Mojave Desert Solar Farm Will Wipe Out Thousands of Joshua Trees

The company behind the Mojave Desert solar farm said it will offset thousands of metric tons of carbon emissions, more than making up for the tree loss.

A Joshua Tree is framed by sunlit clouds before dawn in Pioneertown, Calif., in the Mojave Desert on Jan. 25, 2016. Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

A California-based company is planning to develop a solar farm in the Mojave Desert, which will involve clearing thousands of protected Joshua trees from parts of the 2,300-acre project site.

The company, Avantus, will develop the solar project in the Boron and Desert Lake area of eastern Kern County, the company said in a statement. According to an environmental impact report for the project, nearly 4,700 Joshua trees are located on the site, with some nearly a century old.