If there’s one thing that unites the residents and visitors of this area; it’s an intense interest in the future of our desert. The second would be a desire to keep this place intact – no matter who I ask “What do you want this area to look like half a century from now,” the answer is almost always “the same as now.”

This agreement is the tie that binds us as desert defenders, and it’s why I’ve dedicated my work and my passion toward protecting public lands and wild and scenic rivers. This year marks the 25th Anniversary of the California Desert Protection Act, which protected Death Valley National Park and a number of wilderness areas like the Nopah and Kingston Ranges. Two weeks ago, the California Desert Protection and Recreation Act was signed into law, the next chapter of this 25-year effort to better manage the California Desert.

Read the full op-ed as printed in the Inyo Register.