California couple fined $18,000 for illegally uprooting 36 Joshua trees

The imperiled desert species is being considered for protection under the state's endangered species act

A couple has been fined $18,000 after uprooting 36 Joshua trees to make space for a home and then burying them in a hole. Authorities hope the fine discourages others from mowing down the crooked-limbed plant, which is an imperiled species being considered for protection under California's endangered species act.

Most California citizens who reside in Joshua tree habitat revere these iconic desert species, more so now than ever because of its degraded population status," Nathaniel Arnold, the deputy chief of the California department of fish and wildlife's law enforcement division, said in a press release. We hope it serves as a deterrent to others who may think it is acceptable to unlawfully remove Joshua trees to make way for development."