Category: Uncategorized
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Indigenous Land Transfers Help Meet California 30×30 Conservation Goals
INDIGENOUS LAND TRANSFERS HELP MEET CALIFORNIA 30×30 CONSERVATION GOALS Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Protect Palm Canyon Watershed Palm Springs, CA — The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians (ACBCI) in coordination with Friends of the Desert Mountains (Friends) and the Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy are pleased to announce the return of 656 acres…
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Art in the Park in the Dark: Light Painting with Friends
Welcome! Thank you for joining Friends at Art in the Park in the Dark! Coachella Valley’s dark skies are perfect for this kind of activity. KEEP SCROLLING FOR THE GALLERY OF IMAGES! | CLICK HERE TO MAKE A YEAR-END DONATION TO FRIENDS! Above is a sample of what we did — and here is how…
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Government Shutdown Impacts Friends
Statement from Friends of The Desert Mountains Regarding Federal Government Shutdown Impacts The October 1, 2025 federal shutdown is having multiple detrimental impacts on the daily operations and business dealings of Friends of the Desert Mountains (Friends), the 501(c)3 non-profit partner of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument (Monument) with shared offices…
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Lake Hemet Eaglets Banded For Study
Research Brings Good News, Bad News In the ongoing conservation and recovery efforts for Southern California’s Bald Eagle population, Friends of the Desert Mountains (Friends) in cooperation with the US Forest Service/San Bernardino National Forest (USFS) is delighted to report Lake Hemet’s adult breeding pair successfully hatched two offspring this year. On Wednesday, April 30th,…
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PROTECTING PENINSULAR RANGES BIGHORNS
Environmental Groups Team Up For Trail Education Taking an active hand in stewarding the land, Friends of the Desert Mountains (Friends) is partnering with Bighorn Institute (BI), Riverside County Sheriffs, and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to get the word out on proper trail etiquette, with an emphasis on dogs which have negative impacts…
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COACHELLA VALLEY NATIVE PLANTING GUIDE – updated!
Thank you for planting native plants in Coachella Valley. People often think that the idea of land conservation and protecting native species and habitat is a monumental task. Planting native is an excellent way to start. It’s better for the environment, saves water, increases fire resiliency, encourages local flora and fauna to flourish … and…
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Three New Members Join Friends’ Board:
Fresh Perspectives, Valley-wide Representation At the March 26th Board Meeting, three exceptional new Members joined Friends of the Desert Mountains Board of Directors: Jim Karpiak, Kathleen Lewis, and Evan Trubee. Friends’ all-volunteer Board relies on community members with diverse professional and personal backgrounds to inform decision-making, promote innovation, and ensure our long-term success. Board Chair…
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Wildflower Festival 2025 was super!
Nature was on our side for this year’s Coachella Valley Wildflower Festival held Saturday March 1st in Palm Desert’s Civic Center Park. Nearly 3,000 people [and several well-behaved dogs] shared the great outdoors, good music, and fantastic camaraderie. Our new “Power to the Pollinators” Native Planting area was a hit with Friends of all ages.…
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CHUCKWALLA NATIONAL MONUMENT PRESERVED IN PERPETUITY
Tribal-led effort protects over 600,000 acres WASHINGTON, DC | JANUARY 14, 2025 – Friends of the Desert Mountains is elated President Joe Biden has designated the Chuckwalla National Monument! This long-advocated for move protects over 600,000 acres of natural desert lands from the Coachella Valley to the Colorado River. Our community has shown strong support…
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Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland Visits Chuckwalla Proposal Area
RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. — Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland visited Southern California last week, where she met with federal, state, Tribal and local officials and community members to learn about their vision for conserving the area’s natural and cultural resources and meeting shared clean energy goals through the proposed establishment of Chuckwalla National Monument…