As the production crew of The Desert Speaks travels throughout the Sonoran Desert region taping stories for the next season, KUAT offers an on-going journal of the crew's experiences as they occur. Take a sneak peek behind the scenes of The Desert Speaks. To send feedback to the crew of The Desert Speaks, click here . Despite assurances to the contrary, we are on the road to a shoot where we don't know if we even have permission to film. For several months now, we have been in contact with the Federal officials in an effort to secure filming permits - a thankless job on both sides of the conversations.
Federal regulations are a bit like blending oil and water.
Unbeknownst to us, since the last time we were permitted for filming on Federal land, they have changed the regulations. What has worked in the past, isn't this time. After repeated cell phone calls and calling in a few favors, the first Federal agency, Joshua Tree National Monument agrees to issue a permit. Albeit, the most restrictive we have ever had in eleven years of filming on Federal Land. The other two quickly agree.