliance with all requirements. The Environmental Protection Agency has classified Viewsheds/Visual Quality the Mojave National Preserve as a nonattainment area for ozone and PM10 standards. Nonattainment Background areas are areas that are not in compliance with the Visibility is probably the most important air quality national ambient air quality standards, and there- resource in the desert region, and it is the most eas- fore must reduce pollution to reach compliance. ily affected by activities that generate dust (espe- cially fine particulates) and sulfur dioxide. Visibility The National Park Service is responsible for protect- impacts occur from long-range transport of pollu- ing air quality under both the 1916 Organic Act and tants from as far away as the San Joaquin Valley and the Clean Air Act. Although the Clean Air Act gives the Los Angeles basin (RESOLVE study 1988, cited in the highest level of air quality protection to class I BLM 1995). areas, it also provides many opportunities for the National Park Service to participate in the develop- Nearby sources of emissions include the Army’s ment of pollution control programs to preserve, pro- National Training Center at Fort Irwin; Viceroy Mine tect, and enhance the air quality of all units of the near Searchlight, Nevada; the Mojave Generation national park system, including class II areas. Station near Laughlin, Nevada; Molycorp Mine and Stateline Power Generation Station near Primm Sections 118 and 176 of the Clean Air Act require (Stateline), Nevada; and vehicle traffic on Interstates federal agencies and facilities to meet all federal, 15 and 40. state, and local air pollution control laws and regu- lations. If units or facilities are located in areas that Local pollution sources in the desert consist primari- do not meet federal or state air pollution control ly of particulate matter from off-road vehicles, wind- standards (nonattainment areas), those units or blown soil, mining operations, livestock grazing, facilities must conform to requirements established and agricultural activities. These sources have left to attain and maintain those standards. The require- certain areas denuded or sparsely vegetated, allow- ments may include provisions to reduce emissions ing wind erosion to occur and air quality to suffer from existing facilities and limit emissions from pro- and occasionally causing violations of particulate posed facilities on a greater than 1:1 basis. standards at many locations. 31 The National Park Service will seek to enhance ben- Night Sky eficial effects and to mitigate adverse effects in ways consistent with its policies and management Background objectives. The agency will encourage compatible Mojave is a naturally quiet desert environment with adjacent land uses and seek to mitigate potential very dark night skies that offers visitors and adverse effects