Hundreds of Joshua trees were scorched during the shutdown

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A fire that ignited during the government shutdown burned hundreds of Joshua trees.

The iconic, twisty trees are protected by state law.

A National Park Service employee said staffing shortages are limiting the agency’s ability to save the trees.

According to park leadership, the fire doesn’t warrant a large-scale restoration effort.

One day after the government shutdown ended , a ranger ambled down a trail in Joshua Tree National Park, bathed in golden light.

It was her first day back, and she had just walked through a sea of scorched Joshua trees rising from blackened earth, their dagger-like leaves bleached an unhealthy yellow.

It was one of the spots in the park where the t