Morongo Basin homeowners say California's Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act is forcing them to pay thousands of dollars, and in some cases tens of thousands, just to connect homes to the sewer or build a fence. The fight over those costs sharpened in Sacramento this week when one bill aimed at easing the burden failed to advance, even as two related measures moved on.

The law, approved in 2023, requires a permit from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for any ground-disturbing work near a western Joshua tree, and fees can run from $150 to $2,500 per tree. Residents say that has turned ordinary property work into a costly state process, especially for septic-to-sewer hookups and other projects they see as basic home maintenance.

Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh, the bill's author, said she was deeply disappointed that SB 1063 did not pass. She said the measure would have helped homeowners who are simply trying to maintain their property and access basic services without unnecessary delays, and said she will keep working to address the barriers they face.

SB 1063 would have created an expedited, fee-free pathway for septic-to-sewer hookups and similar life-sustaining projects, but it did not get out of the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee. Two other bills, SB 1061 and SB 1062, passed that committee with amendments and now head to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

SB 1061 would let homeowners relocate up to 10 western Joshua trees without fees or mitigation requirements under certain conditions, and would clarify that moving a tree without a net loss does not count as a traditional take. SB 1062 would require the Department of Fish and Wildlife to weigh proportionate, tiered fees based on a project's actual impact.

The debate leaves homeowners still waiting for relief, with the same state rules that protect the desert species also driving the bills that could ease the cost of living around it. For now, the question is not whether the issue exists in the Morongo Basin, but whether Sacramento will make the permits cheaper and faster before more homeowners are forced to choose between needed repairs and the price of compliance.