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Councilors warn Joshua tree protections could delay development and add costs for projects
Summary
Council members and regional partners described state‑level listing or regulatory action around Joshua trees that, they said, could require fees, relocation, multi‑year monitoring and impede local development; council said it is working with regional partners and the Department of Fish and Game to seek solutions.
Council members discussed state actions and proposed guidelines affecting Joshua trees and said those rules could impose substantial costs and delays on local development.
A council member told colleagues that proposed Department of Fish and Game measures and related guidelines could require property owners and developers to pay a fee for sites with Joshua trees, pay to move trees, and monitor relocated specimens for three years. The speaker described scenarios in which contractors found previously unseen sprouts during clearing and had to stop work, creating delays and additional costs.
Council members said the fee and monitoring structure discussed in state and agency forums had been calculated in some cases to cost between $8,000 and $10,000 per Joshua tree and add months to project schedules. They said the rules as written could deter municipalities or private entities from accepting transplanted trees because post‑transplant monitoring and site restrictions (including a 30‑foot protection zone in parks or near public infrastructure) would restrict future site use.
Speakers argued the regulations can have unintended—or, in their view, effectively intended—consequences for rural communities and local development. Council members reported working with the Building Industry Association, other cities and county representatives, and the League of California Cities to press for local control or clearer guidance. They said the issue was under active discussion at regional meetings and that the town planned further talks with state representatives to explain local impacts.
Ending: Councilors said they will continue regional coordination and follow up with state agencies to seek adjustments or clarifications on Joshua tree guidelines to reduce unexpected project delays and costs.
