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# Joshua Tree Update: 90 Miles from Needles
- URL: https://90milesfromneedles.ghost.io/joshua-tree-update-90-miles-from-needles-d8ecf7f810159b80/
- Published: 2025-08-27T21:02:31.000Z
- Updated: 2026-07-19T23:22:25.000Z
- Author: Chris Clarke
- Tags: #beehiiv, #Migrated-1784503324318, #Import 2026-07-19 23:22

# Hey Desert pals! 🌵🌧

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2c/54/2c5476dd-8bcc-4622-a33b-695a7694e6a8/content/images/2026/07/538113795_1330220438467924_7216724763976897352_n-t-1756327825.jpg)

Hope you’re staying dry and loving those dramatic skies—because the monsoons have finally rolled into the desert…and just in time for our newest podcast episode!

**Episode Drop: S4E32 – “Joshua Trees Are Still Caught in the Climate Crossfire”**

You know how the desert feels electric when those summer storms hit? We’re riding that same energy in this episode: a fresh dive into the newly approved **Western Joshua Tree Conservation Plan** and everything it means. And trust me, you’ll want to listen while the skies are still rumbling.

**Here’s what’s brewing (besides that third cup of coffee while it rains):**

- Returning guest **Brendan Cummings** (shout-out from the Center for Biological Diversity) dives in on the **Western Joshua Tree Conservation Plan**, just approved by California’s Fish and Game Commission.
- We get the full backstory—from the 2019 petition to the big move in 2023 to pass the Conservation Act. This law actually recognizes climate change as a real threat to biodiversity for the first time in California. Wild, right?
- The plan tackles threats like **climate stress**, **off-the-charts development**, and wildfire risks—targeting refuge areas, high-elevation zones, and ways to ease permit headaches.
- Cultural context is everything—the episode explores how **local governments and Native tribes** are part of this journey too.
- What’s next? By **2033**, they’ll check in: Are we making progress, or do we need plan B?
- And yes, stick around ‘til the end—there’s a heartfelt closing with **“Joshua Tree” by Melanie Marshall**, and it’s a total mood.

[Listen Now!](https://www.90milesfromneedles.com/s4e32-joshua-trees-are-still-caught-in-the-climate-crossfire/?utm%5Fsource=90mfn.beehiiv.com&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=joshua-tree-update-90-miles-from-needles)

**Listen now:** Available wherever you stream your podcasts—Apple, Spotify, Google, or right on the [show site](https://www.90milesfromneedles.com/s4e32-joshua-trees-are-still-caught-in-the-climate-crossfire/?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com)!

As thunderstorms rolled through the desert in the past few days, flooding roads and turning the sky into a canvas of drama, it reminded me: the desert—and its iconic Joshua trees—are always on the frontlines of climate and community.

Got thoughts while listening—or from that electric monsoon you just witnessed? Hit reply and let’s spark a conversation about what’s next for our desert legacy.

Stay wild (**but not so wild that you try to drive through a flash flood**),

Chris C.

P.S. In the spirit of the season, if you’re moved by the episode and the monsoon-fueled reality of climate threats, consider **donating or supporting the cause**—we can weather this together.

[Check out our website](https://90milesfromneedles.com/?utm%5Fsource=90mfn.beehiiv.com&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=joshua-tree-update-90-miles-from-needles)

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