MBCA Asks for Action on Illegal Cannabis Grows
MBCA's letter to Governor Newsom outlines the growing environmental damage and safety issues accruing from the proliferation of illegal marijuana grows in the Mojave Desert and other rural areas of the state. Our request is for the Governor to convene a special session of the legislature to upgrade the current misdemeanor status in order to address the escalating problem.
Cannabis Grows and Water Thefts
MBCA's Board of Directors has kept abreast of the ongoing and worsening situation of illegal cannabis grows in the Morongo Basin and nearby desert areas. In May, the Morongo Basin Municipal Advisory Council (MAC), which includes two MBCA Board members, Pat Flanagan and Steve Bardwell, passed a resolution asking that more San Bernardino County resources be provided to fight the problem. In June, the Supervisors adopted a resolution urging the state to increase penalties for illegal cannabis cultivation. A July 21 article from the Desert Sun describes the increasingly dire water theft increase across the state, mostly due to illegal cannabis grows. The article includes a quotation (highlighted) from Marina West, former MBCA Board member and general manager of the Bighorn-Desert View Water Agency.
New Lawsuit Filed Over Cadiz Water Project
The Center for Biological Diversity has filed a lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management in response to an action taken in the final days of the prior administration that would ease the path for the Cadiz Water Project. A right-of-way for the water mining scheme was granted without any public review. Read the news item by local radio KCDZ 107.7 and the press release from the Center for Biological Diversity for the latest information on this decade-long battle against draining important desert water reserves.
History of Water in the Morongo Basin - Desert Institute Video
Marina West, Manager of the Bighorn Desert View Water Agency and recently a Board member and Treasurer for MBCA, presented an illustrated virtual lecture on the "History of Water in the Morongo Basin: A Perspective on an Undervalued Resource" as a program for the Desert Institute, the educational arm of the Joshua Tree National Park Association. In this one-hour YouTube recording, Marina provides the Basin's water history in both geological and historical timeframes, with many anecdotes about the pioneers of harvesting water through the development wells in the Morongo Basin.
EBlast August 3, 2020

- Desert Wise Living Landscape Desert Tour 2020 goes virtual!
- Petition to list yucca brevifolia as a threatened species
- Opposition to Eagle Crest pumped storage project
- Reject nomination of William Pendley to head BLM
- Daggett Solar Energy project update
- Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease in the Morongo Basin
- Complete the 2020 Census
- Support MBCA through Amazon Smile
MBCA Joins Broad Coalition Opposing Eagle Crest Pumped Storage Project
MBCA is one of 27 diverse non-profit groups opposing any further consideration of the Eagle Crest Pumped Storage Project in this June 23rd letter to Governor Newsom and the co-chairs of the recently created Task Force on Business and Jobs Recovery.
EBlast June 8, 2020

- Desert Wise Living Landscape Tour 2020 goes virtual !
- Petition to list Yucca brevifolia as a threatened species.
- A week of Invasive Species Lunchtime Webinars.
- Opposition to Yellow Pine Solar Project
- Action on Eagle Crest Pumping Opposition.
- Funding Mojave Trails Acquisition
- Environmental Justice in Lucerne Valley.
- Opposition to Habitat Conservation Fund Budget Trailer Bill.
- Support for AB3030 For Land and Water Conservation.
- Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease found in the Morongo Basin.
- Ruth Denison 2020 Environmental scholarship recipient.
MBCA's Action on Eagle Crest Pumping Opposition
In January 2020, MBCA sent a letter opposing state legislative action that would have enhanced the prospects for the Eagle Crest Pumped Storage Project on the border of Joshua Tree National Park. Chief among our concerns is the inevitable overdraft of underground aquifers in the area and for the Park, with dire consequences for the flora and fauna.
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Hi-Desert Water District Seeks Comments on its Mitigated Negative Declaration
As part of its Sewer Collection System Project for Yucca Valley, the Hi-Desert Water District must file a Mitigated Negative Declaration describing what environmental disturbance will occur in Phases II and III of the project and how the consequences will be mitigated. Here is the Water District's Draft MND webpage that includes an overview of the process and all the relevant documents. Comments must be submitted by May 31, 2020.
EBlast April 20, 2020

- Earth Day
- 50th Anniversary Commemorative book distribution
- Desert Wise Living Landscape Tour 2020 postponed
- MBCA and social media initiative
- Ruth Denison Environmental Scholarship: 2020 recipient
- OHV enforcement in the Basin: the Sheriff’s report
- Protecting our dark night sky
- Advancing protection for Joshua trees
- Mountain lions to be considered for protection
- Eagle Crest pumped storage update
- Morongo Basin health care capability vs COVID-19