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. 

 

MBCA's comment letter for the Soda Mountain Solar Project was presented at the February 5 California Energy Commission public hearing. MBCA has followed and opposed this project since 2009. The latest letter references a number of scientific papers demonstrating the likely negative effects of wind and dust, harming both people and the land. Papers cited include Vulnerability of desert biological soil crusts to wind erosion  and Sand Transport Pathways. The Desert Under our Feet explains the harm caused by destruction of the critical underground desert biome. A comprehensive overview of these and many other concerns about this project, as well as a sample comment letter, can be found on the Basin and Range Watch website. Comments are due February 27.

You can view the entire Annual Meeting and Greywater presentation via our YouTube Channel. The Introduction to Greywater Irrigation Systems presentation by keynote speaker Nicholas Holmes begins at 1:07:28 in the video, but we encourage viewers to start at the beginning for the presentations on MBCA's issues and programs that precede the Keynote presentation. Below is a timestamp list for all segments of the presentation.

MBCA Annual Meeting, January 24, 2026
Timestamps
   00:08  Welcome and Thank-Yous - MBCA President Steve Bardwell
   04:16  Announcements by meeting participants
              -Desert Video Astronomers
              -Chromium 6 petition
              -Candidate petition
              -Giant Rock Cleanup
              -29 Palms Solar Farm petition
   09:50  Introduction of 2026 MBCA Board of Directors
   12:35  Overview of recent and current MBCA Issues - Steve Bardwell
              -Annual Desert-Wise Living Landscape Tour April 19
              -Water issues
              -Dark night skies
              -Scholarships
              -8^th Grade Field Trips
              -Inland Deserts Working Group/CA 30x30 Climate Change Program
              -Candidate Forum this fall
   18:16  Morongo Basin Development Projects (with PowerPoint slides) - Steve
                   Bardwell
   31:06  Habitat Connectivity (PPT) – Steve Bardwell
   38:59  Education – 8^th Grade Field Trips (video) – Janet Johnston
   46:42  Housing (PPT) – Janet Johnston
1:06:14  Break
1:07:28  Keynote Presentation – An Introduction to Greywater Irrigation
                  Systems, Nicholas Holmes
2:00:30  Question and Answer session
2:14:29  End of Program

 

In support of the California desert environment beyond San Bernardino County, MBCA signed on to a letter outlining concerns about the Bonanza Peak Solar Project in Inyo County. The Old Spanish Trail Association (OSTA) maintains that relying only on an Addendum to the 2015 Programmatic Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) for the project is not sufficient for measuring the effects of the extensive changes to the original project. They request that a Supplemental Environment Impact Report be performed "to analyze the Project's new and more severe impacts, and to provide meaningful public review and participation."