Local leaders join Sen. Feinstein in protecting Mojave Desert

By Sarah Trott, KESQ-TV

California U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) joined local leaders Congressman Raul Ruiz (D) and Sen. Richard Roth (D) at Whitewater Preserve to support preserving the water aquifer underneath the Mojave Desert from business interests. 

Earlier this month, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee advanced Sen. Feinstein's California Desert Conservation and Recreation Act. The bill follows her 1994 Desert Protection Act which preserved 7.6 million acres of land and created the Death Valley National Park, Joshua Tree National Forest and Mojave Preserve. 

A large talking point at Thursday's press conference was the Candiz project, a controversial deal President Trump supports that would allow Candiz, Inc. to extract and sell the water underneath the Mojave Desert.

Sen. Feinstein, Congressman Ruiz and Sen. Roth all oppose the project, citing environmental concerns and what they say was a biased environmental review of the project.