Oith new leadership and an invigorated Board of Directors, the Amargosa Conservancy is proud to reintroduce itself to the Pahrump community.
The Amargosa Conservancy is a non-profit organization based just over the state line from Pahrump in Shoshone, California. Its mission is to work toward a sustainable future for the Amargosa Basin through science, stewardship, and advocacy.
The Amargosa River flows from the mountains north of Beatty and meanders south through the Mojave Desert to its final resting place of Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park.
While the river spends most of its course underground, portions of the river flow on the surface year-round. Where the river flows, life thrives. The heart of the river is a 33.8 mile stretch near Shoshone and Tecopa, which our organization helped designate as the Amargosa Wild and Scenic River in 2009. Pahrump is a great gateway to this part of the river via the Old Spanish Trail, a historic road that once connected Santa Fe to Los Angeles through the Amargosa Basin.
Since its inception, the Amargosa Conservancy has strived to serve the desert communities in and around the Amargosa Basin by preserving the unique and wild character of this landscape. From fish to birds to wildflowers, the Amargosa River provides water and habitat for some of the world’s rarest and most beautiful species.
Visitors come to the area to view wildlife, hike the trails, bathe in hot spring pools, learn about native and pioneer history, and spend nights under dark, star-filled skies. Our organization works closely with private landowners and land managers from the Bureau of Land Management, Death Valley National Park, and other state and federal agencies to ensure that these public lands remain pristine and accessible for generations to come.
We are pleased to see that Death Valley and the Amargosa region are attracting more visitors to the desert. This increased interest in the desert will provide more opportunities for Pahrump and other communities to provide accommodation, entertainment and services to these visitors. But with a growing presence of people recreating and exploring, we believe our work to preserve the land, water, plants, animals and communities that make this landscape so unique is more important than ever. By supporting hydrological research and collaborating with local businesses and concerned citizens, we ensure that policymakers and agencies have the information and feedback they need to make the best possible decisions about how to manage our public lands.
We are an organization made up of people who love the Amargosa. Our Board of Directors is a diverse batch that includes former hands of the desert who have cared for the region for decades, including retirees and BLM scientists, and new faces who bring new perspectives on conservation , including an OHV enthusiast and a hunting enthusiast. Our new Executive Director, Mason Voehl, is a writer and philosopher who comes to us from the education technology space. As the locals of Pahrump know, it takes an eclectic personality to thrive in the wilderness. The creative and unique people who make up our organization are dedicated to protecting this desert.
We invite you to learn more about our organization and mission by visiting www.amargosaconservancy.org and following us on social media.
You can also contact us with questions about upcoming events and volunteer opportunities by emailing us at info@amargosaconservancy.org.