Summer land acquisitions expand the conservation reserve
Riverside County
Summary
The Oswit Land Trust is preserving 177 acres of the last major mesquite habitat in the Coachella Valley, with plans for a desert tortoise recovery center and education center on a full 640-acre section.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 3
- Last 30 days
- 0
Last discussed Aug 3, 2026.
Impact analysis
No county funds committed; the land trust is seeking board support.
Coachella Valley residents, wildlife, and future students who would use the education center.
Mentions & discussions (3)
(RCA) Western Riverside County Regional Conservation Authority - Regular Meeting — August 3, 2026
The RCA closed on four properties over the summer — nearly 400 acres of conserved habitat for $19.2 million, much of it state-grant funded, including land in Hemet. This grows the region's protected habitat network for wildlife like mountain lions and covered species.
Board of Supervisors - Regular Meeting — June 23, 2026
The Oswit Land Trust is preserving 177 acres of the last major mesquite habitat in the Coachella Valley, with plans for a desert tortoise recovery center and education center on a full 640-acre section.
(RCA) Western Riverside County Regional Conservation Authority - Regular Meeting — February 2, 2026
Staff walked the board through how the 500,000-acre reserve is designed — cores, linkages, and species needs — in a puzzle assembled parcel by parcel over up to 40 years. Directors raised whether 25-year-old criteria cells should be updated given better mapping technology.
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