"The Interior Department blocked 10 Joshua Tree National Park agreements worth nearly $1.2 million.
The agreements would have hired at least 16 people to restore burned areas, plant native seeds and perform other tasks."
"A slate of projects aimed at preserving the future of the iconic Joshua tree has been scrapped after the Trump administration blocked more than $25 million in funding for national parks this year.
The funding already had been secured for more than 130 agreements with outside partners that would have supported projects in national parks across the country, including Joshua Tree. But the Interior Department, upon reviewing the agreements, “disapproved” them, according to the Washington Post.
The Interior Department, which did not respond to a request for comment Friday, told the Post it blocked the agreements because they were with groups that work against administration priorities."
Alex Wigglesworth reports for the Los Angeles Times October 2, 2026.
