This is excellent news for us desert lovers.
Billy Creech has been elected President of the Mojave Desert Heritage and Cultural Association (“MDHCA”) non-profit which was formed in 1993 with the mission to research, conserve and share the natural and cultural history of the Mojave Desert. The MDHCA runs the 75 acre Goffs facility and is the source of much of the mapping for the area.
Mr. Creech is an avid explorer, dedicated to helping overland travelers, academics, and youths to discover the Mojave Trails and her fascinating history. Mr. Creech has traversed three continents and much of the USA, holds an MBA from Cornell University, is a member of the esteemed Explorers Club, and has 20 years of top-tier corporate experience.
Inspired by the legendary desert explorer, Dennis Casebier, Mr. Creech volunteered several years of research and resources to painstakingly remap (and explore) the historic, nail-tough East Mojave Heritage Trail (EMHT). Read more about that here) in renewed conjunction with the US Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service. Fittingly, Mr. Creech was elected after Mr. Casebier’s passing to take his place on the MDHCA board in 2021.
The Goffs facility houses a research center, library, and archives and is tasked with the restoration of significant structures, conservation of historic open space, interpretation of backcountry trails, and the production of educational guidebooks and historical publications. The facility is conveniently located at the eastern gateway to the Mojave National Preserve, is on the original Route 66, and straddles the EMHT and Mojave Road.
Mr. Creech is considered a subject matter expert on desert exploration and he is dedicated to making Goffs a destination location for Route 66 travelers, overlanders, desert explorers, scientific explorers, academic and field researchers, as well as youth groups. He recently had the Goffs Schoolhouse Museum and the facility, in general, listed by Atlas Obscura as a unique and worthy destination.
When asked why he is so passionate about this cause, Mr. Creech responded
“Everything MDHCA and the Goffs site has to offer is unique and valuable. The Goffs facility is the perfect base camp for the exploration and study of the famous 133-mile-long Mojave Road overland desert exploration route traversing the original settler wagon trails and the infamous 733-mile East Mojave Heritage Trail route (which Mr. Creech helped to re-establish in its entirety). As such, one of the first tasks is the construction of a campground with pit toilet, fire rings with cooking grates, and picnic tables to facilitate overlanders and educational and enthusiast individuals and groups. The site is at the top of a long list of tasks and objectives to improve visibility, facilities, partnerships, relationships and engagement.”
Essentially, what is needed is significant growth in membership and funding. There are significant perks to membership (which essentially pays for itself). Click on this link to get involved.
We are excited to see what the future holds for the MADHC under Mr. Creech’s leadership.
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