Welcome to the Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge
In passing the Endangered Species act, Congress recognized that threatened
and endangered plants and wildlife have educational, scientific, historical,
and aesthetic values and should thus be preserved as part of the nation's
natural heritage. As a result of this legislation, the Coachella Valley National
Wildlife Refuge was created. Established in 1985 as part of the Coachella
Valley Preserve, the Refuge serves as a sanctuary for the rare Coachella
Valley fringe-toed lizard and many other desert dwelling species. This
lizard, federally listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act,
is not found any where else in the world.
The 3,709-acre Refuge is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
in conjunction with the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National
Wildlife Refuge Complex. The Preserve, on the other hand, is cooperatively
managed by The Nature Conservancy, Bureau of Land Management, California
Department of Parks and Recreation, California Department of Fish and Game,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Center for Natural Lands Management.
Both the Refuge and the Preserve protect the only remaining undeveloped sand
dune ecosystem within the Coachella Valley. This blow-sand habitat is home
to one of the most ecologically diverse communities found in the deserts
of North America. Furthermore, many of the species of plants and animals
that the dunes provide a home for are extremely rare, found only in this
particular area. These species have evolved through time leaving them dependent
on this dynamic sand dune habitat.
To see a map of the Coachella Valley Refuge, click