Trump Administration Denial of Joshua Tree Protection Tossed (1)

The Trump administration’s decision not to protect the Joshua tree will be set aside after a California federal court found its findings on the threats posed by climate change and wildfire were unsupported and irrational.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said in August 2019 that listing the succulent plants as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act was unwarranted. The agency based its decision on the species’ long life span, large range and distribution, and ability to exist in multiple ecological settings.

Joshua trees aren’t harmed by climate change to warrant listing them as threatened, the agency said. ...