AN ADDITIONAL 565 ACRES IN THE CALIFORNIA DESERT PRESERVED!
Former Inholding in the
Old Woman
Mountains Wilderness
Since the beginning of May 2006, the Trust
has protected an additional 565 acres of land within the wilderness
areas of the California Desert, including the Cadiz Dunes,
Dead Mountains, Kelso Dunes, North Algodones Dunes, Old Woman
Mountains, Palen/McCoy, Rice Valley, and Sheephole Valley
Wildernesses.
“After all these years I am glad it went
to a good home” says Bernard Sorem, recent seller of
80 acres of land within the Old Woman Mountains Wilderness
Area to The Wilderness Land Trust. Located in the eastern
Mojave portion of the California Desert, the 146,000 acre
Old Woman Mountains Wilderness is a wild and beautiful mountain
range dominated by a rock monolith that resembles an old woman.
Located 35 miles southwest of Needles, California and the
Colorado River, the Old Woman Mountains have been eyed by
land speculators for years as the site of the next “boom
town”. Mr. Sorem purchased the land in 1965 with a group
of partners speculating on the site of next desert resort
community.
The protected property consists of two 40 acre
parcels. One parcel contains a portion of Paramount Wash and
rock outcrops that are home to red tailed hawks, kestrels,
the elusive chuckwalla, and serves as movement corridor for
the desert Bighorn Sheep. The other 40 acre parcel is located
at the mouth of Scanlon Gulch near Skelton Pass and contains
critical desert tortoise habitat. The acquisition of this
second parcel by the Trust allows for the restoration of closed
mining roads. Mr. Sorem was happy to see his land become permanently
protected as wilderness. “The rattlesnakes and sage
brush can enjoy it.”
