Our Top Five Stories of 2025, Updated! Part One

Counting down to our #1 story with updates on stories #5 - protests against the firing of park rangers and #4 - the threatened sale of public lands

Climbers anchored an American flag in distress to Cap Rock. Earlier, climbers also hung a flag from Intersection Rock along Park Boulevard, from our number five story of the 2025.. (Photo Heidi Heard)

Thanks to our dedicated readers, Desert Trumpet stories received more than 245,000 views in 2025 — that’s a 43% increase over 2024!

Below is part one of our three-part recap of articles that garnered more than 2,000 views each over the course of the last year.

Coverage of the potential Ofland resort development, the potential sale of public lands, and protests against federal policies were popular with our readers while a raucous town hall and the search for a bomber led the list.

The top five were determined by a combination of views and reader interactions such as likes and comments, with our top story receiving 3,260 views, 25 likes and 11 comments. Our runner-up in the sixth slot was our coverage of Three Minutes That Could Have Led to Tragedy, Averted.

And now to our countdown…

#5 Local Protests Against Federal Policies

Protests erupted at the gateway to Joshua Tree National Park in March 2025 as hundreds rallied against the Trump administration’s mass firings of National Park Service (NPS) staff, including including six Joshua Tree employees, part of roughly 1,000 NPS terminations nationwide. Demonstrators, including off-duty rangers and community members, chanted for public-lands protection and unfurled an upside-down U.S. flag in distress at Cap Rock, underscoring fears over park stewardship and safety. A reel posted on Instagram by the Desert Trumpet has garnered 909,832 views, 128,179 likes and 6,655 shares to date highlighting national and worldwide concern for America’s treasured public lands.

“We are the protectors of public lands”, Cap Rock, Joshua Tree National Park, March 1, 2025 (Video by Cindy Bernard)

No Kings protests in June and October also drew attention to broader staffing and policy changes affecting federal lands. Recent legal rulings ordered many probationary NPS employees reinstated, but uncertainty persists as the agency faces plans for additional cuts.

Joshua Tree National Park and other NPS units are navigating ongoing operational strain amid broader policy shifts and workforce changes. Advocacy organizations have highlighted public concern over management decisions and labor policies affecting federal lands. Staffing shortages at Joshua Tree remain acute, with vacancy rates near 30%, reduced fee-booth coverage, and cuts to service roles that lawmakers say are impacting visitor information and safety.

Seasonal hiring delays have compounded the problem during peak visitation periods, increasing strain on remaining employees. This holiday week, for example, park volunteers counted more than 300 cars lined up at the park’s West Entrance on Christmas Day, a queue stretching more than three miles—despite new kiosks designed to handle peak crowding.

Adding to the policy shifts, new fee structures for 2026 will significantly raise costs for international visitors: non-U.S. residents will pay up to $100 extra per person to enter the park and $250 for an annual America the Beautiful pass, featuring the unusual move to include an image of the president, versus $80 for U.S. residents. These changes, set to take effect January 1, 2026, are intended to boost park revenue and “put America first,” but have drawn criticism from lawmakers concerned about impacts on communities that rely on international tourism. Already over-burdened fee collection staff Park staff will also be taxed with establishing which visitors should be charged this fee. National park advocates say the increase could dampen international visitation while failing to address core staffing gaps that affect visitor safety and park operations.

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#4 Threatened Sale of Public Lands

The public land sell-off threat that dominated headlines in June has evolved into a more complex picture. While Senator Mike Lee’s original proposal to auction 3.3 million acres was removed from the Senate’s budget reconciliation bill by the parliamentarian in late June, the underlying threat has only intensified under different mechanisms.

Lee attempted to revise his proposal to target BLM parcels within five miles of communities, but the Trump administration has pursued an aggressive alternative strategy that bypasses Congress entirely. Through executive orders and departmental actions throughout 2025, the administration has targeted more than 175 million acres for reduced protections or increased extractive development, according to a September report by the Center for American Progress.

For Morongo Basin residents, the immediate impact may be less dramatic than the wholesale auction scenario imagined in June, but the long-term implications could prove equally significant. The administration’s December 22 finalization of new Sage-Grouse management plans and ongoing efforts to expand resource extraction signal a fundamental shift. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum has explicitly stated that extractive industries are “the customer” for his department.

Rather than a one-time auction, we’re witnessing a systematic dismantling of conservation protections through the proposed rescission of the BLM’s Public Lands Rule and expanded mining and drilling access. The desert landscape that draws visitors to Joshua Tree and the Hi Desert faces a slower but potentially more permanent alteration — changes that won’t appear on any auction block but could prove just as consequential for the outdoor recreation economy that defines our region.

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