The shutdown is over. Can Joshua Tree recover?
by Katharine Gammon in Joshua Tree national park from Environment | The Guardian on (#48DEM)
Off-road drivers and vandals damaged the fragile ecosystem, prompting fears it could take '300 years' to bounce back
As Ethan Peck's boots crunch through the desert sands, he stops to point out tracks on the side of the trail: not coyote or other wildlife, but dog prints. "It's just sad that people would do this," says Peck, who owns Joshua Tree Adventures and has lived in the area for seven years. "You're not allowed to hike with your dog [off-leash] in any national park."
Related: Joshua Tree national park 'may take 300 years to recover' from shutdown
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