MBCA is delighted to announce the awarding of $1000 Scholarships to two Yucca Valley High School seniors.

MBCA's Conservation Scholarship is the continuation of our commitment to educate the next generation of conservation-conscious citizens. Kaleb Mix of Yucca Valley High School is the recipient, planning to enroll in an environmental studies program at the University of California at Santa Barbara.

The Women's STEAM Scholarship (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) is provided anonymously by two generations of women who held careers in STEAM fields. Alyssa Abell of Yucca Valley High School is this year’s recipient. The scholarship will help fund her study at University of California, Riverside, in Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology.

MBCA congratulates Kaleb and Alyssa and wishes them success in reaching their higher education goals.

An app called SeeClickFix is now available for residents of unincorporated areas of San Bernardino County to report Public Works issues such as weed abatement needs, flooding, potholes, or graffiti in public locations. The app is available for free download on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Residents can also access a desktop version and view service area maps by visiting the Public Works website at https://dpw.sbcounty.gov/.
 

In a coalition with over 210 public health, environmental, and environmental justice organizations, MBCA has signed a letter to members of the California legislature with deep concern about the proposed fall ballot initiative 25-0023A1. Proposed by the California Chamber of Commerce in November 2025, it has been cleared for circulation and is in the petition signature collection phase (due June 24). The coalition letter asks all state legislators to publicly oppose the initiative. It would “fundamentally undermine the public health and environmental protections provided under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), upon which our state has relied for over half a century. ” Below are the six main points of concern. Detailed explanations can be found in the letter.

1. Reverses CEQA's Foundational Principle to Protect the Environment and Overrides Other Laws
2. Applies to a Sweeping Range of Consequential Projects
3. Undermines Recent Legislative Efforts
4. Strips Agencies of Tools to Protect Communities and the Environment
5. Increases Agencies’ Litigation Exposure While Undercutting CEQA’s Enforcement
6. Shifts Long-Term Costs onto Public Agencies and Taxpayers

Although the House and Senate Congressional resolutions S.J.Res.109 and H.J.Res.151 deal specifically with overturning the management plan for Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah, the implications for public lands everywhere would be dire. MBCA has sent letters to Representative Obernolte, Senator Padilla, and Senator Schiff asking them to oppose the House and Senate resolutions directing the cancellation of the management plan. A key message to Representative Obernolte is "For a district like ours, where tourism and small business activities are closely tied to public lands, this kind of policy uncertainty has direct economic consequences." To the Senators, the message concludes by thanking them for their continued service and commitment to safeguarding public lands and environmental decision-making.

The California Energy Commission, the state's primary energy agency, has launched a website intended to keep Californians up to date on the state's progress toward 100% clean energy. California's Clean Energy Journey highlights topics such as innovation, transportation, efficiency, and equity and tribal partnerships. Content incudes graphs, charts, and videos about various projects and goals. 

MBCA was among 72 organizations signing on to a letter in support of California’s AB 1250, a bill that would incorporate required consideration for wildlife crossings into transportation planning. A key goal is reducing wildlife–vehicle collisions which cost Californians more than $200 million annually.

Miriam Seger, MBCA's landscape gardening guru, is featured in an article in the Palm Springs Life magazine this month. Miriam's expertise and effective teaching style can be experienced in MBCA's series of instructional videos produced by Board member Stacy Doolittle and filmed by local videographer Cole Gibson. Segments focus on Deep Watering, Planting Hacks, and a Fall Planting Guide, each containing easy-to-follow demonstrations with detailed and entertaining advice. Miriam has also contributed a related series of easily readable content that enhances the videos, with Desert-Wise Planting and Desert-Wise Watering advice and photos.

On March 23 in a special extension to its March 10 regular meeting, the Twentynine Palms City Council rejected the E-Group Solar Project proposed for the Harmony Acres area of the City after hearing about 3 hours of public comments. Residents expressed concerns about dust, water usage, destruction of desert habitat, and health issues. MBCA formally commented in 2024 and several Board members including Twentynine Palms resident Pat Flanagan have continued to comment in writing and at meetings. (Read Pat's most recent comment letter.)

The developer's contention that they could take their project to a state-level review via AB 205 was disputed, as the project doesn't appear to meet those criteria. Instead, residents encouraged the City Council to abide by its ban on utility-scale solar, instituted into its development code in 2012. Board member Janet Johnson commented after the decision, "This shows how having decision-makers living locally, and are accountable locally, and know first-hand that no one wants to live next to solar panels, makes a difference." 

Here is the report from local radio station KCDZ 107.7, and an in-depth review of the entire meeting including quotations from speakers by The Desert Trumpet.

A key concern with development in Pioneertown is the growing number of proposals, leading to significant cumulative effects. MBCA's comment letter points additionally to issues of noise, lighting, traffic, housing availability for workers, and erosion, among others. 

MBCA signed on to two prior substantive comment letters (2022, 2024) protesting inadequate provisions for human and environmental issues in the project plan for the proposed Morongo Canyon Highway 62 Multi-Tenant Wireless Broadband Communications Site. Among the many concerns presented in MBCA's current letter are harm to dark night skies and scenic values, damage to biological resources including habitat connectivity, soil erosion, failure to evaluate lower-impact options, and cumulative impacts.