MBCA Joins Request for Extension on Amargosa Basin Water Management Hearing

MBCA is among 15 organizations requesting more time to prepare for involvement in hearings concerning water management and related biological resources in the Amargosa Basin. The Basin lies within the Mojave Desert and spreads across two states and four counties, including San Bernardino County. The group recommends that Nevada Department of Water Resources engage with stakeholders to examine potential negative impacts on groundwater for rural communities and on tourism drawn to the area by this unique ecosystem.
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Rental Housing Problem Persists in Morongo Basin

house in distance under constructionA recent New York Times article reports on short-term rental issues in the greater Joshua Tree National Park area, but only briefly mentions the housing crisis that has been precipitated in great part by the rentals. This recent Desert Sun article, with quotations from MBCA Board members, provides a more comprehensive overview of how the situations are entwined and the status of the issue with San Bernardino County government.
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Plant Spotlight: Mojave Yucca

                                     Photos by Stacy Doolittle
One of our most glorious native plants is the Mojave Yucca (Yucca schidigera). With blooms beginning purple and opening to white or cream-colored blossoms, a yucca in bloom is a desert beacon. It's tree-like structure adds solidity to the landscape.
According to CalScape, "the flower is pollinated by only a single species of Yucca Moth, and many of the flowers go unpollinated."  Although a member of the Agave family, yucca's do not produce pups but instead reproduce by seed. 
yucca bloom close-up
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Communications Tower Concerns in Morongo Valley

MBCA joined Friends of Big Morongo Canyon, Mojave Desert Land Trust, Basin and Range Watch, SummerTree Institute, and The Wildlands Conservancy in a letter to the Bureau of Land Management with serious concerns about the construction of a proposed 196-foot communications tower in Morongo Valley. The letter states "The undersigned individuals/organizations have fought long and hard for the designation of Sand to Snow National Monument and strongly oppose this project and the changing of the VRM (Visual Resource Management) classification." In great detail and with maps and illustrations, the accompanying Public Scoping Comments document from the group points out why "The proposals are not in conformance with the applicable Federal purpose for which the public lands are managed in this area." 
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Plant Spotlight: Beavertail Pricklypear

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Photos by Stacy Doolittle
Opuntia basilaris or beavertail pricklypear as it is is commonly known, is native to the Morongo Basin and other areas of the southwest. It is a small to medium sized cactus with the potential for hundreds of pads on one cactus. These pads are usually a blue-green without spines. Instead, beavertail has glochids which are small barbed bristles or thorns. These easily detach so caution is recommended. 
A truly desert-wise plant, the beavertail doesn't need supplemental water except a small amount in the heat of summer. But be careful, overwatering can lead to rot. It does not need any supplemental water the rest of the year, even though it can appear parched. 
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Eblast February 21, 2022

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  • Annual Meeting recording now on-line!
  • Short Term Rentals and the SB County Housing Element
  • Rooftop Solar in California
  • 30 x 30
  • Morongo Valley Cell Tower
  • Mark your Calendars for the 2022 Landscape Tour
  • MBCA Scholarship
 
 
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The Desert's Role in California's 30x30 Plan

MBCA joined with many non-profit environmental and conservation organizations in recently signing comment letters related to California's 30x30 land and water conservation plan. The California Natural Resources Agency published the Draft Pathways Report that will guide the state's implementation of California Governor Newsom's Executive Order N-82-20 calling for conservation of 30% of California’s land and water to be protected by 2030. The draft plan underestimates the value of the desert's carbon sequestration and inaccurately describes the desert's real borders. MBCA joined 22 other organizations in creating an Inland Desert Regional Comment Letter to provide guidance on desert issues. MBCA also joined 61 organizations in a statewide comment letter on the Draft Report.
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A Third Option for Homeowners to Preserve their Joshua Trees?

A Yucca Valley property owner was directed by the Yucca Valley Planning Commission to either transplant or remove a Joshua Tree impacted by trenching near the tree. The property owners believe they should have the option of maintaining the tree. MBCA agrees that there should be a third option intended to retain trees that are not gravely affected by nearby excavation. This MBCA letter to the California Fish and Game Commission expresses MBCA’s request for them to consider such an option in their forthcoming decision-making process about designating the western Joshua Tree as a threatened species in California.
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Letter: Waiver of Joshua Tree Relocation

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Letter: Statewide Response to Draft 30 x 30 Pathways Report

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