Morongo Basin Conservation Association

Public meetings Sept. 6th and 7th: Tell our public officials what You think about renewal energy development in the Mojave

2013-08-31T14:18:00.002-07:00

The Desert Renewal Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) will guide plans to develop renewal energy (solar and wind) in the California deserts. Federal, state, and county agencies are involved. The plan will cover both public and private land. Nothing final has been drafted yet. We have an opportunity to make a difference in the process that will shape our future.

The DRECP claims to:

· Provide for the long-term conservation and management of Covered Species within the Plan Area,

· Preserve, restore, and enhance natural communities and ecosystems that support Covered Species,

· Streamline environmental review and permitting for compatible renewable energy project, and

· Identify appropriate areas or zones within the Plan Area for the development of utility-scale renewable energy projects.

But the plan has some big gaps and needs to incorporate current scientific data; bio-studies, and local economic issues. We asked for a meeting in our area and were granted one. Officials from the California Energy Commission, Fish and Wildlife, the BLM, and San Bernardino County will be present to hear from us about life in the Mojave, the right way to develop renewal energy in our desert, and what we must preserve.

Information about the DRECP is available on the National Parks Conservation Association website; and on the California Desert Coalition website.

Also check out Renewable Energy Topics by Chris Clarke. You can read the DRECP at http://www.drecp.org/

Meeting details are below. Please come and be heard.

Susan Luckie Reilly

2013-07-27T11:11:00.000-07:00

Susan Luckie Reilly was a founding Board member of MBCA back in 1969, and a tireless leader for MBCA battles against power companies, toxic dumps and other desert-destroying plans. She has been a champion of desert and Park protection and an inspiration for folks like us for decades. Please read and enjoy the recent interview with Susan in the Desert Trail:

http://www.hidesertstar.com/the_desert_trail/news/article_dff230d6-e99e-11e2-ae21-0019bb2963f4.html

MBCA is also nominating Susan for Congressman Paul Cook’s inaugural “Women of Distinction” Award. Attached to this email is our nominating statement. There will be a ceremony for this award in Apple Valley at 10 AM on August 23, and we will notify you if Susan is one of those to be honored.

Project Bobcat update

2013-07-24T11:09:00.000-07:00

Assembly Bill 1213 is still progressing through the State legislative process. The revised bill prohibits bobcat trapping on lands around Joshua Tree National Park, and on private property without the owner’s permission. There are additional limits and qualifications, which you can read on on this site that provides a summary and tracks the history of the bill:

http://www.legtrack.com/bill.html?bill=201320140AB1213

Find more info at the Project Bobcat website.

The next hearing in Sacramento is expected to be around August 12.

MBCA opposes Soda Mountain Solar Project

2013-07-21T11:07:00.001-07:00

The MBCA Board of Directors heard a presentation by Seth Shteir of the National Parks Conservation Association last Thursday, and agreed to formally oppose another inappropriately placed solar project, the Soda Mountains Project that borders the Mojave National Preserve. As you are well aware, MBCA is in favor of renewable energy projects, but not industrial-scale solar projects on lands that host endangered species and unspoiled desert. Large projects should only be on already-disturbed lands, and rooftop solar and locally distributed generation (DG) are the real way forward.

As David Lamfrom, California Desert Senior Program Manager for the National Parks Conservation Association, wrote in his comments on the DRECP:

Lands such as those proposed for the Soda Mountains project should not be included within the DRECP because of identified importance to bighorn sheep migration, landscape connectivity, proximity to Mojave National Preserve, and hydrologic connection to MC Spring, a location utilized for the recovery of the listed Mojave Tui-Chub.

Two members of the MBCA Board of Directors, Claudia Sall and Ruth Rieman, are also Board members of the California Desert Coalition, and are meeting with the San Bernardino County Supervisors to educate them about renewable energy issues in the Morongo Basin and the County. Issues include County input on the DRECP (there will be a meeting in Yucca Valley this fall—date to follow shortly), the County moratorium on energy development in residential neighborhoods, and updating the County General Plan to include appropriate renewable energy language.

Immediate action needed to extend 45-day moratorium on commercial solar in county unincorporated areas

2013-07-18T18:02:00.002-07:00

Dear MBCA Members and Supporters:

We are asking our readers to help convince the San Bernardino County Supervisors that they should extend the 45-day moratorium on commercial solar development in County unincorporated areas (which includes Joshua Tree, the Mesa, Flaming Heights, Landers, etc.). We mentioned this issue in our recent news and information email. We have just learned that we will need a lot of constituents to inform the Supervisors of the need for the extension BEFORE NEXT TUESDAY (July 23). Letters to the editor, letters to Supervisors, and/or attendance at the next BOS meeting will be very helpful -- more information below.

Our local District 3 Supervisor James Ramos has been very supportive and helpful, and is to be thanked. Supervisor Lovingood (1^st District) agrees with the need for extension, but we are uncertain about the other 3 Supervisors.

Here is a link to the County document describing the moratorium and actions being taken:

http://www.sbcounty.gov/Uploads/lus/Renewable/SolarMoratoriumReport7172013.pdf

Here is Chris Clarke’s KCET story on the moratorium, which nicely summarizes it (we recommend Chris’s KCET blog for all California energy-related issues):

http://www.kcet.org/news/rewire/solar/san-bernardino-county-approves-solar-moratorium.html

Here is the Riverside Press-Enterprise article:

http://www.pe.com/local-news/san-bernardino-county/san-bernardino-county-headlines-index/20130612-san-bernardino-county-new-solar-projects-temporarily-banned.ece

And here is a website that summarizes the issue in legal terms:

http://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/san-bernardino-county-approves-temporary-39481/

The Supervisors meet next Tuesday, June 23, in San Bernardino, at 10:00 AM and this will be on their agenda. The time is not yet known, but here is the site where the agenda should be posted by Friday:

http://www.sbcounty.gov/main/countydirect.asp

Please send emails to any or all of the following addresses expressing your concern that this issue be taken seriously by the entire Board of Supervisors, and that they need to extend the deadline for addressing solar installations in unincorporated County areas. Issues include possible development code amendments addressing the permitting process, as well as siting and zoning requirements.

There is a need for research to determine the best way to protect the desert while encouraging renewable energy in the right way and the right places.

If you know folks in the other supervisorial districts, please ask them to contact their Supervisor. Here’s a link to a list of communities by District:

http://www.sbcounty.gov/Uploads/BOS/bosdistricts/CountyCommunitiesbyDistrict.pdf

San Bernardino Sun Newspaper

Email: opinions@inlandnewspapers.com

Hi Desert Star Newspaper
https://hidesertstar-dot-com.bloxcms.com/site/forms/subscription_services/letter/

Riverside Press Enterprise newspaper
http://subscribe.pe.com/submit-letter-to-the-editor

Supervisor Ramos

Email: SupervisorRamos@sbcounty.gov

Supervisor Lovingoodhttp://www.sbcounty.gov/bosd1/contact/email.aspx

Supervisor Gonzaleshttp://www.sbcounty.gov/bosd5/contact/default.aspx

Supervisor Rutherford

Email: Supervisorrutherford@sbcounty.gov

Supervisor Ovitthttp://www.sbcounty.gov/BOSD4/contact/Email.aspx

Thanks for whatever you can do.

DRECP – Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan

2013-06-08T18:57:00.000-07:00

The California Desert Coalition held a meeting about the DRECP in Yucca Valley on April 11 to update residents about the most recent DRECP published “alternatives.” Large-scale color maps located around the room showed that lands all around the Morongo Basin areas are at risk of becoming sites for industrial scale renewable energy development projects, as are Johnson Valley and Lucerne Valley, who were also well-represented at this well-attended presentation. Chris Carrillo, Deputy Chief of Staff for new San Bernardino County Superintendent James Ramos, was among the speakers, and carried to Supervisor Ramos the sense of concern and urgency that his constituents shared at the meeting. Supervisor Ramos then requested that the entire Board of Supervisors have a DRECP workshop with state agency representatives. This occurred on April 16 because of the strong showing and deep concern of many desert residents. The Supervisors requested that DRECP leaders hold a Workshop in the Morongo Basin, and possibly another desert location, to share information and allow residents to ask questions and express concerns. Prior meetings have all been held in Ontario, even though it is the desert residents that will be most affected.

CDC plans to seek meetings with individual Supervisors to make the case that it is imperative that the Board of Supervisors engages in the DRECP process and develops San Bernardino County policy and ordinances regarding commercial renewable energy projects within the County on private lands. Comprehensive information about the DRECP is available on the CDC website.

Thank you for your ongoing support and concern for maintaining the highest possible quality of life in “our” Morongo Basin and the Mojave Desert region.

Winners of the Landscape Tour Essay Contest!

2013-06-06T18:55:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the three winners of the 2013 Post-Tour Essay Contest! Many thanks to the “literary gentlemen” of MBCA who served as judges: Curt Duffy, Greg Gilbert, and Mike Lipsitz.

1^st place winner, Susan Jordon, receives a $200 gift certificate for Unique Nursery.

2^nd place winner, Sylvia LaBonte’, receives a $150 gift certificate for Cactus Mart.

3^rd place winner, Carole Hiestand, receives a $100 gift certificate for Wind Walkers.

We will alert you when the winners’ creative submissions are posted on the MBCA website. Reading them will make you happily reminisce about your experience if you participated in the Tour, and are likely to make you want to participate next year if you haven’t!

Live stream the SB County Board of Supervisors Meeting tommorrow

2013-06-03T18:54:00.000-07:00

Dear MBCA Members and Supporters:

Many Morongo Basin residents live in unincorporated areas and must rely on communication with the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors to express their interests and concerns. At the Supervisors’ meeting tomorrow, June 4, there are several critical issues on the agenda for Joshua Tree and other unincorporated Morongo Basin communities.

Here is the news item from KCDZ radio news on June 3 describing the issues of interest: http://www.kcdzfm.com/news/fullstory060313.html#a02

While some concerned residents will be attending the meeting in person in San Bernardino, and some will attend via the video link available at the Government Center in Joshua Tree, we wanted our readers to know that the meetings are broadcast live-stream on the internet, and encourage you to view this important meeting if you can.

Here’s how to view the Board of Supervisors meeting via your computer:

The link to the meeting's live stream will appear about half an hour before the meeting schedule of 10 AM on Tuesday, June 4.

Click this link after 9:30 AM on Tuesday: http://www.sbcounty.gov/main/countydirect.asp

Then in the heading of Upcoming Events is the Board of Supervisors Meeting, the date, and then on the right is the link called "View Event.”

Click that "View Event" link and there you are (hopefully!).

Update: Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan

2013-05-22T11:17:00.000-07:00

DRECP is still an issue, and will continue to be one of our concerns. The Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan has produced six alternatives and a no-action alternative, and because of potential encroachment of “development focus areas” and “variance lands” in the Morongo Basin, the California Desert Coalition has launched a “1000 letters campaign.” CDC Board members are staffing tables and making presentations across the Basin and in the Lucerne Valley area to explain problems with the alternatives and why Morongo Basin residents MUST be heard. Please go to www.cadesertco.org and read the latest update, then print out, sign and send a letter, and be part of a strong voice for keeping industrial wind and solar out of the Basin and urging appropriate placement in already-disturbed areas and on rooftops.

We are uncertain when the DRECP will publish its preferred alternative; rumors range from summer to the end of 2013.

Update on Project Bobcat

2013-05-19T11:17:00.000-07:00

Project Bobcat supporters from the Morongo Basin traveled to Sacramento last week to show support for AB 1213, the bill proposing a statewide ban on bobcat trapping. The bill has been amended to limit trapping ban to a 2-mile radius around Joshua National Park while the Department of Fish and Wildlife would be directed to develop a bobcat management plan. It’s not ideal, but better than nothing, and a start toward statewide restrictions.

Here’s the Hi Desert Star article about AB 1213 presented on the Project Bobcat website: http://projectbobcat.org/bobcat-bill-gains-momentum-law-narrowed-to-joshua-tree-zone/

For more information, visit Project Bobcat.

Desert Wise Landscape Tour a Success!

2013-05-07T08:09:00.002-07:00

Dear MBCA Members and Supporters:

The Desert Wise Landscape Tour was absolutely spectacular! The weather was perfect. Our volunteer docents were eager, helpful, and dedicated to the success of the event. The garden site hosts were knowledgeable and generous. And, it appears that the tour-goers were enthusiastic and appreciative!

We will alert you soon to some photos of the Tour on the MBCA website. We are so grateful to our docent volunteers and garden site hosts. We learned that many of the hosts spent lots of extra hours in their gardens recently to bring them into prime viewing condition – Thank You! Docents’ roles were varied, as greeters, parking attendants, and check-in gurus, and some also assisted with garden tours – it couldn’t have happened without them. Deepest thanks to our Site Hosts and Docents!

Docents

(alphabetical by first name)

Al Willcut	Danny Sall	Kathryn (Kay) Taylor
Almut Fleck	Esther Shaw	Ken Lair
Ann Murdy	Gayla Blanton	Marina West
Bonnie Brady	Ida Foreman	Meg Foley
Carol Damon	Janet Tucker	Pat Freter
Cynthia Anderson	Judy Corl-Lorono	Steve Rieman
Dan Grieser	Kathleen Lowndes	Sylvia LaBonte

Site Hosts

(in order of site number)

1 - Robin Kobaly & Doug Thompson	11 - Melva & Don Matthews
2 - Kat & Bill La Haye	12 - Phillip Mayberry & Scott Walker
3 - Nancy & George Huntington	13 - Mike Lipsitz & Phu Do
4 - Cathy & Stan Zarakov	14 - Rich Gerston
5 - Phyllis & Richard Schwartz	15 - Cheryl Montell & Brian Leatart
6 - Nora Lousignont & John Lauretig	16 - James Berg & Frederick Fulmer
7 - Bobette & Tony Milici	17 - Miriam Seger
8 - Ron Cousino & Sean Mylett	18 - Cathy Sheehe & Mark Butler
9 - Ruth & Steve Rieman	19 - Joan Robey & Steve Stajich
10 - Shelly & Dale Fredenburg	20 - Josh Hoines (Joshua Tree National Park)

Additional thanks are extended to Dave Miller for the beautiful and useful design of the Tour Guidebook, to Mike Lipsitz and Greg Gilbert for editing, and to Judy Litowitz for providing registration services at WindWalkers on Tour Day. And finally, thanks to the Committee members who put in many hours to make the Tour successful: Sarah Kennington, Ann Murdy, Ruth Rieman, Cathy Sheehe, and Cathy Zarakov, under the stellar leadership of MBCA’s Events Director Claudia Sall. Thank you all!

Third Annual MBCA Desert-Wise Landscape Tour this Saturday, April 27th

2013-04-19T10:04:00.001-07:00

Dear MBCA Members and Supporters:

It’s only a week away! The Third Annual MBCA Desert-Wise Landscape Tour is Saturday, April 27.

If you’ve been on a previous Tour, you know how enjoyable and educational it is. If you haven’t made it yet, please consider it this year. The owners of twenty Morongo Basin homes are showing off their water-wise garden achievements, including long-time fully mature desert gardens, art-and-sculpture filled gardens, small all-native gardens, and everything in between. The program descriptions will help you choose which sites would be of most interest to you. We encourage you to register now.

A donation of $10 per person is requested to register for the Tour. There are two ways to sign up:

1) Pay in Person on April 20 or April 27.

Just come to the locations during the times listed below to register, and get all the necessary items (Program, Map, and wristband).

Saturday, April 20, 2013

MBCA Table at Yucca Valley Earth Day Celebration 9AM – 12NOON

Joshua Tree Farmers’ Market 9AM – 12NOON

Saturday, April 27, 2013 – Day of the Tour

WindWalkers in Joshua Tree 9AM – 12NOON

2) Pay Online via Paypal at http://www.mbconservation.org/tour2013.html

Those who sign up through PayPal will receive an email receipt and then a follow-up email with a link to a PDF version of the Program & Map to print at home and bring to the Tour. You can get your wristband at the first site you visit by showing your receipt. Or, you can visit one of the locations above at the listed times and show your printed receipt to pick up your Program, Map, and wristband.

Please join the Morongo Basin movement to save water and energy by developing a fabulous water-wise garden. You will be inspired and informed by this tour.

See you on the Tour!

Important hearing on the DRECP next Tuesday, April 16th

2013-04-10T07:26:00.000-07:00

Dear MBCA members and supporters:

MBCA has partnered with the National Parks Conservation Association on many issues, and we hope you will consider the following request for support from our local NPCA Field Representative Seth Shteir. Your appearance at the San Bernardino County Supervisors’ DRECP hearing next Tuesday afternoon would be incredibly helpful if possible. See details below.

NPCA will also be presenting at this Thursday’s California Desert Coalition (CDC) program about DRECP, at 6:30 PM at the Yucca Valley Community Center. Hope to see you there.

Thank you,

Board of Directors, MBCA

Dear Friends,

I hope you are enjoying this fantastic spring weather and what one national park biologist has called the best Joshua tree bloom in 25 years!

Perhaps no other issue in the California desert is as important as the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP), which seeks to identify the best locations for wind, solar and geothermal renewable energy on 22.5 million acres in seven California counties. This plan has the potential to profoundly alter our desert landscape and our desert communities. I’m writing you today to urge your attendance at a critical Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan San Bernardino County Board of Supervisor’s Hearing on Tuesday, April 16, 2013 at 1:00 PM in San Bernardino.

Our County Supervisors are influential decision makers in the DRECP plan and they need to hear from you about the value of protecting our desert national parks, public lands, communities and recreational tourism economy. We are currently organizing people from the Morongo Basin to attend this meeting via vans and carpools. Please RSVP as soon as possible to sshteir@npca.org. Once you’ve RSVP’d, I’ll provide information on rides, as well as some key talking points that can help you craft your public comment for the meeting. Please plan on leaving the Morongo Basin at approximately 10:30am and returning by dinner. A bag lunch, snacks and a drink are encouraged!

Respectfully,

Seth Shteir

California Desert Field Representative

National Parks Conservation Association

61325 Twentynine Palms Highway, Suite B

Joshua Tree, CA 92252

760-366-7785- Office

760-332-9776- Cell

WANTED: 1000 Morongo Basin Voices

2013-04-07T20:17:00.000-07:00

WANTED

1000 Morongo Basin Voices

It’s time for us to be heard.

Come find out what WE all need to do to make the

DESERT RENEWABLE ENERGY CONSERVATION PLAN

The one we want and that will protect our communities

from outside exploitation.

When: 6:30PM, Thursday, April 11, 2013

Where: Yucca Valley Community Center

Early versions of the DRECP will not achieve the protection in the Morongo Basin that its goals set.

A letter will be available for you to sign that asks for a better plan. We need to be heard NOW.

This meeting is hosted by the

California Desert Coalition

info@cadesertca.org

Anza-Borrego's tough eradication project: Cutting the mustard

2013-03-19T21:33:00.000-07:00

The invasion of Sahara mustard in Anza Borrego State Park is seriously threatening the wildflowers that grace the area each spring and draw visitors that are essential to the local economy. Details can be found in a recent article in the LA Times.

Is the Morongo Basin next? Please learn to identify and remove this plant from your property (you can find photos and facts at the MBCA website) and join us next Saturday, March 30th for a mustard pull in Joshua Tree National Park. The weed pull is from 8AM-1PM and volunteers meet at the Oasis Visitor center in 29 Palms to carpool to work sites.

RSVP for details and so we can anticipate equipment needs:
Kipp Callahan, 760-367-5575
Kipp_Callahan@partner.nps.gov

Our native flora and fauna thank you!

It's time to "Hold the Mustard"

2013-03-15T10:59:00.001-07:00

Many thanks to Josh Hoines of Joshua Tree National Park for his informative and entertaining lecture on February 12, and to the Hi Desert Nature Museum for hosting the lecture. Invasive species threaten native vegetation and provide fire fuel. Learning to recognize and destroy them – early – was perhaps the most important lesson from the lecture. On that note----

Mustard Pulls

Joshua Tree National Park has partnered with MBCA for several years in the “Hold the Mustard” campaign. We received recent coverage in the Riverside Press Enterprise for this effort and YOU can be part of the solution!

There are mustard pulls in the Park every Saturday in March. There is still time to join us on March 23rd and 30th. This a great way to enjoy the recent warm weather in the company of kindred spirits, and eradiction of this invasive plant helps to preserve our glorious spring wildflower displays and to prevent fires. Find more details at: MBCA Sahara mustard.

And don’t forget the closer-to-home MBCA Clean Team efforts to keep both mustard and trash from our assigned area on Twentynine Palms Highway in Joshua Tree. Find out more via Deb Bollinger at stopinvasives@live.com or 760.819.9939.

Bobcat trapping

2013-02-13T12:47:00.000-08:00

Upon discovery of a trap on his private property, Joshua Tree resident Tom OKey researched the regulations and found, to the surprise of many, that the Asian market for furs has increased the presence of trappers in the Basin. And, of course, trapping on private land is illegal. A local group is forming to investigate changing bobcat hunting regulations in the Basin, especially around the Park and other conserved lands. We will provide more information about their work in future emails.

Here is the link to the Hi Desert Star article on the topic.

Coronus solar proposal in Joshua Tree

2013-02-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

Joshua Tree residents near the border with Yucca Valley learned recently that a Canadian company, Coronus Solar, plans to use sizable acreage to construct three 1.5 megawatt installations on the corner of Alta Loma and Olympic Roads. This is very close to homes and to newly-conserved lands purchased by the Mojave Desert Land Trust. For more details check out a recent KCDZ story on the project. Note that the story concludes with this statement:

Speaking at the Morongo Basin Conservation Association annual meeting, renewable energy blogger and JT resident Chris Clark, who has written extensively about several much larger energy projects, said, "The 20-to-50 acre installations may well be the worse threat, in the long term."

Also check out the short article (and many community comments) in the Hi Desert Star.

Weeds, aliens, and exotic plants

2013-02-08T10:52:00.001-08:00

Please join MBCA next Tuesday evening at a timely free lecture about the threat of invasive plants (coming soon to your neighborhood), given by entertaining speaker Josh Hoines of Joshua Tree National Park. It will be held at the Hi Desert Nature Museum in Yucca Valley, Tuesday, February 12, at 6:30 p.m. Hot cider will be served!

FLOWERS VERSUS WEEDS A RACE FOR RESOURCES

Want to know the difference between a weed, an alien plant, an exotic plant and an invasive? Want to know the current threats to wildflowers at Joshua Tree National Park? Join Josh Hoines, who will address invasive species and their threat to biodiversity, the economy, and the direct threats to the park. Invasive species are considered the largest threat to biodiversity, second only to habitat loss. Invasive species and their consequences are estimated to cost the American public an estimated $138 billion each year.

Josh is a vegetation ecologist with 12+ years of experience working with local, state, and federal partners to protect and preserve habitats and open space. Currently, he manages the vegetation programs at Joshua Tree National Park including an active botany, restoration, invasive plant, native plant nursery, and recreation management. Previously, Josh coordinated interagency habitat restoration across federal boundaries in southern Nevada.

Thanks to all who made our annual meeting a success!

2013-01-27T12:09:00.003-08:00

Our Annual Meeting and Solar Seminar on Saturday provided the 70 or so folks in attendance with a wealth of information via three engaging speakers. Although our Keynote Speaker, Angelina Galiteva, was unable to attend because of a family health emergency, the information-packed presentations of Chris Clarke and Steve Bardwell were accented by an additional presentation created that morning to help us out an overview of the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) by April Sall of the Wildlands Conservancy. We thank all three of them profusely for their contributions to our understanding of renewable energy issues. Chris spoke about trends in renewable energy internationally, nationally, and in California, and of the governmental and corporate politics that are heading us toward harmful mega-solar instead of distributed and rooftop solar. Steve shared a step-by-step account of building his new house with a multitude of energy conservation methods, showing us photos of the process and the materials. April brought us up to date on Californias lengthy (and frustrating) effort to assign public land locations to future renewable energy development (the DRECP).

We also had the opportunity on Saturday to introduce our 2013 Board of Directors and Board of Advisors, who are listed at the end of this email. Volunteers were a key part of the success of this event. Thanks to Cathy Zarakov, Robin Balch, Meredith Jones, Cathy Sheehe, and Ann Murdy for help with check-in and membership, Dave Miller for making the projection technology work, Victoria Fuller and Stephanie Weigel for staffing a table on Dark Night Skies, to the many folks who helped with early set-up, and to Anne Staley for providing a fabulous gourmet refreshment table!

Now back to work!

MBCA Annual Meeting and Solar Seminar

2013-01-19T11:25:00.003-08:00

Please don't forget our MBCA Annual Meeting and Solar Seminar on Saturday, January 19, 9 am 1 pm at the Joshua Tree Community Center.

MBCA Board members are proud of our accomplishments during 2012. The Annual Meeting portion of the event will provide introductions of new members of the Board of Directors and the new Board of Advisors, an illustrated overview of 2012 accomplishments, and an outline of 2013 goals.

The Solar Seminar is bound to be illuminating (!). Our stellar keynote speaker, Angelina Galiteva, is knowledgeable about renewable energy and solar issues on both the state and international levels. She will be joined by Chris Clarke, Joshua Tree resident and Blog Host for KCETs ReWire feature and a Joshua Tree resident. ReWire provides news and analysis about renewable energy in California. Here is a link to the blog: Then, at the homeowner level of renewable energy interest, local resident Steve Bardwell will share his experience in building a new off-the-grid home in the Pioneertown area. There will be some time for question and answer with the speakers.

No wind towers on the buttes!

2013-01-19T11:16:00.000-08:00

Dear MBCA members and supporters:

Late breaking news that we all wanted to hear: Element Power has asked BLM to terminate its right-of-way grant for wind testing on the Black Lava Butte and Flat Top Mesa, essentially closing the door on its plan to cover the Buttes with wind towers.

Bravo and thanks to the California Desert Coalition and Save Our Desert, who fought the project together.

Desert-Wise Landscape Lectures October 13

2012-09-18T19:58:00.001-07:00

The MBCA's next event in the Desert-Wise Living Series is an afternoon of presentations and demonstrations of water-wise and energy-wise desert landscaping from many local residents and experts, on Saturday, October 13, in Joshua Tree. Its exactly at the right time of year to get the best results from planting and landscaping. Go to the MBCA home page to learn more, then click the link to register via PayPal.

www.mbconservation.org

Its only $10 for the general public and $5 for MBCA members-- it will be well worth your time and money!

Update on the Joshua Tree casino issue

2012-09-08T19:22:00.000-07:00

Governor Brown unfortunately made a bad decision. Per the LA Times, Gov. Jerry Brown approved a plan for two tribes to open casinos away from their ancestral lands, a move that he said would create jobs and help local communities. But critics say the plan could lead to a massive expansion of gambling in California. Here is a link to the rest of the LA Times article on his recent decision: LA Times blog

This does not bode well for the Joshua Tree Casino. However, the conditions cited by Gov. Brown in his decision letters describe situations quite different from Joshua Tree. Links to his full letters of approval are below, but here are some excerpts (underline added for emphasis):

· A large tribal population will directly benefit from the gaming facility. (The 29 Palms Band is very small.)

· The gaming facility is supported by both Madera County and the City of Madera. (Joshua Tree residents have come out in great numbers against the Casino.)

· Each tribe has a significant historical connection with the land. (This does not seem to be the case in Joshua Tree.)

· The gaming facility has increasing public support (Not in Joshua Tree!)

· The facility will be located within a sports-and-entertainment zone created by Yuba County. (Theres no situation like that in Joshua Tree.)

Here are the actual letters sent by the Governor:

http://www.gov.ca.gov/news.php?id=17699

http://www.gov.ca.gov/news.php?id=17700

UCR Master Gardener Program

2012-08-29T19:25:00.000-07:00

As a follow-up to those of you who have enjoyed learning about desert-wise landscaping from MBCA’s Landscape Tours, we have learned that there is going to be a new Cooperative Extension master gardener program at the University of California, Riverside campus in the Coachella Valley. The program is tailored to Coachella Valley gardening (with some overlap with our Mojave Desert environment), and there is a volunteer requirement upon completion of the program.

Here is UCR’s advertising about the program:UCR Master Gardener program

Morongo Basin Conservation Association

Public meetings Sept. 6th and 7th: Tell our public officials what You think about renewal energy development in the Mojave

Susan Luckie Reilly

Project Bobcat update

MBCA opposes Soda Mountain Solar Project

Immediate action needed to extend 45-day moratorium on commercial solar in county unincorporated areas

DRECP – Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan

Winners of the Landscape Tour Essay Contest!

Live stream the SB County Board of Supervisors Meeting tommorrow

Update: Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan

Update on Project Bobcat

Desert Wise Landscape Tour a Success!

Third Annual MBCA Desert-Wise Landscape Tour this Saturday, April 27th

Important hearing on the DRECP next Tuesday, April 16th

WANTED: 1000 Morongo Basin Voices

Anza-Borrego's tough eradication project: Cutting the mustard

It's time to "Hold the Mustard"

Bobcat trapping

Coronus solar proposal in Joshua Tree

Weeds, aliens, and exotic plants

Thanks to all who made our annual meeting a success!

MBCA Annual Meeting and Solar Seminar

No wind towers on the buttes!

Desert-Wise Landscape Lectures  October 13

Update on the Joshua Tree casino issue

UCR Master Gardener Program

Desert-Wise Landscape Lectures October 13