Rare plants damaged at Death Valley dunes for ‘a few minutes of joyriding,’ rangers say
“A few minutes of joyriding” through Death Valley dunes caused “significant damage” to rare plants, some of which are only found in the national park, rangers said.
Sometime between late December and early January, an illegal drive on the Eureka Dunes damaged “rare plants that are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act,” the National Park Service said in a Jan. 13 news release.
“I urge the public to come forward with any information that could help identify those responsible for driving on Eureka Dunes,” Superintendent Mike Reynolds said in the release. “I’m saddened that someone would disregard the survival of a rare species for a few minutes of joyriding.”
Based on the vehicle tracks, rangers said the driver or drivers directly damaged one Eureka dunegrass (Swallenia alexandrae) and possibly caused root damage to eight others.
The plant, which “only grows on sand dunes in Eureka Valley,” is listed as a threatened species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, according to rangers.
With “over two miles of vehicle tracks” on the dunes, rangers said it’s possible the driver also damaged seeds and five other rare plants.
Among those plants is the Eureka Dunes’ evening-primrose, which is also only found in Death Valley, NPS said.
The plant was removed from the endangered species list seven years ago with “the reduced threat of damage from offroad driving,” rangers said.
At 680 feet tall, the Eureka Dunes, the tallest in the state of California, is a National Natural Landmark, rangers said.
“There are multiple areas on (Bureau of Land Management) land nearby, such as Dumont Dunes, which are set aside for this type of recreation but the sensitive dune systems in the National Park are set aside to be protected,” Reynolds said.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact rangers at 888-653-0009 or nps_isb@nps.gov.
This story was originally published January 14, 2025 at 12:33 PM with the headline "Rare plants damaged at Death Valley dunes for ‘a few minutes of joyriding,’ rangers say."
