Morongo Basin and JTNP OHV News
The Desert Sun reported that Joshua Tree National Park has applied for $120,000 in grant funding from a new program of the California State Parks focused on OHV issues on public lands. For more details on this new state program, including a link for providing public feedback, see this Desert Sun article, which also elaborates on the King of the Hammers event and Riverside County OHV issues. (For an easier read of the lengthy online article, here is a text-only version.)
Joshua Trees May Be Designated Threatened in California
Last fall the Center for Biological Diversity petitioned California to list the western Joshua tree as a threatened species under California's Endangered Species Act. On April 13 the state's Department of Fish and Wildlife agreed. The Department's Commissioners are scheduled to vote on the recommendation in June. You can find thorough coverage of the story on local radio KCDZ, on the Mojave Watch blog, and in the Desert Sun and Los Angeles Times online newspapers.MBCA Supports Stronger Mountain Lion Protection
MBCA comments on proposed changes to NEPA
Pumped Storage at Eagle Mountain and Related Issues
Annual Meeting Video Now Available
0:00:00 Opening
0:01:15 Blessing by Sean Milanovich, Vice President, Native American Land Conservancy (Cahuilla [Agua Caliente Band])
0:08:10 Opening remarks by MBCA President Steve Bardwell
0:27:25 Sustainable Tourism remarks by Joshua Tree National Park Superintendent David Smith
0:45:35 Sustainable Tourism remarks by Associate Director California Deserts for the National Parks Conservation Association Chris Clarke
0:57:35 Audience questions moderated by MBCA Secretary Laraine Turk
1:01:00 Presentation on efforts to designate Highway 247/Old Woman Springs Road as a State Scenic Highway by Sarah Kennington, MBCA Board member
1:52:10 Launch of MBCA's commemorative 50th anniversary book, Celebrating the Past: Envisioning the Future and acknowledgements
MBCA Comments on Crimson Solar, Riverside County
"The BLM should select the No Action Alternative for the Crimson Solar Project. The project is not complete in planning. The BLM has not chosen or decided on adequate mitigation yet. The project's storage plan is full of flaws. California is overgenerating large-scale solar energy. It is not worth the risk to special status species, and to degrade so many resources on lands considered so sacred to Native Americans - especially when the project technology is so speculative."
Read the entire comment letter for all the details.
Desert Sun Reports on MBCA's Annual Meeting
Also read local radio station KCDZ 107.7FM's coverage of the event.
EBlast January 13, 2020
Attend MBCA annual meeting Saturday January 25 2020!
Daggett Solar Power Facility Update
Survey regarding Solar Energy Development in Southern California
BLM seeking nominations for Resource Advisory Councils
Attend MBCA annual meeting January 25 2020!
This year’s annual meeting will mark the beginning of MBCA’s 51st year of advocacy for the healthy desert! The theme this year is ‘Sustainable Tourism,’ a topic that vital to our desert and to Joshua Tree National Park that has seen an explosion of visitation over the last several years. We all love our desert and value the National Park, but the increased visitation has consequences of concern for the Park and our Morongo Basin communities.We are pleased to announce keynote presentations by two highly respected voices for protecting our desert: David Smith, superintendent of Joshua Tree National Park, and Chris Clarke, the California Desert Associate Director at the National Parks Conservation Association.
Also during the meeting we are so pleased to be able to distribute our just-published book to every attendee: Celebrating the Past – Envisioning the Future. This 68-page book documents the 50 years of environmental and community activism by MBCA and recognizes the many people that have guided MBCA, and continue to do so.
The Morongo Basin is home to many groups and organizations that work to protect the desert environment for the benefit of us all. Some of these organizations will be in attendance with information about their work, including: the Mojave Desert Land Trust, The Wildlands Conservancy, Joshua Tree National Park Association, The California Native Plant Society – Mojave Chapter, The SummerTree Institute, The California Desert Coalition, and Sky’s the Limit Observatory and Nature Center. We will be serving refreshments and a light vegetarian lunch. In the interest of sustainability we are striving to make this a zero-waste event and we encourage attendees to bring their own drinking vessel and utensils, although we will have glasses and utensils available.
When:
Saturday, January 25, 2020 10:00am to 1:00pm
Where:
The Yucca Room
Yucca Valley Community Center
57090 Twentynine Palms Highway
Yucca Valley, CA 92284
Annual Meeting 2020 Press Release
Daggett Solar Power Facility Update
On December 10, 2019, The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve the construction of this massive 3,500-acre development within the rural communities of Daggett and Newberry Springs. MBCA spoke to the Supervisors and contended that there are deficiencies within the Environmental Impact Report as well as unacknowledged impacts on the residents within the neighboring communities. (Read our May 2019 news story that includes a link to the comprehensive MBCA comment letter.) The Newberry Springs Community Services District and the Friends of Newberry Springs have now filed a lawsuit against the County within the allowed 30-day period.
The basis of the lawsuit is clearly and thoroughly described within the filings, and among other issues challenges the approval that the development complies with San Bernardino County’s Development Code, Chapter 84.29 Renewable Energy Generation Facilities. This code was adopted within the last 5 years and was crafted to specifically address the effects of inappropriate industrial scale developments within our rural communities. The approval of the Daggett Solar Power Facility by the Board is a clear warning that in spite of our declaring a victory with the passage of Section 4.10 of the Renewable Energy and Conservation Element of the County Wide Plan, the rural communities of San Bernardino are not safe from the many deleterious effects and the scourge of industrial scale renewable energy developments.
Survey regarding Solar Energy Development in Southern California
And now on to the perfect segue: please take the opportunity to complete this online survey about your opinion on the development of solar within Southern California. This survey is being conducted by Jennifer Bernstein, a lecturer in Geographic Information and Science Technology at the University of Southern California. Some of the issues raised by the approval of the Daggett project are included within this survey. This is an opportunity to have your voice considered.
BLM seeking nominations for Resource Advisory Councils NEPA changes
The Bureau of Land Management is seeking nominations for Resource Advisory Councils (RAC), including the California Desert District RAC. These Councils “provide advice and recommendations to the BLM on land use planning and management of the national System of Public Lands within their geographic areas.” Nominations are due Feb 24, 2020. Here is the Federal Register Notice or go directly to the RAC application.
I’m looking forward to seeing you at our upcoming meeting, where we will also welcome two new Directors, Janet Johnston and Arch McCulloch.
Wishing you all a Happy New Year and perfection in 2020!
Steve Bardwell
Your MBCA Board:
Steve Bardwell, President Pat Flanagan, Director
David Fick, Vice President Meg Foley, Director
Laraine Turk, Recording Secretary Janet Johnston, Director
Marina West, Treasurer Mike Lipsitz, Director
Sarah Kennington, Past President Arch McCulloch, Director
Ruth Rieman, Director