California Desert Protection Act of 1994 Law and Legal Definition
The California Desert Protection Act of 1994 (“Act”) is a U.S. federal legislation that established the Death Valley National Park, Joshua Tree National Parks and the Mojave National Preserve in the California desert. The provisions of the Act are codified at 16 USCS §§ 410aaa through 410aaa-83. This federal law came into force as a result of Congress’s findings that the federally owned desert lands of southern California constitute a public wildland resource of extraordinary and inestimable value for current and future generations. Therefore, steps were taken to protect and preserve these deserts.
The Act abolished the Death Valley National Monument and incorporated its lands into a new Death Valley National Park to be administered as part of the National Park System. The Act also abolished the Joshua Tree National Monument, and incorporated its lands into Joshua Tree National Park.
