Land for proposed Joshua Hill project purchased (by 2 conservancies)

Bakersfield Californian ^ | 7/1/04 | AP - LA

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LOS ANGELES (AP) - Two conservancies paid $13.2 million to purchase 4,520 acres of sensitive desert habitat once slated to become the site of a new city, the conservancies announced Thursday.

In addition, the Nature Conservancy and the state-owned Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy said they would buy about another 4,000 acres as part of their plan to protect sand dunes and palm oases and to create a wildlife corridor between the nearly 800,000-acre Joshua Tree National Park and the 20,000-acre Coachella Valley Preserve in southeastern California.

The land was once slated as the site of the Joshua Hills development, which would have been adjacent to the park and was to include 7,000 homes, 12 golf courses and three hotels.

Upon completing the deal, the Nature Conservancy transferred ownership of the property to the nonprofit group, Friends of the Desert and Mountains, and the Coachella Valley Association of Governments for long-term conservation.

The seller of the property, Edmonton, Alberta-based Cathton Investments, did not return calls for comment Thursday, which was the Canada Day holiday.

Several groups funded the purchase, including the Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy, the Coachella Valley Association of Governments, the city of Palm Desert, the Resources Legacy Fund Foundation, and The Nature Conservancy.

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"We" just bought some desert land.

I thought the state was thinking about selling assets and not accumulating more.

They say it is to preserve the habitat and preserve dunes and oasis. We'll see.

[NormsRevenge]

The Friends of the Desert Mountains

The Friends of the Desert Mountains have a simple, but important, purpose-to secure and protect natural open space in the mountains and on the desert floor of the Coachella Valley. By helping protect a network of natural areas, the Friends work to balance development with conservation and encourage residents and visitors to appreciate and enjoy our natural resources. Edison provided support by becoming an Adopt-An-Acre Legacy Conservator, ensuring that lands will be held in trust to protect wildlife habitat, cultural heritage and recreational resources for future generations.