Native American Land Conservancy Announces Project To Protect Thousands Of Acres In Mojave Desert

PALM DESERT, Calif. - April 17, 2015 - PRLog -- Over 2,500 acres of land in the eastern Mojave Desert is getting much needed work done to preserve and protect sacred land owned by the Native American Land Conservancy (NALC). A ceremony and blessing along with a tour of the preserves will be held on Saturday, May 23^rd from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The NALC received the majority of funding for the $510,000 project in the Old Woman Mountains Preserve from the California State Parks OHV Grants and Cooperative Agreements Program supplemented by contributions from the Needles Office of the Bureau of Land Management and the NALC.  The first phase of the project is slated for completion by the first week in April.

The restoration project includes adding six information kiosks, signage, a ranch-style gateway portal to the Preserve, erosion control, and miles of barbless wires fencing and cable strategically placed to block unauthorized off-highway vehicle use and put an end to poaching.  Money from the three-year grant will also be devoted to regular site monitoring and for the creation of a ten-acre restoration garden and interpretive trail.

“This is really a pioneering project because it is a unique partnership between private land owners, agencies, environmental organizations, institutions of higher learning, and a Native American non-profit,” said Dr. Kurt Russo, Executive Director of the Native American Land Conservancy.  “The support we have received for this natural and cultural heritage initiative has been truly inspiring.  We are honored to help facilitate this partnership and be able to protect and preserve this pristine landscape in the Mojave Desert for future generations.”

The Old Woman Mountains Preserve is a cultural and biological sanctuary that once served as the meeting place for multiple American Indian tribes. Rock art can be found throughout the Old Woman Mountains that date back 600-800 years. It is also home to over 30 species of migratory birds, one-third of all the native plant communities in California, as well as iconic animal species such as desert tortoise, big horn sheep and golden eagle.

The NALC protects endangered Native American sacred sites and areas. Founded in 1998, the NALC has acquired threatened cultural landscapes, organized conferences in order to promote Native American land preservation, issued numerous publications, helped start other Native land conservancies in California, and formed cooperative agreements with tribes, public agencies,
and conservation groups.  It also conducts Learning Landscape programs to ensure the preservation of ancestral knowledge of nature.

For more information visit:  www.NALC4all.org or call 360-961-4554  The NALC is an intertribal  501 (c) (3)  organization.