A judge has halted a mining operation in the Mojave National Preserve run by the same company that has staked mining claims outside of Twentynine Palms and Joshua Tree National Park. On Monday, August 10th, a judge granted a preliminary injunction to the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) in their lawsuit over industrial mining in previously protected public lands inside Mojave National Preserve. The NPCA says that industrial operations have restarted in the area and irreparable damage has already been caused in areas around the mine, with new roads being constructed or expanded, drilling and grading in biologically sensitive area, and restricting public access to the public lands.