Many wonderful desert advocates and stakeholders fought for decades to protect the beautiful and wildlife-rich Eagle Mountain region. This area on the southern boundary of Joshua Tree National Park has faced grave threats, including a proposed mega-dump. Luckily, instead of being home to the nation’s largest landfill, the Eagle Mountain lands could be better protected because the National Park Service is considering adding these lands to Joshua Tree National Park. 

Unfortunately, a significant threat to the region remains. The Eagle Crest Pumped Storage Project, a hydroelectric energy development, would deplete precious groundwater supplies and harm wildlife, including golden eagles, desert tortoises and bighorn sheep. The National Park Service and the Department of Interior believe the science underlying the Eagle Crest project is deeply flawed. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is evaluating the project’s transmission line, but has only conducted an environmental assessment, a very cursory study. 

Please urge the BLM to better protect Joshua Tree National Park by doing a more thorough environmental review - a full and comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) - ensuring better protection for park resources and better decision-making about our public lands. 

SEND COMMENTS TO THE FOLLOWING EMAIL BY NOV. 6, 2016: 

[email protected] 

You may use this sample letter or draw from it to write your own. Dear California State BLM Director Perez: 

For decades, the public has fought to protect the Eagle Mountain region from harmful projects, including the Eagle Mountain Landfill. The majority of desert residents support the opportunity to return these lands to Joshua Tree National Park. But the proposed Eagle Crest Pumped Storage Project would deplete groundwater and threaten Joshua Tree National Park’s desert tortoises, bighorn sheep and golden eagles. 

The National Park Service has drawn attention to the project’s threats to park resources and criticized the inadequate science currently being used to evaluate the project and its transmission line, the last component the development company would need the BLM to approve. 

Please take a deeper look at the impacts of the transmission line and the project’s overall potential to harm Joshua Tree National Park’s wildlife and water resources by conducting a full Environmental Impact Statement. Such a review will help us better protect Joshua Tree National Park and understand the full impacts of the Eagle Crest project. 

Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, 

YOUR NAME
ADDRESS
E-MAIL ADDRESS ----------------------------------- 

Thanks for your sustained interest and support of MBCA and the critical issues we track! 

Sarah Kennington, MBCA President