Donna and Larry Charpied, the organic jojoba farmers who have waged a nearly 20-year fight against the proposed Eagle Mountain landfill near Joshua Tree National Park, were chosen to receive the annual Minerva Hoyt award.

The award comes on the heals of a federal ruling that sided with the Charpieds and environmental groups, and essentially blocked the project.

Ontario-based Kaiser Ventures subsequently appealed in an effort to transform its old iron-ore pit into one of the nation's largest landfills.

The Joshua Tree National Park Association said the Charpieds, who live near the southeast boundary of the park, "have devoted untold time and energy to the preservation of the California desert."

The award is named the Pasadena socialite who convinced Congress and President Franklin D. Roosevelt to establish Joshua Tree National Monument in 1936.

--Jennifer Bowles

jbowles@pe.com