Friday, Mar 24, 2006
Joshua Tree National Park will relocate Joshua trees and other vegetation prior to the reconstruction of Keys View Road. Between March 29 and April 21, 85 to 100 Joshua trees will be removed from the construction zone and replanted along the sides of the future roadway. During this time, visitors traveling on Keys View Road may experience 10-minute delays and Cap Rock Nature Trail may be closed temporarily.
When rebuilt park roads stray from the original road corridor to conform with Federal Highways design and safety standards, Joshua Tree National Park seeks to protect native vegetation and scenic resources. Inevitably, some trees and shrubs fall in the path of the construction project. Prior to construction, much is done to mitigate the impending damage. In anticipation of upcoming road construction, many of the trees and plants that will be affected will be transplanted directly to a nearby location along the project route.
Keys View Road reconstruction is planned to start in the summer of 2007. Areas impacted by the construction will be re-contoured and re-vegetated to preconstruction conditions. Pullouts and intersections will be given priority for restoration due to their high visibility and use by park visitors. The park?s Center for Arid Lands Restoration has developed techniques for restoring native vegetation that include planting nursery grown plants, transplanting material from planned construction zones, and ?vertical mulching? of dead plant material to help trap natural seeds and promote plant reestablishment.
Park visitors are urged to drive carefully within the project area and obey traffic control directions. For further information about the tree replanting project, contact the project supervisor, Rick Yeager, at 760-367-5565.
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