Joshua Tree National Park

Eagle Mountain Boundary Study

National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

Public Scoping

Newsletter 1, Summer 2015

The National Park Service (NPS) is conducting a boundary study to explore 

whether it would be appropriate and feasible to add lands in the Eagle Mountain 

area in Riverside County to Joshua Tree National Park. The NPS is in the public 

scoping phase of the study process. It is called “scoping” because with your input, 

we are determining the “scope” or overall approach to the study. The initial 

comment period for this study has started, and will extend through August 21, 

2015. 

This newsletter provides an overview of the study process and some preliminary 

findings and options under consideration by the NPS. I invite you to share your 

ideas and comments about the information presented in the newsletter. 

Please join us for one of four public meetings to be held in July and August. At 

these meetings, the NPS study team will explain the study process, share some 

preliminary findings and options, answer your questions, and gather your ideas 

for the study. 

Thank you for taking the time to learn about and comment on this study. You 

may share your thoughts by mail, e-mail, online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/

eaglemountain, or at one of the upcoming public meetings. Future opportunities 

to comment during the study process are included in the newsletter. 

We look forward to hearing from you! Your participation is a key component of 

this process. 

Sincerely,

David Smith

Superintendent

Joshua Tree National Park

Dear Friends:

Newsletter Contents 

This newsletter provides an 

introduction to the study, 

including:

•	 What is a boundary study?

•	 Study area map and 

description

•	 Why is the NPS conducting 

this study (purpose and 

need)?

•	 Preliminary findings and 

boundary options

•	 How you can participate

•	 Public meeting schedule and 

locations

Join Us for Upcoming 

Public Meetings!

Online Meeting

July 29, 2015 • 1:30 -3 pm Pacific Time

Desert Center, CA

August 4, 2015 • 6-8 pm

Joshua Tree, CA

August 5, 2015 • 6-8 pm

Palm Desert, CA

August 6, 2015 • 6-8 pm
2 • Eagle Mountain Boundary Study • Newsletter #1 • Public Scoping

This study examines the cultural, historic, and natural 

significance of the study area lands to determine whether 

they contribute to the purpose of Joshua Tree National Park. 

The NPS will evaluate the properties under consideration 

according to criteria set forth in NPS Management Policies

2006. For lands to be included in a boundary expansion, at 

least one of three criteria must be met.

The inclusion of the properties must:

• protect significant resources and values, or enhance 

opportunities for public enjoyment related to park 

purposes;

• address operational and management issues, such as the 

need for access or the need for boundaries to correspond 

to logical boundary delineations such as topographic 

features or roads; or

• otherwise protect park resources that are critical to 

fulfilling park purposes.

Those lands found suitable under the foregoing criteria must 

further meet the following two requirements:

• The added lands will be feasible to administer, 

considering size, configuration, and ownership; costs; 

the views of and impacts on local communities and 

surrounding jurisdictions; and other factors such as 

the presence of structures, hazardous substances, or 

nonnative species.

• Other alternatives for management and resource 

protection are not adequate. 

What is a Boundary Study?

Elements of the Boundary Study

In evaluating properties for possible inclusion within the 

park’s boundary, the process includes the following steps:

• Identification of the study area;

• Evaluation of study area resources, land uses, and 

opportunities;

• Application of the boundary adjustment criteria to 

potential addition lands;

• Development of alternatives;

• Assessment of the impacts of each alternative 

(including a no action alternative) on cultural, natural, 

and socioeconomic resources.

Study Area

The study area includes approximately 32,000 acres of land 

in the Eagle Mountains and Chuckwalla Valley. Located 

in Riverside County, California, the study area is bounded 

to the south, west, and north by Joshua Tree National 

Park. The eastern border is defined by the Colorado 

River Aqueduct, which roughly formed the original park 

boundary established in 1936. Located approximately ten 

miles north of Interstate 10, primary access to the area 

is through the town of Desert Center via Kaiser Road. 

Most lands are owned and managed by the Bureau of 

Land Management. However, the area also contains state, 

school district, private, and Metropolitan Water District of 

Southern California-owned lands.
Eagle Mountain Boundary Study • Newsletter #1 • Public Scoping • 3 

Purpose and Need 

study area ceased around 1983, although some smaller 

scale mining activity has continued. In 1989, the area was 

proposed for a landfill. After decades of challenges and 

litigation, the landfill proposal was withdrawn in 2013. 

However, lands within the area and surrounding region 

continue to be open to various development proposals. 

Through the California Desert Protection Act of 1994, 

Congress expressly found that “the monument boundaries 

as modified in 1950 and 1961 exclude and thereby expose 

to incompatible development and inconsistent management, 

contiguous Federal lands of essential and superlative natural, 

ecological, archeological, paleontological, cultural, historical, 

and wilderness values.”

The cumulative and synergistic effect of changes in land 

use to the region as a result of energy development, 

urbanization, and the effects of climate change have the 

potential to dramatically impact the protection of biodiversity 

within Joshua Tree National Park. The Eagle Mountain area 

remains a key building block for landscape-scale conservation 

in the California desert. 

Recent studies have documented the particular importance of 

the area for the migration of bighorn sheep populations. In 

addition, the study area: 1) contains prehistoric and historic 

resources that expand on cultural themes interpreted at the 

national park; 2) could offer new opportunities for public 

enjoyment; and 3) contains areas important for maintaining 

wilderness values within Joshua Tree National Park. 

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the potential for 

adding study area lands to Joshua Tree National Park in 

order to (a) protect important natural and cultural resources 

associated with the primary purpose of the park, and (b) 

address other park management issues. 

A separate but related process is under consideration 

between the National Park Service (NPS) and Bureau of Land 

Management (BLM) to explore an administrative transfer of 

BLM lands in the Eagle Mountain area to the NPS to manage 

as part of Joshua Tree National Park. This process would be 

initiated through the publication of a notice in the Federal 

Register indicating that the BLM lands in the area would be 

closed to new mining, mineral, and geothermal claims and 

to sale and settlement for up to two years while the agencies 

evaluate the effects of a potential land transfer. Valid existing 

rights in the public lands would not be affected by this 

notice. During this two-year period, proposed new land uses 

under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act would have 

to take into consideration any potential effects on NPS resource 

values. A federal land transfer will be the subject of a separate 

public meeting that will take place in Fall 2015.

Need

Originally part of Joshua Tree National Monument when 

designated in 1936, the area was later removed for mineral 

extraction activities in 1950. Major mining activities in the 

“The purpose of Joshua Tree National Park 

is to preserve and protect the scenic, natural, 

and cultural resources representative of the 

Colorado and Mojave deserts’ rich biological 

and geological diversity, cultural history, 

wilderness, recreational values, and outstanding 

opportunities for education and scientific study.”

For areas to be considered for a boundary adjustment, they 

must be found to protect significant resources and values, or 

enhance opportunities for public enjoyment related to park 

purposes. The purpose statement of a national park identifies 

the specific reason(s) for establishment of a particular park. 

Purpose statements are grounded in a park’s authorizing 

legislation. Preliminary analysis by the NPS indicates that the 

following resources and values within the study area could 

contribute to the protection of resources related to the 

purpose of Joshua Tree National Park.

Biologically Rich Mojave and Colorado Desert 

Landscapes

Outstanding examples of Mojave and Colorado Desert 

landscapes that converge at Joshua Tree National Park 

create a biologically rich system of plant and animal life 

characterized by iconic Joshua tree woodlands, native palm 

oases, and vast expanses of creosote scrub that are uniquely 

adapted to desert conditions. The park also contributes 

significantly to the connectivity of open lands and large 

protected areas across the California desert.

The study area contains a rich array of desert habitat. Of 

particular importance is the use of the area for the migration 

of sensitive wildlife in Joshua Tree National Park and other 

protected areas in the Mojave and Colorado deserts. One of 

the most genetically diverse bighorn populations reside in the 

Eagle Mountains. Recent studies indicate that the study area 

contains an important regional genetic and demographic 

corridor for desert bighorn sheep. The study area also 

contains habitat for golden eagles and the threatened desert 

tortoise.

Resources Related to the Purpose of Joshua Tree National Park
4 • Eagle Mountain Boundary Study • Newsletter #1 • Public Scoping

Research and Educational opportunities

Joshua Tree National Park offers unparalleled opportunities 

for research of arid land ecosystems and processes, 

adaptations of and to desert life, sustainability, and 

indications of climate change. The proximity of the park to 

urban regions of Southern California and Nevada enhances 

its value for scientific research and education. The Eagle 

Mountain area could provide new opportunities to conduct 

research on the restoration of ecological communities, 

wildlife habitat values, and cultural resources within the study 

area. 

Cultural Resources 

Joshua Tree National Park preserves a rich array of prehistoric, 

historic, and contemporary resources that demonstrate the 

integral connection between desert ecosystems, land use, 

and human cultures. Encapsulated in this aspect of park 

significance is a wide array of archeological resources, historic 

structures, and cultural landscapes.

Study area resources such as the Eagle Mountain mine, 

Townsite, and railroad could expand on mining history 

themes currently interpreted at Joshua Tree National Park. 

Structures sites, structures, and artifacts within the study area 

related to the Eagle Mine operations provide an opportunity 

to convey the cultural contribution and story of mining in the 

20th century, and its relevance to the growth of southern 

California. The study area may also offer opportunities to 

protect and interpret new types of resources that depict 

human history in the desert, including the Colorado River 

Aqueduct and General Patton’s World War II Training Camp.

New Visitor Opportunities

Joshua Tree National Park provides accessible and diverse 

opportunities in a remote desert to large and burgeoning 

urban populations. It is within a two-hour drive from the 

Los Angeles and San Diego metropolitan areas and receives 

almost 1.5 million visitors annually. Existing infrastructure 

within the study area such as roads and facilities could 

provide access for visitors to an area of the park that is 

currently difficult to reach and experience. Such infrastructure 

could also help address current recreational demands 

at Joshua Tree National Park such as for camping and 

biking. Cultural resources provide new opportunities for 

interpretation and education regarding the area’s cultural 

history.

Protection of Wilderness Values

Outside of the disturbed mine areas, the study area contains 

pristine and untrammeled lands that abut Joshua Tree 

National Park wilderness areas. Solitude, dark night skies, 

quiet, and expansive views reward the exploring visitor who 

wanders beyond the main roads into Joshua Tree Wilderness. 

The congressionally designated Joshua Tree Wilderness 

comprises approximately seventy-five percent of Joshua Tree 

National Park. Collectively, 84% of the park is designated, 

proposed or potential wilderness.

The wilderness areas adjacent to the study area are some of 

the most pristine in the national park. Values include dark 

night skies, high air quality, and natural quiet, all of which 

could be affected by proposed future uses of the area. 

Inclusion of these lands within the national park boundary 

could ensure a greater degree of protection of the park’s 

wilderness values.

Scenic Resources

Geologic, climatic, and ecological processes create scenic 

landscapes unique to deserts and fundamental to the character of Joshua Tree National Park. Despite visual disturbances 

from previous mining activities, much of the study area 

contains scenic landscapes visible from Joshua Tree National 

Park. Protection of lands adjacent to Joshua Tree National 

Park wilderness could benefit the natural and untrammeled 

character of the park’s designated wilderness areas. 

Addresses Operational and Management 

Issues such as Access and Boundary

Including study area lands within the national park boundary 

could address a number of operational and management 

issues including: improved access for visitors and NPS staff 

to this remote area of the park, a more logical boundary 

delineation, the ability for NPS to ensure that these lands are 

managed in a way that will not impact park resources. 
Eagle Mountain Boundary Study • Newsletter #1 • Public Scoping • 5 

The National Park Service has developed some preliminary 

options to explore a range of opportunities through the 

study process. Through evaluating these options, the NPS 

will develop alternatives that will be evaluated in a draft 

study report along with an environmental assessment. These 

options, along with current management and ownership 

which would be considered as a no action alternative in the 

boundary study, are described in the pages to follow. 

Implementation of any of the options considered in the study 

would require additional action. Federal lands managed 

by the BLM could be administratively transferred to the 

NPS as authorized by provisions of the Land and Water 

Conservation Fund (LWCF) Act and the Federal Land Policy 

and Management Act (FLPMA). Inclusion of local, state, 

or privately-owned lands in a boundary adjustment would 

require Congressional action, unless such lands were donated 

to the National Park Service, in which case such lands could 

be included in an administrative boundary adjustment. 

None of the options considered would change private land 

ownership or mineral rights.

Option: Current Management and Ownership 

(No Action). Most study area lands (over 70%) are owned 

and managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), 

approximately 23,000 acres. BLM’s 1980 California Desert 

Conservation Plan classifies lands in the Eagle Mountain 

area as Class M (moderate use) and Class I (intensive 

Preliminary Options for Boundary Adjustments

use). The area also contains privately-owned lands, most 

of which are associated with the former Eagle Mountain 

mine and townsite. The patented and unpatented mining 

claims comprising the mine site are owned by Kaiser Eagle 

Mountain, LLC. The State Lands Commission manages over 

400 acres of State School Lands within the east and central 

mine pits. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern 

California owns and manages approximately 2,800 acres 

to operate, manage, and maintain the Colorado River 

Aqueduct. Finally, the Eagle Mountain School (K-8) is 

located adjacent to the Eagle Mountain Townsite area and is 

operated by the Desert Center Unified School District.

Under current management recreation and visitation is 

sparse. Access to the area is limited and much of the 

surrounding lands are remote wilderness areas within Joshua 

Tree National Park. There is no visitor access from the south 

as lands associated with the Eagle Mountain mine are closed 

and gated. From the west, access is from the park via Black 

Eagle Mine Road. However, the road is only passable by allwheel drive vehicles and it is closed/blocked approximately 

several miles east of the national park boundary.

Two energy-related projects are proposed for the area, 

including lands that have been withdrawn under the Federal 

Power Act for the Eagle Crest Energy Company’s (Eagle 

Crest) Eagle Mountain Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Project. 

This project received a 50-year license from the Federal Energy 

Regulatory Commission (FERC) in June 2014. 

Current Management and Ownership
6 • Eagle Mountain Boundary Study • Newsletter #1 • Public Scoping

Option: Restore 1936 Boundary to Provide Diverse Visitor and Resource Protection 

Opportunities (~28,000 acres)

Under this option the Joshua Tree National Park boundary 

could be expanded to include existing federally-owned and 

managed lands within the study area. Approximately 22,500 

acres of land would be transferred from the BLM to the 

NPS. All mineral rights would be retained by current owners. 

Proposed transfer areas would not include BLM lands that 

have been previously withdrawn under the Federal Power 

Act for the Eagle Crest Energy Company’s Eagle Mountain 

Pumped Storage Project. This project received a 50-year 

license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) 

in June 2014.

This option would include undisturbed lands that contain 

habitat important for landscape-scale conservation of the 

California desert and protect park wilderness values. Visitor 

opportunities and access from the park could be improved 

under this option. For example, there is potential for 

backcountry hiking and informal camping. Access would 

continue to be limited on private and state-owned lands. 

However, the NPS could explore cooperative opportunities to 

provide access from the east. 

Preliminary Options for Boundary Adjustments

Option: Federal Agency to Agency Land Transfer (~22,500 acres) 

Under this option the Joshua Tree National Park boundary 

could be expanded to include existing federally-owned and 

managed lands within the study area. Privately-owned lands 

west of the FERC license withdrawal area could also be 

considered for inclusion in the park boundary in this option. 

The boundary adjustment would not change private land 

ownership and mineral rights. Private land could be acquired 

through donation or purchase (in fee). NPS policy is to 

acquire land from willing sellers. 

This option could allow for greater protection of existing 

habitat, restoration opportunities, and landscape 

connectivity for wildlife such as bighorn sheep. Visitor 

opportunities would be similar to the agency to agency land 

transfer option. Access would be limited on private and 

state-owned lands and on the lands needed for the FERClicensed energy project. However, the NPS could explore 

cooperative opportunities to provide access from the east. 

Option: Agency Transfer with Enhanced Habitat Connectivity and Recreation (~24,800 acres) 

All areas west of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern 

California’s aqueduct lands would be included in the park 

(approximately 28,000 acres), restoring lands that were 

removed from the NPS boundary in 1950. The boundary 

adjustment would not change private land ownership or 

existing mineral rights. Private land could be acquired through 

donation or purchase. NPS policy is to acquire land from 

willing sellers. 

This option could offer the greatest potential for protection of 

existing habitat and enhancing landscape-scale connectivity 

and restoration for area wildlife, including bighorn sheep. It 

would also provide an opportunity to fully protect cultural 

landscapes associated with historic mining, including the Eagle 

Mountain Townsite if such lands were to become available. A 

wider range of visitor opportunities could occur with greater 

access and more lands potentially available for park use. 
Eagle Mountain Boundary Study • Newsletter #1 • Public Scoping • 7 

Mail: 

Joshua Tree National Park

74485 National Park Drive

Twentynine Palms, CA 92277-3597

Phone: 

David Smith, Superintendent

Joshua Tree National Park

Phone: 760-367-5500

Barbara Butler Baunsgard, 

Project Manager

Pacific West Regional Office

Phone: 415-623-2311

Project Web Site:

For current information and to 

provide comments directly online:

http://parkplanning.nps.gov/

eaglemountain

Park Web Site:

http://www.nps.gov/jotr

E-mail: JOTR_study@nps.gov

How to Participate

Boundary Study Schedule

Estimated 

Time Frame

Planning Activity Public Involvement Opportunities

Summer 

2015

Conduct Public Scoping

Share information about the 

study process

Identify issues and information 

that need to be addressed in the 

study

• Review Newsletter 1 

• Send us your ideas and concerns

• Participate in public meetings 

and voice your ideas and 

concerns with the planning team

Fall 2015 - 

Winter 

2016

Prepare and Distribute Draft 

Study/EA

Complete boundary adjustment 

criteria analysis and develop 

alternatives based on comments 

from the public, park partners, 

government agencies, and other 

stakeholders.

• Review draft study/EA or 

summary newsletter 

• Send us your written comments 

on the draft study/EA 

• Participate in public meetings 

and voice your ideas and 

concerns

Spring/

Summer

 2016

Complete Study

Evaluate comments

Prepare and issue a Finding of No 

Significant Impact

• Review final documents on 

study website

We are currently at this step 

Let Us Know What You Think!

There will be several opportunities to share your thoughts 

and ideas, and your comments are important to us. Please 

share your thoughts and insights on the following 

questions that will help inform the study process:

1. Among the many factors that the National Park Service will 

consider in evaluating the criteria and options for a proposed 

boundary adjustment are public access and the need for the 

protection of resources associated with the park’s purpose. 

What information should we consider in further investigating 

these topics? Your knowledge of these lands will help inform 

the evaluation.

2. Of the various options presented in the newsletter, which 

one(s) do think would be most appropriate? Are there other 

options that you think the NPS should consider?

3. What resources in the area do you think are most 

important. Wny?

4. Are there other specific areas of concern that the National 

Park Service should be aware of?

How to Comment. You can mail or e-mail us your written 

comments (see contact information below), attend one of 

the public meetings, or submit your comments electronically 

through the study website. Comments will be accepted 

through August 21, 2015.

Public Meeting Schedule

The NPS will host a series of public meetings throughout the 

study area in Summer 2015 to share information of initial 

findings. In addition, an online meeting will be conducted 

via the Internet. Please visit the study website for more 

information. http://parkplanning.nps.gov/eaglemountain

Our practice is to make comments, including names, home addresses, home phone numbers, and email addresses of respondents, 

available for public review. Individual respondents may request that we withhold their names and/or home addresses, etc., but if you 

wish us to consider withholding this information you must state this prominently at the beginning of your comments. In addition, you 

must present a rationale for withholding this information. This rationale must demonstrate that disclosure would constitute a clearly 

unwarranted invasion of privacy. Unsupported assertions will not meet this burden. In the absence of exceptional, documentable 

circumstances, this information will be released. We will always make submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals 

identifying themselves as representatives of or officials of organizations or businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety. 

Online Meeting

July 29, 2015 • 1:30 -3 pm 

Pacific Standard Time

See study website for more 

information.

Desert Center, CA

August 4, 2015 • 6-8 pm

Lake Tamarisk Community 

Center

26-251 Parkview Dr

Joshua Tree, CA

August 5, 2015 • 6-8 pm

Joshua Tree Community 

Center

6171 Sunburst Street

Palm Desert, CA

August 6, 2015 • 6-8 pm

University of California, 

Riverside - Palm Desert 

Center

75080 Frank Sinatra Drive
Superintendent

Joshua Tree National Park

74485 National Park Drive

Twentynine Palms, CA 92277-3597

EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA TM

Joshua Tree National Park

Eagle Mountain Boundary Study/Environmental Assessment

Newsletter #1, Public Scoping, Summer 2015

Join us for upcoming 

public meetings! 

Schedule inside.