Prickly Job Ahead At Joshua Tree National Park

Submitted by NPT Staff on October 12, 2012 - 1:36am

Upwards of 800 cholla cactus plants will be dug up to be returned to the area near the Cholla Cactus Garden in Joshua Tree National Park after a road-straightening project is completed. Kurt Repanshek photo.

This is one thorny job.

Beginning October 15 and continuing through the end of December, a contractor will be working along the Pinto Basin Road in Joshua Tree National Park to salvage up to 800 cholla cactus plants prior to a road straightening project slated to begin in 2013.

Visitors will notice work along the Pinto Basin Road through the Cholla Cactus Garden area. The plants will be stored until they can be transplanted back into the Cholla Cactus Garden after the road project is complete. The park expects a 75 – 85 percent plant survival rate.

Pinto Basin Road is expected to remain open during this salvage work and only minor delays can be expected. Visitors are asked to use caution when traveling this curvy section of road.

Comments

Submitted by Lauren Pearce (not verified) on October 16, 2012 - 11:38am.

Why do we need to straighten the road! The road through Joshua Tree is absolutely fabulous! This is a waste of federal funds!

Submitted by Lee Dalton on October 16, 2012 - 11:54am.

Lauren, it's probably because some Congresscritter needs an excuse to be re-elected and needs to be able to point to some kind of accomplishment. That's much more important than actually living up to the promises to save taxpayers money. (And before all the anonymouses come out of their holes -- that's sarcasm.)

Or perhaps there could really be a good reason -- like safety.

I think I know right where this project is and it's a section of road that has some serious blind spots right at a busy pedestrian crossing. Why not ask the park to tell us?

Submitted by David Orr (not verified) on November 2, 2012 - 9:41am.

There are PEOPLE lining up for FOOD in New York, and the Federal government is paying to move cactus in the desert?

WHAT????

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on November 2, 2012 - 9:49am.

David, this was lined up and budgeted for long before Sandy arrived.