Death Valley National Park
News Release

Release date:

January 13, 2025

Contact:

[email protected]

Abby Wines, 760-786-3221, [email protected]

National Park Service Seeks Public’s Help Identifying Individuals Responsible for Damage to Eureka Dunes Plants

DEATH VALLEY, Calif. – The National Park Service (NPS) seeks help identifying the person or people who illegally drove on Eureka Dunes in late December or early January. The vehicles caused significant damage to rare plants that are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

“I urge the public to come forward with any information that could help identify those responsible for driving on Eureka Dunes,” said Superintendent Mike Reynolds. “I’m saddened that someone would disregard the survival of a rare species for a few minutes of joyriding. There are multiple areas on BLM 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.”

An NPS biologist documented damage to Eureka dunegrass (Swallenia alexandrae), a plant species that only grows on sand dunes in Eureka Valley. Eureka dunegrass is classified as a threatened species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

One Eureka dunegrass plant was directly damaged by vehicle tracks, while eight additional plants were likely affected by root damage due to their proximity to the tracks. Over two miles of vehicle tracks were left on the dunes, suggesting that further damage to seeds and other rare plants is likely.

In addition to the documented damage to Eureka dunegrass, the vehicle tracks may have harmed five other rare plant species:

Eureka Dunes evening-primrose (Oenothera californica ssp. eurekensis)
Shining milk vetch (Astragalus lentiginosus var. micans)
Gravel milk vetch (Astragalus sabulonum)
Hillman’s silverscale (Atriplex argentea var. hillmanii)
Wheeler’s chaetadelpha (Chaetadelpha wheeleri)

Eureka Dunes evening-primrose only lives on dunes in Eureka Valley. It was removed from the endangered species list in 2018 due to reduced threat of damage from offroad driving. Shining milkvetch only lives on dunes in Eureka and Panamint Valleys.

Eureka Dunes are 680 feet tall, making them the tallest dunes in California. The dune field is about three miles long by one mile wide. Eureka Dunes is designated as a National Natural Landmark.

Information from visitors is often very helpful to investigators. You don’t have to tell us who you are, but please tell us what you know: