by Laraine Turk
1315sc
on December 06, 2024
The Morongo Basin Conservation Association has added a specialized and comprehensive new Desert-Wise Living section to our website. It is focused entirely on desert-wise landscaping and is packed with videos, text, photos, animated illustrations, and helpful links. The new content builds on MBCA’s fourteen-year history of in-person and video landscape tours of water-wise and creative properties in the Hi Desert. Read our Press Release and visit the new Landscaping How To's section.
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by Laraine Turk
1315sc
on October 19, 2024
A federal judge has ruled that the West Mojave Route Network Project (WEMO) presented in 2019 by the Bureau of Land Management does not adequately protect the threatened (endangered in California) desert tortoise. The lawsuit against the Plan filed in 2021 was brought by six environmental organizations. While not all the lawsuit’s claims were granted, the judge found that the off-road routes could not be shown to adequately protect the tortoise and other endangered species. Additional details can be found in articles in the Los Angeles Times and Desert Sun. MBCA's 2018 commented on the project in 2018.
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by Laraine Turk
1315sc
on October 07, 2024
MBCA contributed to and signed this comprehensive
letter initiated by the
Friends of Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, demonstrating that the proposed communications tower in Morongo Valley has unacceptable consequences for the local residents and the ecosystem. Seven local concerned non-profits contributed to the extensive data and visual aids in the letter, concluding: "
The significance of impacts has been generally downplayed through omission of key information and the use of outdated resources. Because the impacts to Public Safety, Visual Resources, Environmental Justice, and Cumulative Effects are likely to be significant and unmitigable, this application should be rejected or, at the very least, a comprehensive Environmental Impact Study should be performed."
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by Laraine Turk
1315sc
on September 30, 2024
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by Laraine Turk
1315sc
on September 17, 2024
MBCA addressed concerns about the proposed 196-foot communications tower in Morongo Valley in
this 2022 post. The latest version of the
Environmental Assessment (at 422 pages) was published late this summer. On September 13 BLM republished its earlier
Press Release to include a new public comment extension to October 7. Concerned Morongo Valley residents have created
guidelines showing how to comment and containing "substantive comment" language
for the main concerns of the local community.
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by Laraine Turk
1315sc
on September 17, 2024
In his latest "
Boiling Point" newsletter,
Los Angeles Times' climate and environment writer Sammy Roth summarizes some of the environment and climate-related bills passed by California legislators and awaiting Governor Newsom's signature or veto. For each bill Roth describes context, what the bill would do, and lists supporters and opponents.
SB 1374 regarding net energy metering on rooftop solar was noted in MBCA's
June 10 eblast. Other bills relate to water and environmental justice issues, also of ongoing concern to MBCA.
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by Laraine Turk
1315sc
on August 21, 2024
A new
study in the online journal Ecology Letters focuses on changes to Joshua tree viability and blooming since the early 20th century. The study uses data from citizen scientist reports of Joshua trees and their blooms through the
iNaturalist app, plus historic data. While climate change seems to be increasing the frequency of Joshua Tree blooming, it is also negatively affecting the survival of Joshua tree seedlings. A
Los Angeles Times article explains the study and includes comment from Kelly Herbinson, Mojave Desert Land Trust Executive Director.
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by Laraine Turk
1315sc
on August 20, 2024
As the California Legislative session draws to a close, MBCA has joined with 93 other organizations signing
a letter opposing efforts to "gut and amend" legislation that would weaken environmental protections without public input.
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by Laraine Turk
1315sc
on August 20, 2024
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by Laraine Turk
1315sc
on August 08, 2024
A new YouTube
video explores the history of protection for Joshua trees and the controversially approved destruction of 4000 Joshua trees for the Aratina Solar Project in Kern County.
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