mojave national preserve business plan I 29

Partnerships One way Mojave National Preserve hopes to achieve the 

operational priorities outlined in this business plan is by working 

with interested partners.

Message from the Superintendent

Many diverse opportunities exist for partnerships at Mojave 

to accomplish the goals of resource stewardship, education, 

and providing for public recreation. Partnerships engage 

interested stakeholders in a shared vision and bring resources 

to the table in an era of dwindling federal funding. It is our 

goal to continue to identify partnership opportunities and to 

foster relationships that have common goals. 

Volunteers

Volunteers-in-Parks (VIPs) play an important role in the daily 

operations of Mojave National Preserve. The volunteer program 

has grown rapidly since FY 2000, with 96 volunteers contributing 

9,263 hours of work in FY 2007. This represents about one out of 

every twelve hours worked in the preserve. See the chart below for 

a breakdown of volunteer hours by function. 

VIPs are recruited through several channels, including “Volunteer 

Vacations,” the Student Conservation Association, referrals 

from former volunteers, volunteer recruitment websites, and 

inquiries from visitors such as retirees. The volunteer program 

requires a significant investment of time by the VIP coordinator 

for recruitment, training, supervision, recognition, and logistics. 

All volunteer activities in Mojave are coordinated by a single 

Interpretation and Education ranger based in Needles, who 

spends an average of 20 to 25 percent of her time on the VIP 

program each year. In addition, the preserve must often provide 

supplies, work transportation, food and housing for volunteers. 

The region provides $1,500 to fund the VIP program, leaving 

Mojave to cover most of the costs, which totaled $7,430 in FY 

2007, but has been over $20,000 in previous years. 

Although most volunteer hours are attributed to long-term 

VIPs, the preserve organizes a number of short-term group 

projects throughout the year. In FY 2007 volunteers staffed 

visitor centers, converted a one-mile social trail into a developed 

trail, rehabilitated the eight-mile Mid Hills to Hole-in-the-Wall 

Administration

Campground Host

Cultural Resource Management

Interpretation

Maintenance

Natural Resource Management

Visitor Protection

Training/Other

Mojave National Preserve Annual Volunteer Hours by Year and Function

FY01 FY02 FY03 FY04 FY05 FY06 FY07

10,000

9,000

8,000

7,000

6,000

5,000

4,000

3,000

2,000

1,000

0

Volunteer Hours
30 I national park service

Trail, surveyed cultural sites, inventoried and removed exotic 

plants, picked up litter, presented ranger programs, assisted with 

maintenance duties, cleaned primitive campsites, repaired washed 

out 4x4 roads and served as campground hosts. For the first time 

the Preserve had two Spring campground host couples, which 

provided enough VIP support to keep the Hole-in-the-Wall 

Information Center open seven days a week for three months 

during the Preserve’s busiest period. 

Based on the National Park Service FY 2007 value for volunteer 

time of $18.77 per hour and taking into account program 

management and logistics costs, volunteers contributed a net 

value of approximately $135,460 to Mojave National Preserve in 

the past year alone. However, the volunteer program means much 

more than extra helping hands; volunteers repeatedly comment 

favorably about their experiences, and volunteering creates a sense 

of stewardship and a deeper understanding of the mission of the 

National Park Service. 

Mojave National Preserve’s remote location and lack of nearby 

housing has been a constraint to expanding the volunteer 

program. The Preserve has two co-ed dormitories; one, located 

at Hole-in-the-Wall fills with seasonal firefighters from April 

through October and houses permanent fire staff year-round. 

There are currently six RV pads with full hookups on the west side 

of the Preserve, and two with only water and sewer available on 

the east side. The RV sites and dorms also serve other staff needs, 

further limiting the supply of housing for long-term volunteers. 

Transportation can also present a challenge, since volunteers 

must travel long distances in their own vehicles for shopping and 

medical services on their days off. Government transportation is 

provided to volunteers for official duties. 

volunteer vacations

In April 2007 Mojave National Preserve 

hosted a group of 10 volunteers through 

the American Hiking Society "Volunteer 

Vacation" program. Volunteers paid 

their way to the preserve and spent the 

week turning a well-traveled social trail 

into a one-mile developed hiking trail 

with trail markers and erosion control 

measures. Although the project required 

a significant planning, preparation, 

and logistics effort on the part of 

preserve staff, the focused project 

allowed the preserve to accomplish a 

significant amount of work in a short 

amount of time. The new path will 

reduce erosion in the area and improve 

visitor accessibility by channeling 

hikers through a single marked route. 

In addition, tools purchased for the 

project can now be used for subsequent 

volunteer projects. 

Above: Work on trail projects proceeds at 

Mojave with the help of volunteers. NPS PHOTO

Above left: Volunteers plant creosote bushes to 

hide the entrance to an abandoned right-of-way. 

NPS PHOTO
mojave national preserve business plan I 31

Partner Contributions and Opportunities

Philanthropic and Nonprofit Organizations

Ongoing activities

n Western National Parks Association: WNPA is Mojave’s 

nonprofit cooperating association. A full-time WNPA manager 

stationed at Kelso Depot Visitor Center, operates bookstores 

at Kelso, Barstow, and Hole-in-the-Wall. Additionally, WNPA 

supports interpretation through the development of new 

publications, donates a percentage of sales back for projects 

that benefit visitors, and supports research through a grant 

program. In 2007 WNPA developed and printed a Junior 

Ranger activity booklet for free distribution to children visiting 

Mojave. WNPA is currently developing an inexpensive book 

on the history of the Kelso Depot, due to be published in 2008. 

n Mojave Desert Land Trust: This land trust facilitates donations of land to the preserve. The trust recently assumed the 

role of the preserve’s major partner in coordinating land 

acquisitions using donated funds from the National Park 

Foundation (NPF). (See Land Acquisition section on page 36 for 

further details.)

Opportunities

n Friends Group: Many national parks have a nonprofit friends 

group. Operating under a formal agreement allows these 

groups to support the park in numerous ways:

•	 Formal friends groups can solicit donations, whereas 

National Park Service employees are not allowed such 

solicitations. A friends group could make a significant difference in this area for Mojave: donations to the preserve in 

FY 2007 were $5,600—or one cent per visitor. This is well 

below the nationwide park average of 49 cents per visitor.

•	 Friends groups can also exert a significant financial 

and environmental impact by acquiring and donating 

equipment. Mojave faces substantial up-front expenses if 

the preserve replaces older vehicles with hybrid vehicles 

through the federal government.

•	 Lacking a full-time volunteer coordinator, Mojave could 

approach a friends group to help recruit, train, and 

organize volunteers. 

•	 Friends groups can also help in non-financial ways by 

supporting the preserve in its community outreach and 

education projects. 

n Mojave Desert Land Trust: This land trust facilitates 

donations of land to the preserve. They receive donations and 

purchase private lands from willing sellers within the park and 

then donate those properties to the NPS. To date, the trust and 

NPF have facilitated the purchase and transfer of 83,000 acres 

of private land located within Mojave’s boundaries. More than 

117,000 acres of land are still privately owned, ensuring that 

the Mojave Desert Land Trust continues to play an important 

role in the preserve’s mission.

Universities

Ongoing Activities

n Research and Education Centers: Mojave National Preserve 

is home to two university research centers. Located at Zzyzx 

(Soda Springs), the Desert Studies Center is operated by a 

consortium of California state colleges, led by California State 

University, Fullerton. University of California, Riverside, also 

operates the Sweeney-Granite Mountains Desert Natural 

Reserve. Both serve as base camps for researchers and as 

locations for college-level field courses.

n Original Research: The science advisor at Mojave also 

coordinates with other universities and researchers to perform 

original work in Mojave National Preserve. The preserve, in 

turn, can use this science to guide management.

n Internships: Mojave offers internships to local college 

students. Some students have progressed to permanent 

positions within the National Park Service.

Opportunities

n Graduate Students: With its ecological diversity and long 

human history, endless questions about Mojave are waiting to 

be answered in fields from anthropology to wildlife biology 

to hydrology. Mojave National Preserve can sponsor graduate 

students and provide staff support.

Local Education Programs

Ongoing Activities

n Desert Discovery Center (Barstow, CA): Operating out 

of a building owned by the Bureau of Land Management, 

this community partnership offers environmental education 

programming for schools, summer day camps, and supports 

youth activities in the Barstow area. As an active partner, 

Volunteer couple gives time to 

improve accessibility in mojave 

national preserve

A volunteer couple will help Mojave’s 

Facility Operations and Maintenance 

chief address a pressing concern: making 

the preserve as accessible as possible to 

all visitors. The couple, who completed 

their first accessibility study at Redwood 

National Park six years ago, will spend 

four to five months checking buildings 

and trails in Mojave National Preserve 

for compliance with the Americans with 

Disabilities Act (ADA). At the end of 

their stay the two volunteers, who have 

completed similar assessments for a 

dozen other national park units around 

the country, will report their findings 

and recommendations to Mojave’s 

Facility Operations and Maintenance 

division chief. The chief, who helped 

the couple organize their first two 

studies, at Redwood National Park and 

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, 

asked them to work with Mojave so the 

preserve can be proactive in identifying 

and addressing accessibility issues.

Above: Hole in the Wall Visitor Center. NPS PHOTO
32 I national park service

Mojave’s Interpretation and Education staff develop and 

present educational programs and organize field trips to the 

Desert Discovery Center. Other partners include the City of 

Barstow, Barstow College, Barstow Unified School District, 

and two local nonprofit organizations.

n Local Schools: Interpretive rangers plan and present 

classroom programs in Needles, Baker, Barstow, and Apple 

Valley. On-site programming is offered at Kelso Depot and 

Hole-in-the-Wall. Although only Baker schools regularly visit 

Kelso, Needles Schools regularly visit Hole-in-the-Wall. 

Opportunities

n Teacher Outreach: Mojave National Preserve is seeking 

funding to host an overnight workshop at Zzyzx to promote 

Mojave’s potential as a place of learning.

n Renovate Kelso School: Owned by the National Park Service, 

the Kelso School was recently stabilized to prevent further 

deterioration. The building could be renovated to serve as a 

focal point for school trips.

n Expand Programming: The Interpretation and Education 

division is seeking funding to expand staffing to include an 

education specialist. This additional resource would allow 

Mojave to take advantage of many educational partnership 

opportunities now developing in the area. Potential partners 

include other nearby NPS sites, the town of Nipton, and the 

BLM’s Walking Box Ranch. These partnerships could provide 

the staff and infrastructure support needed to reach additional 

students in the region, from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. 

Gateway Opportunities

Ongoing Activities

n Bus Tours: In FY 2007 the Barstow- Kelso Railroad 

Committee began to offer bus excursions between Barstow, 

California, and Kelso Depot Visitor Center to promote the idea 

of an excursion train. Interpretive rangers served as on-board 

guides for the bus tours.

Opportunities

n Barstow-Kelso Railroad: Community leaders in Barstow, 

California, are promoting the development of an excursion 

railroad between Barstow’s Casa del Desierto Depot and 

the Kelso Depot Visitor Center. Mojave National Preserve 

management staff will continue to provide appropriate 

support to this effort, and could potentially provide on-board 

interpretation for railroad excursion passengers.

n Nipton: The town of Nipton is planning to develop as an 

environmentally friendly community on the boundary of 

Mojave National Preserve. This could serve as a launching 

point for overnight educational experiences. Management 

staff will continue to meet with Nipton officials to explore 

potential partnering opportunities.

User Groups

Ongoing activities

n California Association of Four-Wheel Drive Clubs: The 

Association will donate time and labor to help the Mojave’s 

Facility Operations and Maintenance staff with repairs to the 

Preserve’s extensive network of four-wheel-drive-only roads. 

The group has committed to donating at least 250 hours in FY 

2008, which translates to a value of $4700, using the current 

NPS volunteer rate of $18.77 an hour.

n American Hiking Society: In the spring of 2007, this 

group organized a trip through “Volunteer Vacations,” in 

which members spent a week camping in the preserve and 

transforming a social hiking trail into a formal trail with signage 

and erosion-control measures. Group members donated 324 

hours in FY 2007 and have already spent another 210 hours 

working on trails in the preserve in FY 2008.

n Quail Unlimited and Safari Club: These hunting groups 

have assembled 100 volunteers to monitor natural springs 

and maintain small game guzzlers (wildlife watering facilities 

or containers) in Mojave National Preserve. This effort will 

provide baseline data for a study in how wildlife use available 

water sources.

n Bighorn Sheep Society: The Bighorn Sheep Society has 

long been active in monitoring desert bighorn populations in 

Mojave National Preserve. The group manages a number of 

big game guzzlers located within the preserve and assists with 

maintenance activities at various other water sources.

Opportunities

n Volunteering: In FY 2007 volunteers contributed 9,263 hours 

across eight program areas within Mojave National Preserve. 

Even so, numerous opportunities remain for astronomers, 

botanists, birders, and other groups to share their expertise 

with preserve visitors and park staff.

Youth Conservation Corps members enjoy making 

a giant rock cairn to mark the trail. nps photo
mojave national preserve business plan I 33

Other Federal, State, and Regional Agencies

Ongoing activities

n Desert Network Parks: The national parks in the Mojave 

Desert network (Lake Mead NRA, Death Valley NP, Joshua 

Tree NP, Great Basin NP, Mojave NP, Manzanar NHS, and 

Grand Canyon-Parashant NM) work together to share their 

expertise and extend capabilities. For instance, road crews 

from Death Valley NP and Joshua Tree NP assist Mojave’s 

Facilities staff each year, and Mojave jointly funds a museum 

curator position with Joshua Tree NP. The parks also share 

human resources and information technology support, which 

results in cost savings for the National Park Service.

n Desert Managers Group: From California State Parks to the 

Bureau of Land Management to the Department of Defense, 

the desert is a patchwork of jurisdictions. Managers from all 

of these agencies work together on common issues, such as 

abandoned mine lands and restoring the desert tortoise. 

n Providence Mountains State Recreation Area: Mojave’s 

Interpretation and Education staff provides staffing one day 

each week during peak seasons at this state park within the 

boundaries of Mojave National Preserve.

n Local Emergency Service Agencies: Mojave strengthens 

working relationships with internal and external partners by:

•	 Developing and maintaining agreements, memoranda of 

understanding (MOU), contracts, and incidental business 

permits (IBP) to achieve mutual goals, and developing new 

agreements where opportunities for mutual benefit exist.

•	 Maintaining an effective community relations program to 

understand community concerns and communicate park 

issues.

Opportunities

n Providence Mountains State Recreation Area: Additional 

opportunities may exist for mutual assistance through joint 

purchasing or creative staffing arrangements by working with 

this state park within the boundaries of Mojave National 

Preserve. Mojave may be able to learn from Redwood National 

Park, which is located adjacent to several California state 

parks. For instance, Redwood NP and the local state parks 

analyzed relative sourcing costs (state versus federal) and 

jointly purchased supplies through the most cost-effective 

source. Although Redwood NP does have special legislation 

to allow these activities, it may be worth exploring whether 

Mojave and the California state parks could develop similar 

arrangements under the preserve’s enabling legislation.

n Interstate Highway Welcome Centers: The Preserve and 

the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) are 

Fire operations are guided by overall management plans.

NPS PHOTO
34 I national park service

collaborating to provide interstate highway welcome centers 

with current information about the preserve and other public 

lands in the desert. The planning has been completed on the 

first of these projects at Valley Wells Rest Area on Interstate 15.

NPS Centennial Initiative and Challenge

The National Park Service will celebrate its one-hundredth 

birthday in 2016. To prepare the national parks for the next 100 

years, the National Park Service has launched the Centennial 

Initiative and Challenge. Mojave National Preserve, like all the 

other national park units, has developed a Centennial Strategy 

document outlining the preserve’s goals for 2016. (See www.

nps.gov/2016 for more information on the Centennial Initiative.)

Although the Centennial Initiative and Challenge are only 

guaranteed for FY 2008 at this point, the two components may 

become important near-term base and project fund sources.

The Centennial Initiative would effectively boost the base 

operating budget of the entire National Park Service. The increase 

in funding would apply primarily to more seasonal employees 

to help parks during their peak seasons, targeted resource 

management projects (e.g., an invasive species eradication effort), 

and to help parks address their backlogs of cyclic maintenance. 

Under current plans, Mojave National Preserve will gain several 

new seasonal employees in the Visitor and Resource Protection, 

Facility Operations and Maintenance, and Interpretation and 

Education program areas. The preserve may also obtain funding to 

remediate disturbed lands within its boundaries.

The Centennial Challenge would provide federal matching 

funds for projects sponsored and partially funded by partner 

organizations. For example, Mojave and California State 

University, Fullerton, hope to install a solar power system at the 

Zzyzx Desert Studies Center, making the facility 100 percent 

energy-independent. Mojave has submitted several other 

projects for approval (see table), and will continue to develop 

project proposals as the preserve becomes even more engaged 

with partners and its local communities. The number of projects 

funded across the National Park Service will depend on the level 

of matching funds approved by Congress. 

Right: The Mohave tui chub was introduced into 

Lake Tuendae, an artificial pond excavated by A.E. 

Springer around 1955 at his Zzyzx Mineral Springs 

resort, now the location of Zzyzx Desert Studies 

Center. nps photo by anne maasberg

Opposite: Mojave National Preserve is home to a 

wide range of flora and fauna, which are uniquely 

adapted to life in the desert, such as the Mojave 

fringe-toed lizard. nps photo
mojave national preserve business plan I 35

The Preservation and Protection This program has and will provide protection for park units across 

the of the Greater Mojave Desert. the Mojave network through the land acquisition process by willing

sellers.

Install Solar System at Zzyzx Desert Studies Center. Install a 9.6-Kw solar system to support a research/education center 

operated by California State University, Fullerton. Educational 

programs about resources in the preserve are conducted at this 

Mojave site.

Provide opportunities for outdoor education Provide programs in local school districts and offer a wide variety of 

through the development of pavilions and a trail programming options that schools can access through one contact 

with educational stations at the Desert Discovery Center. site. Outdoor teaching areas with benches and presentation space 

will provide students the opportunity to interact more directly with 

the desert environment they are learning about.

Inspire travelers along Mojave National Preserve’s Caltrans is including an interpretive component in rest area upgrades 

boundaries to visit the park by providing information along both interstates (I-15 and I-40) that parallel the preserve, 

recreation opportunities at existing Caltrans rest areas. including an exhibit plaza and interpretive trail with five exhibit 

pods at Valley Wells Rest Area. This proposal is to extend and fully 

fund the interpretive component at all four rest areas along park 

boundaries.

Establish EMS/Structural Fire Response Center Establish/create a facility that would serve as a staged location for 

in Mojave National Preserve. emergency response resources.

Establish the Barstow-Kelso Heritage Railroad. Provide an alternative fuel rail tour between two renovated historic 

train stations, the Harvey House in Barstow, California, and the Kelso 

Depot Visitor Center in the heart of Mojave National Preserve.

Provide information and inspiration about This project would fund the development of interactive exhibits for 

national parks to millions of visitors to the McCarran International Airport, Fashion Outlets-Las Vegas Mall at 

southern Nevada and California area. Primm, Nevada, and the proposed Ivanpah Valley Airport. 

Project/Program Title Brief Description

Centennial Challenge Projects Submitted by Mojave National Preserve
36 I national park service

Land Acquisition

One of the most significant ways that partnerships have played 

a role in the development of Mojave National Preserve has been 

through acquiring land and facilitating private donations of land to 

the preserve.

History

The borders of Mojave National Preserve encompass some 

1,589,165 acres. At its inception in 1994, just over 1.35 million 

acres of preserve lands were being managed by the federal 

Bureau of Land Management, leaving approximately 2,100 nonfederal parcels of land totaling 230,000 acres. Major non-federal 

landholders included the Catellus Corporation (formerly the 

Santa Fe and Southern Pacific Railroad), private individuals in the 

Lanfair Valley area of the preserve, and various departments of the 

State of California. Private parties also controlled grazing permits 

on nearly 90 percent of preserve lands, hundreds of patented and 

unpatented mining claims, and water claims on 97 water sources. 

The California Desert Protection Act gives the National Park 

Service authority to acquire non-federal lands located within 

the boundaries of Mojave National Preserve, with a priority on 

protecting land from development that is incompatible with the 

preserve’s mission. It is important to note that the preserve and its 

partners have only purchased lands from willing sellers. Through 

a combination of direct and joint purchases, donations from 

individuals and nonprofit conservation organizations, and land 

swaps with state agencies, roughly 113,000 acres of outstanding 

land have been acquired by the preserve since 1994 (see 

accompanying pie chart). Of this acquired land, 80,000 acres are 

located in areas designated as critical desert tortoise habitat and 

43,000 acres are in designated wilderness areas. Equally important, 

nearly all active grazing rights located within the preserve have 

been permanently retired, resulting in the removal of nearly 12,000 

head of cattle. 

Two important partners, the Wildland Conservancy and the 

National Park Foundation, have been involved with a large share 

of Mojave land acquisitions. In 2000 the nonprofit Wildland 

Conservancy negotiated a deal to acquire 184,000 acres of land 

located in and around Mojave National Preserve from the Catellus 

Corporation. The organization raised $15 million, which was 

combined with a $5 million federal appropriation to complete 

the deal. The Wildland Conservancy then donated the 82,000 

acres located in the preserve to the National Park Service and 

the remainder to BLM. In the seven years since the Catellus 

acquisition, the National Park Foundation, using funds from the 

Resources Legacy Foundation Fund and other private donors, 

purchased and subsequently donated an additional 13,000 acres of 

private land to the preserve.

In 2006 the Mojave Desert Land Trust took over from the National 

Park Foundation as Mojave National Preserve’s major partner in 

coordinating land acquisitions using donated funds. 

Land Acquisition Strategy

Development of private lands inside and adjacent to the 

boundaries of Mojave National Preserve presents a serious 

threat to the preserve’s ability to protect its unique resources. 

Specifically, the possibility that a new Las Vegas, Nevada, airport 

will be built in the next decade in the Ivanpah Valley, just north 

of the preserve, is accompanied by deep concern that housing 

and commercial development in the preserve’s remaining private 

lands will soon follow. Nearly 70 percent of visitors surveyed have 

rated “solitude/quiet” and “wilderness/open space” as important 

features of Mojave National Preserve. The preserve’s relatively 

pristine night sky and uninterrupted vistas are also important 

assets. Unfortunately, the National Park Service’s land acquisition 

budget has been declining for years, making it difficult for Mojave 

to act without private support.

As Mojave National Preserve’s major land acquisition partner, the 

Mojave Desert Land Trust will continue to work with Mojave’s 

management team to coordinate land acquisition activities based 

on the preserve’s land protection priorities. Currently, large 

tracts of land that could become candidates for subdivision 

and commercial development are the preserve’s main concern. 

In cases where more land is available for acquisition than the 

preserve is able to purchase, acquisitions will be guided by the 

following priorities: 

Priority 1: Nonfederal lands around the Kelso Depot, where 

development may occur that would detract from the historic scene 

and the value of the proposed depot restoration as a major visitor 

access site.

Priority 2: Tracts of land that lie within designated wilderness for 

which any development is proposed and imminent.

 Existing Federal Land (1,350,608 Acres)

 Exchanged (15,107 Acres)

 Donated (14,716 Acres)

Purchased with Partner Assistance (83,302 Acres)

, Unacquired (117,380 Acres)

Mojave National Preserve Land

Acquisitions by Method of Acquisition

86%

7%

1%

1%

5%
mojave national preserve business plan I 37

Mojave National Preserve Property Ownership
38 I national park service

Priority 3: Any tract lying within the external boundaries of a 

designated wilderness area, for which the owner seeks to gain 

access under section 708 of the California Desert Protection 

Act by the construction of a road, or utility line across federal 

wilderness lands.

Priority 4: Any tract lying within the boundaries of critical desert 

tortoise habitat designated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Priority 5: Any tract in the non-wilderness portion of the 

preserve, for which an incompatible use is proposed and 

imminent, in the following geographical order:

a. Baker entrance.

b. Hole-in-the-Wall.

c. Mid Hills.

d. Round/Gold Valleys.

e. Wild Horse Canyon.

f. Cima area.

The geographic areas are ranked because of their proximity to 

areas of high visitor use and potential conflict between users and 

landowners. In these areas development would be most apparent 

and disturbing to the scenic values.

Priority 6: Mining claims, water rights, easements and rights-ofway where proposed use or development would have a significant 

impact on preserve resources.

Priority 7: All other tracts where there is a willing seller.

In addition to acquiring private lands within the preserve, 

Mojave’s management team will continue to play an active role 

in local and regional planning. By participating in local planning 

activities and continually educating community members about 

the potential impacts of development decisions on preserve 

resources, the management team hopes to be a good community 

partner and mitigate potential development threats.

Cattle ranching has a long history in the area 

encompassed by the preserve. Nearly all grazing 

rights on preserve land have been purchased and 

permanently retired. Two ranchers continue to hold 

grazing leases within the boundaries of Mojave 

National Preserve. nps photo
mojave national preserve business plan I 39

The accompanying table presents the projected costs and funds 

for Mojave National Preserve over the next five fiscal years. The 

figures take into account projected cost-of-living increases, funding increases formally requested by the National Park Service, and 

one-time projects with allocated funds. The preserve must operate 

without a budget shortfall. While deficits are projected in future 

years, the preserve will take action to prevent a budget deficit. 

notes on calculations

Costs

Labor costs were projected assuming 

that current vacant positions will 

be filled and that cost-of-living pay 

increases will occur for salaries. In 

keeping with the preserve’s current 

management practice, non-labor costs 

such as supplies, travel, equipment, 

and utilities were set to 25 percent of 

the operating funds. If the cost of one 

type of non-labor purchase—such as the 

price of gasoline—increases rapidly, the 

preserve will have to decrease spending 

in other areas to avoid a budget 

shortfall. The figures for Fixed Assets 

and Contracts are based on what has 

currently been approved by the National 

Park Service and will likely be greater 

from FY 2009 to FY 2012.

Income

Future operating funds were projected 

using the formal budget requests that 

the National Park Service and the 

Executive Branch submit to Congress for 

approval. It assumes that congressional 

appropriations to the preserve will 

increase in future fiscal years to account 

for cost-of-living increases. For simplicity, 

it was assumed that other sources of 

income—such as grazing fees, film 

permits, and employee rent—will remain 

flat. Appropriated One-Time Project 

Funds are not included after Fiscal Year 

2008, as actual projects to be approved 

and funded are unknown.

Financial Plan Eighteen percent of Mojave National Preserve’s existing permanent staff will be eligible to retire in the next five years, creating 

staff vacancies. In addition, employees occasionally transfer to 

other national park units, leaving additional vacant positions. To 

cover the projected deficits the preserve will continue to review 

these vacancies and hire subject-to-furlough employees and term 

employees to fill them or leave positions vacant.

Mojave National Preserve: Projected Finances FY 2007–FY 2012 

Labor Costs FY 2007 FY 2008 FY 2009 FY 2010 FY 2011 FY 2012

Management and Administration $ 734,000 $1,023,000 $1,093,000 $1,150,527 $1,202,000 $1,198,000 

Interpretation 375,000 492,000 585,000 615,281 647,000 673,000 

Resource Management 1,019,000 948,000 1,041,000 1,092,783 1,142,000 1,197,000 

Protection 620,000 769,000 901,000 948,144 998,000 1,042,000 

Maintenance and Facilities Operation 572,000 594,000 612,000 647,718 678,000 716,000 

Wildland Fire 1 308,000 388,000 407,000 422,208 442,000 460,000 

Total $3,630,000 $4,214,000 $4,639,000 $4,876,662 $5,109,000 $5,286,000 

 

Non-Labor Costs FY 2007 FY 2008 FY 2009 FY 2010 FY 2011 FY 2012

Supplies, Travel, Equipment, Utilities $1,124,000 $1,229,000 $1,271,000 $1,308,000 $1,347,000 $1,388,000 

Fixed Assets and Contracts 2 866,000 2,954,000 234,000 234,000 - -

Wildland Fire Non-Labor Costs 306,000 142,000 142,000 142,398 142,000 142,000 

Total $2,296,000 $4,326,000 $1,647,000 $1,684,398 $1,489,000 $1,530,000

 

Park Income FY 2007 FY 2008 FY 2009 FY 2010 FY 2011 FY 2012

Appropriated Operating Funds 

 Previous Year's Operating Funds - $4,310,000 $4,915,000 $5,084,000 $5,232,000 $5,388,000 

 OFS Increases - 237,000 35,000 - - -

 Centennial Initiative: Seasonal Employees - 223,000 - - - -

 Cost of Living Increases - 145,000 134,000 148,000 156,000 163,000 

 Total Appropriated Operating Funds $4,310,000 $4,915,000 $5,084,000 $5,232,000 $5,388,000 $5,551,000

 

Other Sources of Funds 

 Appropriated One-Time Project Funds 2 $ 910,000 $1,278,000 - - - -

 Centennial Initiative: Restoring Disturbed Lands - 1,676,000 234,000 234,000 - -

 Other Revenue 100,000 100,000 100,000 100,000 100,000 100,000 

 Total Other Sources of Funds $1,010,000 $3,054,000 $334,000 $334,000 $100,000 $100,000

 

Appropriated Interagency Fire Program Funds 

 Fire Program Base $ 503,000 $531,000 $531,000 $549,379 $565,000 $584,000 

 Cost of Living Increases - - 19,000 15,000 20,000 18,000 

 Appropriated One-Time Fire Funds 1 107,000 - - - - -

 Total Appropriated Fire Program Funds $ 610,000 $531,000 $549,000 $564,606 $584,000 $602,000 

 

Total Costs $5,926,000 $8,540,000 $6,286,000 $6,561,059 $6,598,000 $6,816,000 

Total Income $5,930,000 $8,500,000 $5,967,000 $6,130,606 $6,072,000 $6,253,000 

 

1. Wildland fire totals do not include any funds or costs for emergency suppression outside of Mojave. Actual costs are paid from national fire funding and are not included in FY09-FY12, as these costs and 

incomes are unknown.

2. Fixed assets and contracts are generally funded through appropriated one-time project funds. These project funds are unknown after FY 2008 and therefore not included in projections for FY09-FY12.
40 I national park service
mojave national preserve business plan I 41

Appendix A:

Scorecard Analysis

What is the NPS Scorecard?

The National Park Service scorecard is designed as a diagnostic 

tool to evaluate Servicewide performance and efficiency. Adapted 

from private sector balanced scorecards, the NPS scorecard is a 

consolidation of data from existing NPS databases and is used to 

measure efficiency and performance for all units of the National 

Park Service. The scorecard was developed in response to the 

need for the NPS to have a more analytical and transparent 

approach to budgeting. While the NPS Washington and regional 

leadership can utilize these results to focus Servicewide initiatives 

and prioritize park operational needs, the greater value of the 

scorecard results rests in the interpretation of the results at the 

park level. 

Scorecard as a Management Tool

The scorecard is still a fairly new tool in the National Park Service, 

but it already provides valuable information to park management 

teams. Scorecard measures highlight park strengths and help 

identify areas of need so that resources can be used to the greatest 

effect. Results for a core set of financial, organizational, and 

strategic measures are statistically adjusted so that individual 

park units can compare their results to other park units as well as 

regional and national averages. 

Mojave National Preserve provides a good example of how 

scorecard measures can be used to prioritize funding requests and 

divisional activities; the actions detailed in the Priorities section of 

this business plan are very clearly connected to Mojave’s scorecard 

results, both in terms of continuing good practices and addressing 

areas for improvement.

When rated relative to other national park units on financial 

efficiency and strategic performance, based on FY 2006 data, 

Mojave National Preserve is a “Quadrant 2” park unit. This means 

that the preserve is more cost-efficient with its finances and has 

done a good job managing its current projects, but still has some 

areas of need. Specific strengths identified by Mojave’s scorecard 

measures include the following:

n A high degree of budget flexibility, in terms of labor 

obligations as a percentage of base budget;

n Below average overhead costs;

n A very good employee safety record;

n Good maintenance of important preserve assets.

In most cases, the areas of improvement identified by Mojave’s 

scorecard measures are already being addressed by preserve 

management, or steps are being taken to address them in the near 

future. It is also important to take into consideration the preserve’s 

size and relative development in the National Park Service; the 

preserve’s immense size, remote location, and ongoing transition 

from startup to routine operations all impact its scorecard results: 

• High overtime as a percentage of labor costs. The opening 

of Kelso Depot Visitor Center in 2006 led to a spike in overtime, as did a wildfire incident. In addition, Mojave’s extensive 

use of solar electrical systems on preserve facilities means that 

the preserve must service more utility systems than it would 

if all buildings were connected to the electrical grid and were 

serviced by the power company. The preserve’s results in this 

category dropped from 7.81 percent to 4.39 percent between 

FY 2005 and FY 2006, showing that progress is being made.

• High vehicle count, relative to the number of employees.

The preserve’s size and remote location makes fleet 

management difficult. The preserve is in the process of 

reevaluating its fleet needs and showed improvement in the 

fleet size results from FY 2005 to FY 2006.

• Low span of control. As a new park unit, Mojave has required 

experienced managers and technical experts to analyze the 

preserve’s resources and plan out its development, resulting 

in a low employee-manager ratio. As the preserve transitions 

away from startup activities and hires more field staff, this 

measure will continue to improve. 

• Low percentage of GPRA goals achieved. The area’s history 

of mining and ranching has left a high percentage of disturbed 

lands, which is a major reason why Mojave scored poorly on its 

GPRA goals. The preserve will be receiving funds through the 

NPS Centennial Commitment to address disturbed lands.

• Visitor injuries/accidents. The preserve is often used as a 

cut-through between the two major highways on its borders, 

resulting in a high number of traffic accidents. To address this 

issue, Mojave’s Visitor and Resource Protection program plans 

to implement focused patrols, deploy a digital speed sign, and 

increase cooperation with the California Highway Patrol and 

San Bernardino County Sheriff Department. Evening primroses dot the desert dunes at Mojave 

National Preserve. USGS photo by david m. miller
42 I national park service

Appendix B:

Financial History

Mojave National Preserve often shares resources with the other 

desert national parks to accomplish common tasks and share 

expertise. When considering the following graphs, it is important 

to note that the figures include time that Mojave staff spent on 

projects for other parks and do not reflect the cost of all of the 

work performed for Mojave by personnel from other parks.

Fund Source Analysis

In FY 2007 Mojave National Preserve’s budget totaled $5.9 million. As shown in the accompanying chart, the preserve’s budget is 

financed from four sources:

Appropriated Base

The majority of Mojave National Preserve’s funds come from 

its base budget, which is allocated annually by Congress. These 

funds are used to pay permanent staff, lease vehicles, purchase 

equipment, and other everyday operating costs. In FY 2007 the 

preserve’s base budget was $4.3 million or 73 percent of the total 

budget.

Appropriated Non-Base (Projects)

Congress also appropriates funds to the National Park Service for 

one-time projects. Mojave National Preserve competes for these 

funds, which are awarded based on NPS priorities and park need. 

In FY 2007 non-base funding accounted for 15 percent of the 

park’s budget and financed a variety of projects from maintenance 

to resource management; some of the major projects are listed in 

the section entitled “Expenditure of Funds by Functional Area.”

Appropriated Fire Program Funds

Mojave National Preserve hosts an interagency fire center at 

Hole-in-the-Wall. The fire management program works on fire 

prevention and fire suppression not only within the preserve’s 

boundaries, but at nearby national parks and other federal and 

state lands. Because its activities are regional in nature, the fire 

program’s budget is appropriated and managed separately from 

the preserve’s base funds. In this financial analysis, the fire 

program’s $610,000 budget is included in the overall $5.9 million 

budget.

Park Revenue

Revenue is a small part of Mojave’s budget, less than 2 percent 

in FY 2007. The preserve uses the revenue on projects that are 

directly related to its source. For example, the largest source 

Historical Base Funding Trends

Base funding for Mojave National Preserve was $4.3 million in 

FY 2007; these finances support the everyday operation of the preserve. The chart on the following page shows two distinct periods 

in historical base funding.

Established in October 1994, the base budget of Mojave National 

Preserve increased over several years as employees were hired and 

operations were first established.

In later years, the growth of the preserve’s base budget slowed 

as Mojave staff assessed resources, developed programs, created 

of revenue was rent for employee housing; the preserve uses 

this money to help pay for housing unit repairs. Payments to 

rehabilitate resource damage, including hazardous materials 

cleanup, comprised the next largest source of revenue in FY 2007. 

The remainder of revenue included grazing permits, special use 

permits for films, campground fees, and donations. Total revenue 

was $100,000 in FY 2007, or 19 cents per visitor. The nationwide 

park average is about $1.50 per visitor.

 Appropriated Base Funding ($4,310,000)

 Appropriated Non-Base Funding ($910,000)

 Appropriated Fire Program Funding ($610,000)

 Revenue ($100,000)

Mojave National Preserve

FY 2007 Fund Source Analysis

10%

2%

15%

73%
mojave national preserve business plan I 43

interpretive services, and rehabilitated physical structures. From 

FY 2001 to FY 2007, the preserve’s base budget increased at a 

compounded annual growth rate of 3.6 percent. To measure actual 

purchasing power, the base budget should be adjusted using the 

government’s inflation figure, the Consumer Price Index (CPI). 

Adjusted to 2001 dollar amounts, the base budget has increased 

at a modest annual rate of 1.1 percent from 2001 to 2007. Now 

that Mojave National Preserve is transitioning to a national park 

unit with more routine operations, the management team is 

seeking to hire additional field staff. In FY 2007 and FY 2008, 

Mojave National Preserve received an increase of $489,000 to hire 

additional law enforcement rangers. Preserve management hopes 

to receive another operating budget increase in FY 2010 to hire 

additional maintenance staff. These additions will allow Mojave 

National Preserve to better protect and maintain resources and 

assets.

Mojave National Preserve Appropriated Base Budget History

$5,000,000

$4,500,000

$4,000,000

$3,500,000

$3,000,000

$2,500,000

$2,000,000

$1,500,000

$1,000,000

$ 500,000

$ 0

FY96 FY97 FY98 FY99 FY00 FY01 FY02 FY03 FY04 FY05 FY06 FY07

Appropriated Base Inflation Adjusted
Expenditure of Funds by Functional Area

Park Operations

The Current Operations section of this plan discusses the activities 

of each of the six main functional areas of the preserve—Resource 

Management, Interpretation and Education, Visitor and 

Resource Protection, Fire Management, Facility Operation and 

Maintenance, and Management and Administration. The chart 

below displays how the preserve’s budget was spent on these 

different functional areas in FY 2007. 

Overall, the preserve’s budget is fairly balanced across the 

different functional areas. The largest fraction of its budget (23 

percent) was for Resource Management. This is due, in part, to the 

preserve’s efforts to restore former mining and ranching lands to 

a desert ecosystem. For example, within Resource Management, 

the largest expense was restoring disturbed lands. Management 

and Administration comprised 11 percent of the budget; 

functions devoted to overhead—such as contracting, information 

technology support, and budgeting—were only 7.5 percent of the 

operating budget, less than half the average percentage for the 

National Park Service.

One-Time Costs

In analyzing the preserve’s allocation of expenditures, significant 

one-time costs were separated from operational expenses. 

Financed by non-base funds, the preserve undertook a diverse set 

of projects in FY 2006 and FY 2007 including the following:

• Rehabilitating roads ($415,000).

• Repairing and upgrading the Zzyxx Desert Studies Center 

($510,000).

• Replacing inadequate employee housing at Baker, California 

($92,000).

• Performing a hydrological assessment of groundwater in the 

preserve ($70,000).

• Funding research on the endangered Mohave tui chub 

($40,000).

• Creating exhibits for the Kelso Depot ($39,000).

• Assessing the condition of archeological sites ($35,000).

• Installing cameras to evaluate how wildlife use springs and 

guzzlers ($25,000).

• Creating a park collections management plan ($15,000)

• Working with the Youth Conservation Corps on restoration 

projects ($8,000).

Expenditure of Funds by Expense Category

The FY 2007 budget can also be broken down by the category of 

expense. Labor costs are the largest type of expense for Mojave. 

Mojave National Preserve, including its regional fire program, 

employed 77 people. Several staff members were seasonal 

employees, working at Mojave for only part of the year: in total, 

staff worked the equivalent of 51.5 full-time positions (FTE). 

The preserve spent 74 percent of its operating budget on salaries 

and benefits for its permanent employees. This is less than the 

average for the National Park Service and gives Mojave financial 

flexibility to respond to changing conditions. In future years, 

because of a change in how retirement costs are financed, the 

preserve will pay more in employee benefits. Maintaining this 

relatively low labor percentage will become more difficult.

Mojave National Preserve

Fiscal Year 2007 Expenditure of Funds by Functional Area

 Resource Management $ 1,360,000

 Interpretation and Education $ 490,000

Visitor and Resource Protection $ 840,000

Wildland Fire Management $ 600,000

 Facility Operation and Maintenance $ 1,000,000

Management and Administration $ 620,000

 One-Time Charges $ 1,010,000

 Total $ 5,930,000

23%

17%

14%

8%

10%

11%

17%

44 I national park service
The largest individual non-labor expense was the vehicle fleet. 

Following federal policy, the preserve leases vehicles through 

the Government Services Agency (GSA). Unlike smaller parks or 

parks with centralized operations, Mojave requires more vehicles 

per employee to manage its 1.6 million acres.

Other services and contracts comprised another large expense for 

the preserve in FY 2007. Many of the projects discussed here—

such as the groundwater assessment and hazardous materials 

cleanup—are accomplished through contracts. Fixed Assets 

expenditures in FY 2007 included road rehabilitation and land 

acquisition.

Mojave National Preserve

Fiscal Year 2007 Expenditure of Funds by Type

Personnel Salary $ 2,780,000

Personnel Benefits $ 850,000

 Other Services and Contracts $ 550,000

 Travel and Transportation $ 460,000

 Fixed Assets $ 430,000

 Supplies, Materials, and Printing $ 420,000

 Equipment $ 210,000

 Rent, Communications, and Utilities $ 180,000

 Other $ 50,000

 Total $ 5,930,000

47%

9%

14%

7%

8%

7%

1%

3%

4%

Right: Rock formations in Mojave National Preserve. USGS photo by david m. miller

mojave national preserve business plan I 45
Appropriated Non-Base (or Project) Funding – Those funds 

authorized by Congress to support fixed-term projects for a variety 

of park activities (including, but not limited to, construction, 

research, and education).

Appropriation – Congress passes 13 appropriation bills (for each 

part of the administration) so that the government has the funding 

required to operate during a given fiscal year.

Base Funding – Those funds authorized by Congress to support 

basic and ongoing park operations. It does not include funds to 

support one-time or limited-horizon projects and investments.

Business Plan – Concise document that presents financial 

and strategic information for a business to its stakeholders, 

constituents, stockholders, and customers.

Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) – A financial 

statistic that measures average annual growth rate over time, 

similar to a bank account that compounds interest. 

Consumer Price Index (CPI) – An economic statistic that 

measures the price of a representative basket of goods and 

services. The change in CPI over time measures the rate of price 

inflation in the economy. The CPI is published monthly by the 

Federal Government. 

Fiscal Year (FY) – The year’s period over which the government 

keeps its financial records (FY 2005 spans October 2004 to 

September 2005). Only charges incurred during the 12 months

are included in accounting.

Full Time Equivalent (FTE) – One FTE is calculated as the 

number of hours worked in a year by a full-time employee (i.e., 52 

weeks x 40 hours per week = 2,080 hours). For example, a seasonal 

employee working full time for 3 months = 0.25 FTE.

Functional Area – The highest level of classification into 

which park operations are grouped. This includes Resource 

Management, Visitor Experience and Enjoyment, Facility 

Operations, Facility Maintenance, Wildland Fire, and 

Management and Administration.

Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) – GPRA was 

passed to mandate that all federal agencies develop a performancebased management approach which includes a five-year strategic 

plan, annual performance plans, and annual performance reports. 

Investments – One-time expenditures that include both physical 

improvements (e.g., a new bridge or wayside exhibit) as well as 

“informational” improvements (e.g., biological or archeological 

inventories).

Revenue – This funding source includes all fee revenues, permit 

revenues, donated funds, services and items.

Glossary of Terms

Right: Intricate weaving reveals the basket-making 

skills of the Chemehuevi people, a branch of the 

Southern Paiute, nomadic occupants of the Mojave 

Desert for thousands of years. nps photo

Opposite: Wildflowers carpet the desert at Devil's 

Playground. nps photo by anne maasberg

46 I national park service
mojave national preserve business plan I 47
This Business Plan was prepared for Mojave National Preserve 

in collaboration with the Mojave National Preserve senior 

management team:

Dennis Schramm, Superintendent

Larry Whalon, Deputy Superintendent

David Ashe, Chief of Visitor and Resource Protection

Bob Bryson, Chief of Natural Resources

Steve Carlson, Chief of Facilities Operations and Maintenance 

Chuck Heard, Fire Management Officer

Kirk Gebicke, Supervisory Ranger

Linda Slater, Chief of Natural Resources

Lisa Wilson, Chief of Administration

Mojave National Preserve Business Plan Authors:

Chris Clatterbuck, Management Analyst, Business Management 

Group, Office of the Comptroller

Jason Gibson, Management Analyst, Business Management 

Group, Office of the Comptroller

National Park Service Business Management Group:

Bruce Sheaffer, National Park Service Comptroller

Elena Arensman, Chris Clatterbuck, Jason Gibson, Kristen Jontos, 

and Lena McDowell. 

Right: Sunrise illuminates a train in Mojave National Preserve. USGS photo by

david m. miller

Back cover: Mojave desert vegetation is framed by a rustic window in a rock 

house at Evening Star Mine. nps photo by anne maasberg

Printed on recycled paper. Reduce, reuse, and pass this publication along to other readers.

48 I national park service

Acknowledgements

The National Park Service cares for special 

places saved by the American people so that 

all may experience our heritage.

1916

2016

National Park Service

Organic Act, 1916

“. . . to promote and regulate the use of the . . . national parks . . . which purpose is 

to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein 

and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as 

will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.” 
mojave national preserve business plan I 49
Mojave National Preserve

2701 Barstow Rd.

Barstow, CA 92311

www.nps.gov/moja

e xp erience your america T M

National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

Business Management Group

e xp erience your america T M