CANTIL, Calif.— The Center for Biological Diversity reached an agreement today to secure safeguards for the Red Rock Canyon State Park against off-road vehicle damage.

The agreement with the California State Department of Parks and Recreation and the Park and Recreation Commission prevents the designation of any additional park roads for motorized off-road vehicle use without an updated environmental review.

Today’s agreement also requires the state parks department to monitor the roads that are open for motorized recreational use and report any route proliferation or the illegal use of recreational vehicles elsewhere in the park.

“Fast moving, noisy off-road vehicles disrupt desert wildlife and quiet enjoyment of the park for all visitors, and that’s why limiting off-roading in the park is so important,” said Lisa Belenky, a senior counsel at the Center. “Red Rock Canyon State Park is a refuge for the biodiversity that draws visitors to the Mojave Desert. There are plenty of other opportunities for motorized recreation nearby.”

Today’s agreement comes after the Center filed a lawsuit challenging a general plan revision that allowed the use of off-road recreational vehicles on two park roads and to the Ricardo Campground without conducting a thorough analysis as required by the California Environmental Quality Act.

As the largest park in the western Mojave Desert, Red Rock Canyon State Park protects unique geological and cultural resources and provides habitat for many rare and threatened plants and animals, including the desert tortoise, which is designated as endangered by California, and the threatened Mohave ground squirrel.

Under the agreement, the Center agreed to dismiss its challenge to the park’s general plan revision.