Property owners across California's high desert just got a break on one of the most frustrating parts of living alongside a federally unprotected but state-shielded icon: dealing with a dead or dangerous Western Joshua tree. Governor Gavin Newsom signed two bills Tuesday that simplify how residents remove hazardous trees near their homes and expand how Native American tribes can legally access the species for cultural purposes.
Assembly Bill 1663, introduced by Assemblymember Greg Wallis, simplifies the no-fee permit process for removing or trimming hazardous Western Joshua trees by letting property owners assign authorized agents, such as contractors or property managers, to handle applications without needing extra certification, according to KESQ. The same bill also expanded the state's authority to enter into formal agreements with Native American tribes over the cultural use of Western Joshua trees, explicitly authorizing the purchase and sale of trees for tribal cultural purposes, per the same report.
As reported by the Palm Springs Desert Sun, California is making it easier for property owners to remove dead or hazardous Western Joshua trees while also expanding how tribes can legally obtain and use the protected species for cultural purposes.
A Companion Bill Targets Homeowner Costs
Newsom also signed Assembly Bill 1808, authored by Assemblymember Juan Carrillo, the same day. That bill allows single-family homeowners to remove or trim up to 10 Western Joshua trees without paying mitigation fees, provided the trees sit within specified distances of structures or construction footprints, according to Z107.7 FM.
Before these amendments, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's free hazard management permits were strictly limited to trees that had fallen within 30 feet of a structure, leaned against a building, or presented an imminent public safety hazard, according to the agency's own permitting guidelines. Homeowners previously had to navigate that paperwork directly with the state, without any designated third-party representation, which created friction for residents in high-desert communities trying to clear dead or falling trees near their homes.
The 2023 Law That Started It All
The changes build on the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act, passed in July 2023, which made California the first state in the nation to enact a law specifically aimed at protecting a single plant species threatened by climate change, as reported by The Guardian. Before that law, Joshua trees were protected only under temporary candidate status within the California Endangered Species Act.
The species' vulnerability has been on stark display in recent years. Severe climate impacts and desert fires have decimated Joshua tree populations. The 2020 Dome Fire killed more than one million Joshua trees. The 2023 York Fire was another major fire. Western Joshua trees grow at a slow rate of just 0.5 to 3 inches per year, making any habitat recovery exceptionally slow.
Mitigation Fees Fund Desert Land Purchases
Mitigation Fees Fund Desert Land Purchases The Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act created mitigation fees for projects that impact protected trees.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife's August 24 purchase of 640 acres of desert land near Pioneertown in San Bernardino County was intended to preserve habitat that climate models project will remain viable for the trees as temperatures rise, the Times of India reported. The acquisition marked the second land purchase executed under the state's specialized conservation fund.
Large-scale industrial clearing has also sparked controversy. In 2021, the Aratina Solar Project near Boron was approved, involving a 2,300-acre site and the removal of Joshua trees, according to the Los Angeles Times. The project drew public outcry amid debate over how permitting rules balance residential needs against large industrial development.
Long-Term Plan Weaves In Tribal Knowledge
In August 2025, state wildlife officials approved the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Plan, fulfilling the 2023 conservation act's requirement for a conservation plan, according to Ascent.
Hoodline has previously covered related friction between conservation rules and development in the high desert, including how commercial projects in Apple Valley's new retail plaza have required Incidental Take Permits under the same conservation act, and how federal funding freezes recently halted wildfire prevention work inside Joshua Tree National Park. Together, the new laws signal a state still trying to protect a slow-growing desert icon while giving homeowners, tribes, and builders clearer paths forward.
