We are grateful to the Mojave Desert Land Trust for assembling and publishing a comprehensive guide to the new regulations regarding Western Joshua trees.
Last fall the California Fish and Game Commission voted to advance this iconic Mojave desert plant as a candidate for threatened species status. There is a one-year assessment period when special regulations regarding their movement or destruction are in place.
At their February 4th meeting, the four San Bernardino County Planning Commission members present (Weldy, Stoffel, Haughey, Gongora) voted to defer any decision on the recommendation to adopt the proposed Light Trespass Ordinance. They will schedule a Workshop on the issue at a future Planning Commission meeting. Commissioners had many concerns that Land Use Services staff were unable to answer to their satisfaction. More background and links can be found in the first article of our February 1 Eblast or our January 31 News Update.
Ten years after the start of Morongo Basin community efforts to improve the San Bernardino County lighting ordinance, the Planning Commission will hold a hearing on a revised “Light Trespass” ordinance on February 4. (Meeting details and documents can be found here.) The revision would replace the earlier “Glare and Outdoor Lighting” section of the Development Code with updated and improved language focused on light trespass. In the Land Use Services staff report you can read both the existing and proposed ordinances and additional background and context.
MBCA has kept our supporters informed since its inception about California's Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP). While we deemed its final land protections not ideal but acceptable (after eight years of intense debate and input), the current federal administration is seeking to reduce those protected lands.
MBCA has joined 13 other conservation-minded organizations in requesting California Assemblymember James Ramos carry legislation to establish a desert conservancy program in the Wildlife Conservation Board, whose primary purpose is to approve funding for wildlife habitat protection, restoration and wildlife-oriented public access projects. With increased desert tourism and the effects of climate change, additional attention is needed for California deserts. Learn more about the request in the coalition letter sent January 12, 2021.
Wonder Inn Resort Proposal Denied by Planning Commission
In a 4-0 vote, San Bernardino County Planning Commissioners denied the Wonder Inn project opposed by MBCA and hundreds of Morongo Basin area residents. Almost 50 citizens made their comments in person at the meeting. The citizens' group Stop Wonder Inn spent a year doing research to demonstrate how the project if built would have significant negative repercussions not only for Wonder Valley but the entire Morongo Basin. MBCA's initial...
Flamingo 640 Glamping Project going before Planning Commission
Wonder Inn Project update
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Rooftop Solar Update
2023 Desert Wise Living Landscape Tour