Mojave National Preserve

In a shift away from strict church-state separation, the Supreme Court gave its approval Wednesday to displaying a Christian cross on government land to honor the war dead, saying the Constitution "does not require the eradication of all religious symbols in the public realm." Speaking for a divided court, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy said the 1st Amendment calls for a middle-ground "policy of accommodation" toward religious displays on public land, not a total ban on symbols of faith.

The Supreme Court gave its approval Wednesday to displaying a cross on public land to honor fallen soldiers, saying the Constitution "does not require the eradication of all religious symbols in the public realm." Speaking for a divided court, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy said the 1st Amendment called for a middle-ground "policy of accommodation" toward religious displays on public land, not a strict separation of church and state. Kennedy disagreed with judges in California who said U.S. National Park Service officials must remove a small Latin cross from the Mojave National Preserve that had stood since 1934 to honor soldiers who died in World War I. The judges said the display of the cross on public land amounted to a government endorsement of religion.

Find out about historic and scenic sites as well as programs, fees and directions to California's national parks, monuments and recreation areas: Alcatraz Island, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Fort Mason, B201, San Francisco, CA 94123; (415) 561-4900 or (415) 981-7625 (tickets), , www.nps.gov/alcatraz or www.alcatrazcruises.com. . Cabrillo National Monument, 1800 Cabrillo Memorial Drive, San Diego, CA 92106; (619) 557-5450, fax (619) 226-6311, www.nps.gov/cabr.

In a case that could reshape the doctrine of separation of church and state, the Supreme Court agreed Monday to decide whether a cross to honor fallen soldiers can stand in a national preserve in California. The case will give the Roberts court its first chance to rule directly on the 1st Amendment's ban on "an establishment of religion."

A long-running dispute over a cross in the Mojave National Preserve in Southern California may give the Supreme Court a chance to shift the law on church-state separation. Bush administration lawyers urged the justices last week to take up the case and to reverse a series of rulings that would "require the government to tear down a cross that has stood without incident for 70 years as a memorial to fallen service members." The appeal may be well timed.

High noon and the desert is hot as a wok, yet Tim Duncan is wearing body armor under his uniform. A handgun and a Taser hang from his belt. Next to him in the truck are a shotgun and an M-16 assault rifle with extra magazines. "Out here, you have to be prepared," he said.

THE upper-elevation snows of late winter have led to a delayed blooming season in the Mojave National Preserve. In addition, lightning strikes fed by winds last June burned 70,000-plus acres -- one of the largest fires ever in the Mojave Desert region, about 170 miles northeast of Los Angeles In a backdrop that looks like a set for a black-and-white movie, there are still pockets of green.

A long-awaited visitor center has finally opened at the refurbished Kelso Depot at Mojave National Preserve. The sprawling desert park between Baker, Calif., and the Nevada and Arizona borders has lacked a focal point to attract visitors since it opened more than a decade ago. After two years and $3.

A group of fires in the eastern Mojave Desert was 65% contained Saturday after burning about 65,200 acres of dry brush and destroying five homes and six trailers, authorities said. About 935 firefighters from throughout the state battled the five fires, which were started by lightning Wednesday in the sprawling Mojave National Preserve about 40 miles west of the Nevada border, said Capt. Greg Cleveland of the Southern California Incident Management Team.