Sen. Feinstein announces new desert protection bill

On the 20th anniversary of the original California Desert Protection Act, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) announced a new bill that would add two new national monuments in the state.

“This bill will be a first day bill. The day the United States Senate goes back,” says Feinstein.

One national monument would be the Mojave Trails National Monument which would protect 942,000 acres of federal land between Joshua Tree National Park and the Mojave Preserve along historic Route 66 in San Bernardino County.

The other would be called the Sand to Snow National Monument covering about 135,000 acres of federal land between Joshua Tree National Park and the San Bernardino National Forest in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

Senator Feinstein says she has always loved the desert. “You know you can’t take it for granted,” says Feinstein, “because you know that somebody, some group, some builder, some developer, is going to do something to hurt it, and God forbid even destroy it.”

Feinstein believes with bipartisan support the new bill could be on the Presidents desk in two years.