Attend MBCA annual meeting January 25 2020!

This year’s annual meeting will mark the beginning of MBCA’s 51^st year of advocacy for the healthy desert! The theme this year is ‘Sustainable Tourism,’ a topic that vital to our desert and to Joshua Tree National Park that has seen an explosion of visitation over the last several years. We all love our desert and value the National Park, but the increased visitation has consequences of concern for the Park and our Morongo Basin communities.We are pleased to announce keynote presentations by two highly respected voices for protecting our desert: David Smith, superintendent of Joshua Tree National Park, and Chris Clarke, the California Desert Associate Director at the National Parks Conservation Association.

Also during the meeting we are so pleased to be able to distribute our just-published book to every attendee: Celebrating the Past – Envisioning the Future. This 68-page book documents the 50 years of environmental and community activism by MBCA and recognizes the many people that have guided MBCA, and continue to do so.

The Morongo Basin is home to many groups and organizations that work to protect the desert environment for the benefit of us all. Some of these organizations will be in attendance with information about their work, including: the Mojave Desert Land Trust, The Wildlands Conservancy, Joshua Tree National Park Association, The California Native Plant Society – Mojave Chapter, The SummerTree Institute, The California Desert Coalition, and Sky’s the Limit Observatory and Nature Center.  We will be serving refreshments and a light vegetarian lunch. In the interest of sustainability we are striving to make this a zero-waste event and we encourage attendees to bring their own drinking vessel and utensils, although we will have glasses and utensils available.

When: 
Saturday, January 25, 2020 10:00am to 1:00pm

Where:
The Yucca Room
Yucca Valley Community Center
57090 Twentynine Palms Highway
Yucca Valley, CA 92284

Annual Meeting 2020 Press Release

Daggett Solar Power Facility Update

On December 10, 2019, The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve the construction of this massive 3,500-acre development within the rural communities of Daggett and Newberry Springs. MBCA spoke to the Supervisors and contended that there are deficiencies within the Environmental Impact Report as well as unacknowledged impacts on the residents within the neighboring communities. (Read our May 2019 news story that includes a link to the comprehensive MBCA comment letter.) The Newberry Springs Community Services District and the Friends of Newberry Springs have now filed a lawsuit against the County within the allowed 30-day period.

The basis of the lawsuit is clearly and thoroughly described within the filings, and among other issues challenges the approval that the development complies with San Bernardino County’s Development Code, Chapter 84.29 Renewable Energy Generation Facilities. This code was adopted within the last 5 years and was crafted to specifically address the effects of inappropriate industrial scale developments within our rural communities. The approval of the Daggett Solar Power Facility by the Board is a clear warning that in spite of our declaring a victory with the passage of Section 4.10 of the Renewable Energy and Conservation Element of the County Wide Plan, the rural communities of San Bernardino are not safe from the many deleterious effects and the scourge of industrial scale renewable energy developments.

Survey regarding Solar Energy Development in Southern California

And now on to the perfect segue: please take the opportunity to complete this online survey about your opinion on the development of solar within Southern California. This survey is being conducted by Jennifer Bernstein, a lecturer in Geographic Information and Science Technology at the University of Southern California. Some of the issues raised by the approval of the Daggett project are included within this survey. This is an opportunity to have your voice considered.

BLM seeking nominations for Resource Advisory Councils NEPA changes

The Bureau of Land Management is seeking nominations for Resource Advisory Councils (RAC), including the California Desert District RAC. These Councils “provide advice and recommendations to the BLM on land use planning and management of the national System of Public Lands within their geographic areas.” Nominations are due Feb 24, 2020. Here is the Federal Register Notice or go directly to the RAC application.

I’m looking forward to seeing you at our upcoming meeting, where we will also welcome two new Directors, Janet Johnston and Arch McCulloch.

Wishing you all a Happy New Year and perfection in 2020!

Steve Bardwell

Your MBCA Board:

Steve Bardwell, President                         Pat Flanagan, Director       
David Fick, Vice President                         Meg Foley, Director
Laraine Turk, Recording Secretary             Janet Johnston, Director
Marina West, Treasurer                             Mike Lipsitz, Director 
Sarah Kennington, Past President              Arch McCulloch, Director
                                                               Ruth Rieman, Director