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California debates listing western Joshua tree as threatened
JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 27, 2019: Joshua trees grow in front of massive rock formations in Joshua Tree National Park in California. (Photo by Robert Alexander/Getty Images) LOS ANGELES - California officials are weighing whether to list the iconic western Joshua tree as a threatened species, a designation that would make it harder to remove the trees for housing, solar or other development projects.The desert plant is known for its unique appearance, with spiky leaves on the end of its branches, is found in the national park that bears its name about 130 miles east of Los Angeles and through a stretch of desert up to Death Valley National Park.