MBCA Comments at County Land Use Services Open House

At the County Land Use Services Open House held in Joshua Tree on August 30, MBCA's President Steve Bardwell talked at some length with Mark Wardlaw, new Director of the department. MBCA sent a followup letter outlining concerns about land use issues that affect the Morongo Basin's unincorporated communities particularly. The letter includes some specific suggestions and summarizes our concerns related to water issues, Community Action Guides, climate change, Short-Term Rental ordinances, and a number of other topics.
Eblast June 23, 2023

- Light Trespass Ordinance Now in Effect
- Talking Trash (and Recycling!)
- Desert-Wise Living Landscape Tour
- Pioneertown and Land Use in The Morongo Basin
Eblast April 10, 2023

- 2023 Desert Wise Living Landscape Tour
- Attend MBCA and Friends of Wonder Valley Dark Skies event
- Wonder Inn and Flamingo 640 appealed to Board of Supervisors
Eblast January 7, 2022

- MBCA Annual Meeting – ‘Seeking Housing Solutions’
- Benefit for Homeless / Un-Housed Children
- Light Trespass Ordinance is in Effect
- Rooftop Solar Update
Eblast December 10, 2022

- Support Rooftop Solar!
- Benefit for Homeless / Un-Housed Children
- MBCA Annual Meeting – ‘Seeking Housing Solutions’
- How Dark is Your Night Sky?
- Give the Gift of an MBCA Membership
Final SB County Light Trespass Ordinance Published
The San Bernardino County Light Trespass Ordinance is now official. As we noted in our December 8 news post, "Two of the primary 'wins' of the final version of the ordinance are a shielding requirement and modernization of the terminology and measurement process concerning light trespass. Decorative string lights were one of the final issues of contention, and the approved version of the ordinance will only limit the color temperature and lumen output for residential, not commercial, string lights. The Supervisors agreed to revisit the issue in the future." In the near future, MBCA plans to provide more educational content about the ordinance.
Supervisors Approve Light Trespass Ordinance
In a unanimous vote, the San Bernardino County Supervisors approved the Light Trespass Ordinance that has been championed by MBCA and three successive Third District Dark Sky Committees as part of a decade of citizen action. Third District Supervisor Rowe posted this press release announcing the action. Two of the primary "wins" of the final version of the ordinance are a shielding requirement and modernization of the terminology and measurement process concerning light trespass. Decorative string lights were one of the final issues of contention, and the approved version of the ordinance will only limit the color temperature and lumen output for residential, not commercial, string lights. The Supervisors agreed to revisit the issue in the future. MBCA will provide more details upon official implementation of the ordinance.
Planning Commission Forwards Light Trespass Ordinance to Supervisors

Photo courtesy NPS/Lian Law, Creative Commons 2.0 License
The San Bernardino County Planning Commission unanimously approved the new Light Trespass Ordinance at their September 9 meeting. It will be forwarded to the Supervisors for their vote in the near future. Following its approval, compliance will be required in 18 months for businesses and 24 months for residents. The approved version is contained in pages 4-15 of the Staff Report; the existing Glare and Outdoor Lighting Ordinance is on pages 17-25.
Recent News on Light Pollution
From the weekly newsletter The Revelator, published by the Center for Biological Diversity, here is a list of recent news stories focused on the negative effects of light pollution.
- Young Clownfish Likely to Die Faster When Exposed to Artificial Light, Study Finds
- Noise and Light Pollution Changes Which Species of Birds Visit Our Backyards
- Fireflies Need Dark Nights for Their Summer Light Shows – Here’s How You Can Help
- Turning Off Half of City Lights at Night Could Cut Bird Mortality By Up to 60 Percent
- Dark Sky Havens: Where Can I Find One?
- Orbital Debris Creates a New Problem: Light Pollution
Light Trespass Ordinance Update and Deadline
The deadline for comments in support of the revised Light Trespass Ordinance for San Bernardino County is Friday, June 18. Send them to: [email protected]
We have revised our recent News item on this subject with new video footage. The presentation video (one hour) now includes post-presentation interaction of our presenters with the Commissioners, and we now have the full video of the meeting including timestamps for public comment via video from the Joshua Tree Government Center and for an oppositional presentation by a Newberry Springs resident. All these links and information are here.
We have revised our recent News item on this subject with new video footage. The presentation video (one hour) now includes post-presentation interaction of our presenters with the Commissioners, and we now have the full video of the meeting including timestamps for public comment via video from the Joshua Tree Government Center and for an oppositional presentation by a Newberry Springs resident. All these links and information are here.