PreserveManagement
| The Coachella Valley Preserve is a model of cooperation between federal, state, and private conservation efforts for managing sensitive natural areas. It is comprised of three separate Preserves set aside for conservation in a landmark Habitat Conservation Plan in 1986 (see map below). These are the Whitewater Preserve, the Edom Hill/Willow Hole Preserve and the Thousand Palms Preserve. The Whitewater Preserve is largely owned and managed by The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD). The Edom Hill Preserve has a patchwork of land ownership including BLM, the Center for Natural Lands Management, The Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy, The US Fish and Wildlife Service, The Coachella Valley Association of Governments, and Friends of the Desert Mountains. Additional conservation lands adjacent to the Preserve and outside of it are constantly being acquired to "flesh out" this Preserve. It is primarily managed by the BLM. The Center for Natural Lands Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Lands Management, California Department of Fish and Game, and California State Parks, the Coachella Valley Water District and the Friends of the Desert Mountain are all part-owners of the Thousand Palms Preserve. Each manages its own land in concert with the others. Preserve rules, policies and procedures are agreed on by the entire management team and are enforced on all land within the Preserve, regardless of owner. This is important to understand, as there is commonly misunderstanding because of this patchwork of ownership. The Center for Natural Lands Management and the Nature Conservancy own the heart of the Preserve, containing the Thousand Palms and McCallum Groves. The extensive trail system starts here at the Palm Log Visitor's Center. In addition to acting as the eyes and ears for the entire management team, the Center coordinates the management of the entire Preserve and manages the Visitors Center and trail system. The Center for Natural Lands Management is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to science based management of sensitive areas. The Preserve has been designated an Area of Conservation and Ecological Concern (ACEC) by The Bureau of Land Management. This means that the rules for access to BLM land is different than what is generally accepted about BLM land. In many cases, BLM land is open to the public for hiking, camping, etc. On the Preserve, hiking is only allowed on approved trails, even on BLM land. There are no approved jeep trails on BLM land, nor is access allowed even on dirt roads within the Preserve. The USFWS Refuge that makes up the lower 1/3 of the Preserve is the only Refuge that is off limits to people. This portion of the Preserve harbors the federally endangered Coachella Valley Fringe-toed lizard. Dune tours are available seasonally, but access to the Dunes is restricted. The Department of Fish and Game has declared the Preserve an Ecological Reserve. Hunting and fishing are not allowed on this land. The Department owns land containing sand dunes and sand fields in the southern portion of the Preserve. The Nature Conservancy was one of the major forces behind the formation of this Preserve. In 1998 it began the process of transferring both land and management responsibility to the Center for Natural Lands Management for the land they owned in the Preserve. For more information on any aspect of the preserve’s management feel free to call at: (760)-343-1234 Info by email To reach any of the partner agencies call: The Center for Natural Lands Management 760-343-1234 Bureau of Land Management: 760 833-7100 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: 760 348-5278 California Department of Fish and Game: 760 200-9158 California State Parks: 760 767-4037 |
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