California won’t immediately list Joshua tree as threatened

By KATHLEEN RONAYNE
Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California won’t be listing the iconic western Joshua tree as a threatened species for now. The California Fish and Game Commission voted 2-2 Thursday on whether to list the tree under state Endangered Species Act. The tie vote doesn’t mean the tree won’t be listed. Instead the commission will hear the issue again in October. In the meantime they want more feedback from tribes and asked the Department of Fish and Wildlife to work on a conservation plan. There was broad agreement that hotter temperatures and more extreme droughts fueled by climate change are a danger to the trees.