Govt. helps save Calif. desert PALM DESERT, Calif. (AP) - The federal government took title Wednesday to 10,000 acres of sagebrush and solitude, the first installment in a deal aimed at preserving a large chunk of California desert from development. Nelson Rising, president of Catellus Development Corp., helped Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt paste a "SOLD" sign on one of his company's "For Sale" billboards. Catellus, a remnant of Southern Pacific Railroad, has wanted to sell its land along Interstate 40 for years. "This project literally prevents the California desert from being sliced in half" by development along the interstate, said David Myers, executive director of the Wildlands Conservancy. The conservancy helped raise $25.5 million in cash and land for the deal. See full story <http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2558124742-db7
