June 2014 News of the desert from Sierra Club California/Nevada Desert Committee

A LESSON FOR THE FUTURE

BY CRAIG DEUTSCHE

Pioneers In The Desert

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Pioneers In The DesertSilurian Valley In The CrosshairsSolar Tentacles Reach Into Owens ValleyHistory Of Wilderness In Southern CaliforniaThe East MojaveInterview With Steve MietzOcotillo WellsThe Impacts Of Energy Projects On Migratory BirdsOutingsCurrent Issues

EEntering Death Valley from the south, one is nearly compelled to pass through the small town of Shoshone, California. While there is a highway maintenance station near the village entrance and a modern gas station as well, it would be the older and more rustic buildings that catch your eye: an old museum with a rusting, ear-ly-model auto in front; the Crowbar Cafe with a cowboy logo and wooden tables outside; a strangely painted community hall; and a small green, wooden bunga-low off to the side. These are relics from an earlier history, a time far from the ex-travagances of the twenty-first century. All this might have vanished thirty years

ago with the collapse of the regional mining ventures if it were not for the efforts of the local town manager, Susan Sorrells. Shoshone was founded by her great grandfather, but Susan must be considered a new kind of pioneer in the western tradition. I first met Susan fourteen years ago at a meeting held in the community hall. A group of people were being conducted on a tour to a nearby trackway with the fossilized foot-prints of a great variety of Pleistocene mammals, and it was purely by accident that Susan and I began talking. Several years later I planned to bring a high school geology class to see this same trackway. As we spoke on the phone, I learned that Susan had once been a boarding student at the Westlake School for Girls, the very place where I had begun my own teaching career. Over the years we have spoken many times, and much of the conver-sation has centered on her family history as they arrived and then settled in the southern Death Valley region. The family first came west when Susan’s great-great-grandfather, David Fairbanks, arrived in Salt Lake with Brigham Young. Among his ten children was a son, Ralph Fair-banks, who was later to be known universally as “Dad.” Over the years this son worked

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In front of the Shoshone Museum, 2014

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BY JACK PRICHETT

Silurian Valley In The Crosshairs

PROPOSED SOLAR PROJECT WOULD REQUIRE PEIS VARIANCE FROM BLM

Silurian Valley, a majestic desert basin flanked by the 6,000-foot-plus Avawatz, Soda, and Kingston ranges, is undevel-oped. The nearest community is 17 miles south, the town of Baker. Head north from Baker on California Highway 127 and the Mojave Desert unfolds before you. The highway, which follows the valley floor, is a gateway to the south entrance to Death Valley. Just as importantly, the val-ley is a key piece of a corridor linking three properties managed by the National Park Service—Joshua Tree National Park and the Mojave Desert Preserve to the south, with Death Valley National Park to the north.

POWER PLANTS TARGET THE VALLEY Today, however, Silurian Valley is the target for two massive proposed renew-able energy plants: the Silurian Valley Wind Farm and the Aurora Solar Plant. Together these large ventures would de-stroy the environmental integrity of Si-lurian Valley and despoil its magnificent desert vistas, while generating electricity for homes in cities a hundred miles away. The projects would also impinge on his-torical cultural resources, including the Old Spanish National Historic Trail, the Mormon Road wagon trail, and the his-toric route of the Tonopah and Tidewater railroad. The two plants are both projects of Iberdrola Renewables, a business unit of Iberdrola USA (see table for facts about the two plants.)

SOLAR PLANT REQUIRES A VARIANCE Licensing Aurora Solar would require the BLM to approve the first variance, for a power plant application, to the carefully developed Solar Programmatic Environ-mental Impact Statement (PEIS), pub-

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lished in late 2012. The variance—special exemption—would be required since the Silurian Valley is not part of the Solar Energy Zones (SEZs) defined in the PEIS. Areas outside the SEZs are either excluded from solar development, or projects must pass through more rig-orous examination to prove they are appropriate locations for solar energy development.

STRONG OPPOSITION SURFACES AT PUBLIC HEARING FOR AURORA SOLAR PLANT On March 27, 2014, the BLM held a public meeting in Barstow to solicit comments from public agencies and the general public about their concerns and interests on the proposed Silurian Valley solar project. Representatives of Iberdrola Renewables made a presentation on the project and answered questions about it.

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Silurian Valley

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TThe City of Los Angeles owns 240,000 acres in the Eastern Sierra’s Owens Valley, and that reality dramatically affects land and water management. Those lands are sovereign, as written in the Cali-fornia Government Codes, so the local Inyo County General Plan has little influence on actions proposed by Los Angeles. For over 100 years Inyo has lived with these circumstances for better and for worse. A positive aspect of this situation is a grand, open land-scape between the Owens Valley’s small communities due to that land ownership – a de-facto kind of zoning. The critical negative aspect is the lack of local control. In the late summer of 2013 the Los Angeles Department of Wa-ter and Power (LADWP) proposed the Southern Owens Valley Solar Ranch (SOVSR), a 200MW photovoltaic (PV) project that would cover 1200 acres of land owned by Los Angeles on the Owens Valley floor. The site is located east of the Owens River between the Mazourka Canyon Road in Independence and the Manzanar-Reward Road near the Manzanar National Historic Site. The nearby LADWP transmission lines have available capacity for the power gener-ated. The two square miles to be developed is covered by a mostly undisturbed desert scrub plant community. Public opposition to the SOVSR has been robust, diverse and wide-ranging. It comes from the Owens Valley Committee, Sierra Club Range of Light Group, DeepestValley.com, Friends of the Inyo, the Lone Pine Paiute-Shoshone Tribe, the Big Pine Paiute Tribe and the Manzanar National Historic Site. Negative comments were also given by the Center for Biological Diversity, the Bristlecone Chapter of the California Native Plant Society, Audubon-California and the National Parks Conservation Association. The Southern Owens Valley Solar Ranch is proposed not in just any valley, but in the Owens Valley. This valley has been the land of the Paiutes for 1,000 years, and for 9,000 years before that by other Native American groups. “The whole Owens Valley is one huge cultural site,” said a local Paiute cultural officer. Mary Aus-tin wrote her ‘Land of Little Rain’ based on his area. The Owens Valley commemorates the shame of interning 10,000 Japanese-Americans during World War II. John Muir walked through Inde-pendence and Lone Pine on his way to climb Mt. Whitney in the early 1870s. The Sierra Club was founded on the love of the Sierras, including this region, and the Club has been exploring and pro-tecting this land for over 100 years. Even the current chair of the LADWP Board of Commissioners, Mel Levine, supported the Cali-fornia Desert Protection Act of 1994 (which created the Inyo Moun-tains Wilderness Area) when he was a member of Congress.

BY MIKE PRATHER

Solar Tentacles Reach Into Owens Valley

LAND OF LITTLE RAIN FIGHTS FROM BECOMING LAND OF LOTS OF ENERGY PROJECTS

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Assurances were made in 2004 by then-Los Angeles Mayor James K. Hahn, during the consideration of a conservation ease-ment on LADWP lands, that the Owens Valley had been well pro-tected by LADWP for 100 years and that it would continue to be so protected (California Water News, July 26, 2004). In the same ar-ticle Councilman Tom LaBonge stated, “…Los Angeles has carefully protected and preserved this area, which is why these lands are so attractive and valued today.” Further, he said, “Los Angeles has protected the Owens Valley for the past 100 years from unwanted

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Inyo Mountains

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History Of Wilderness In Southern California

THE WILDERNESS ACT AND THE ROAD TO CALIFORNIA DESERT WILDERNESS

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Indian Pass Wilderness; Screened image: Aldo Leopold

Happy Birthday Wilderness! This year is the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, a landmark legislation that cre-ated the National Wilderness Preserva-tion System and that now protects over 109,000,000 acres of public lands in 758 wilderness areas. Southern California is home to over 70 wilderness areas, with nearly 16 million acres, managed by the US Forest Service (USFS), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the National Park Service (NPS), and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). The road to wilder-ness designation has been a challenging process, particularly for the desert areas of California which were left out of the original Wilderness Act. The story of the fight for wilderness preservation in the California Desert has been told in books such as Frank Wheat’s California Desert Miracle, and is well known by readers of the Desert Report. But let’s take a brief look at the history of wilderness that pre-ceded the California Desert Protection Act. Wilderness means different things to people. The concept of wilderness has evolved over centuries, from the frighten-ing antitheses of civilization, to refuges of natural wonder, to our modern legal defi-nitions. For many, the image of federally protected wilderness is high alpine lakes, spectacular mountain vistas, and miles of challenging trails. The area recognized as the ‘first’ wilderness, the Gila, is a rugged mountain region in southwestern New Mexico, encompassing the headwaters of the Gila River. The Gila was recom-mended for protection by Aldo Leopold, one of the ‘fathers’ of the modern wilder-ness movement. Leopold, a Forester in the

early days of the USFS, envisioned wilderness as a place where one could ride horseback and hunt for days in a vast road-less primitive landscape. Through his efforts, the Gila was administratively designated by the USFS as the world’s first wilderness in 1924. Parallel to Leopold’s efforts were those by Arthur Carhart and Bob Marshall, also with the Forest Service. Their efforts were focused on the national forests in the Rocky Moun-tains. In 1919, Carhart, the first Forest Service landscape architect, was assigned to design roads, recreation facilities, and cabin sites at Trappers Lake in the Colorado Rockies. But Carhart determined that Trappers Lake had such outstanding wilderness qualities that the area should be preserved in its natural state. The USFS agreed and the region became the first area on a national forest to be set aside and protected from development. By 1930 the designation of Primitive Areas on national forests, through the USFS land use planning process (L-20 regulations), initially set aside over 14 million acres under this administrative tool. In 1939, under the leadership of Bob Marshall, the USFS implemented the U regulations which created Wilderness and Wild Areas, and mostly replaced the Primitive Areas. These

BY GREG HILL

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The East Mojave

WILD PLACES THAT NEED WILDERNESS DESIGNATION PART 2

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Mescal Range

In the previous issue of Desert Report, several locations were mentioned that are truly wild places, under threat from development, that have not yet been des-ignated as wilderness. In this issue, with the focus on locations in the east Mojave, I present a few more.

THE MESCAL RANGE If you were to ask most people in the state of California to find the Mescal Range on a map, I would guess that 99.9 percent of our state population would not be able to do so. Ironically, thousands of people drive past this range on a daily ba-sis, millions annually on the way to Las Vegas or Los Angeles. Most probably see it as a large limestone rock rising from the desert floor seemingly devoid of life. This is far from the truth. When you travel south from Interstate 15 into this range all traffic noises cease. You leave the modern world behind and everything seems pristine and wild. The eastern section of this range en-compasses the northern section of Piute Valley. In the summer, after the monsoon-al rains, this area becomes a unique desert grassland amongst the Joshua tree wood-land. It holds many plant rarities such as the bizarre cactus known as dead cholla (Grusonia parishii) and the beautiful and unusual Mohave milkweed (Asclepias nyctaginifolia). This side of the range also holds the only known location in Califor-nia of fossilized dinosaur tracks. Known as the ‘dinosaur trackway’, these impres-sions in the localized sandstone outcrop-ping are believed to be 200 million years old and are obviously of great importance.

There is no vehicle access into the interior of this rugged range. Although challenging, the rewards upon entry are great. One has to either walk up the long western drainages or climb up and over the steep rugged eastern limestone ridges to reach their center. Flo-ristically, this range has been highly unexplored. Until quite recently, most of the historic plant collections were from the edges and margins of the range with virtually no recorded plants from its interior. There is at least one plant in the area that is new to science and to date there have been found 30 different rare plant species in this range. Every expedition into its center reveals new and undocumented plant species. The Mescal Range lies between the better known Clark Mountains and the New York Mountains which are also home to many unique rare plant species and plant assemblages such as some of the last remaining stands of white fir (Abies concolor) in the desert. Fur-ther explorations of the Mescal Range may find another area of marooned populations of white fir. Other near endemic plant species that are shared between the Clarks and the New Yorks may be revealed in the future. To date several have already been found, such

BY DUNCAN BELL

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History Of Wilderness In Southern California

Continued from page 4regulations remained in place until the Wilderness Act of 1964. Several of the Prim-itive Areas were on national forests that would now be considered desert, such as the Sierra Ancha and Superstition Wilder-ness in Arizona. Still, all were on national forests managed by the Forest Service. Building on the efforts of Leopold, Car-hart, Marshall, and others, Howard Zahn-iser of the Wilderness Society campaigned tirelessly for permanent wilderness legis-lation. For over a decade Zahniser worked with members of Congress to support a national wilderness bill. Finally passed in 1964, the Wilderness Act established by law, rather than by policy, the National Wilderness Preservation System, and 54 wilderness areas, with nine million acres. While the Act applied to the USFS, the NPS, and the FWS, all of the original 1964 wil-derness areas were on national forests. Significantly, the law did not apply to the agency managing the most public land, the BLM.

Several of the Forest Service Primitive Areas that became wilderness under the 1964 act were in Southern California; the San Gorgonio, Cucamonga, and San Jacinto. These wilderness areas fit the model of the time, protecting high alpine mountains that were popular with hikers and backpackers. Between 1968 and 1970, several more individual wil-derness bills were passed that added the San Gabriel, San Rafael, and Ventana wilderness areas to southern and central California national forests. These bills began to recognize the characteristic California chaparral landscapes as wilderness, broadening the system beyond the more typical snow-capped mountain scenery. Also in 1968, Congress designat-ed the first National Wildlife Refuge wilderness, Great Swamp in New Jersey. This was the first wilderness not managed by the Forest Service and the first under 5,000 acres. Other than the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Minnesota, Great Gulf in New Hampshire, and Shining Rock and Linville Gorge in North Carolina, Great Swamp was among these few wilderness areas east of the Rocky Mountains. The next wave of wilderness legislation came in 1970 with the passage of bills bring-ing 20 National Wildlife Refuge wilderness area into the system, including the tiny six acre Pelican Island Wilderness, which had been the first National Wildlife Refuge (1903). Along with these wildlife refuges, Congress also added the first wilderness areas managed by the National Park Service: Craters of the Moon and Petrified Forest. The 1975 Eastern Wilderness Areas Act gave added recognition to smaller units of wilderness in the eastern US, many close to millions of urban residents, and bringing the total units in the wilder-ness system to 128, with 22 in California. However, at the close of 1975, there was still no desert wilderness in California, and none on public lands managed by the BLM. This dramatically changed with the passage of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA).

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Kingston Range Wilderness

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Up until 1976, the BLM and its predecessor, the General Land Office (GLO), had been charged mainly with surveying and dispos-ing of the vast lands of the “public domain”. Between 1812 and 1976, the GLO and the BLM surveyed two billion acres of public lands and transferred into private ownership over one billion acres of these public lands. Under FLPMA, Congress ended this period of public land disposal, and determined that what was left of the public domain would remain in public ownership and would be managed for a variety of uses by the BLM. In addition, FLPMA stip-ulated that the Wilderness Act would also apply to the BLM, and that the BLM would conduct inventories for lands with wilderness characteristics. Another significant action under FLPMA was the establishment of the California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA). This finally set the stage for wilderness in the California Desert. Under Section 603 of FLPMA, Congress described the process for BLM to follow in studying lands for wilderness designation. Starting in 1977, BLM staff fanned out across the western US, in-ventorying roadless areas of at least 5,000 acres of contiguous public lands containing the wilderness characteristics of natural-ness, solitude, opportunities for primitive and unconfined types of recreation, and other supplemental values (from Sec. 2 (c) of the Wilderness Act). In California, the BLM found that 209 inven-tory units, mostly in the California desert, with 7.1 million acres, contained the minimum wilderness characteristics. If found to have wilderness qualities, these lands would be managed as Wil-derness Study Areas (WSAs), and the BLM would recommend to the Secretary of the Interior which of these WSAs were suitable or non-suitable for designation as wilderness. Regardless of their determination, all WSAs were to be managed so as not to impair their suitability for wilderness designation by Congress. This non-impairment standard continues until Congress makes a decision whether to designate the areas as wilderness, or releases them from WSA status for management under other laws and stan-dards. The 7.1 million acres on BLM lands in California became WSAs in 1979. The next phase was for the BLM to determine which of these WSAs would be recommended for inclusion in the Na-tional Wilderness Preservation System. While the BLM continued its wilderness study process, Con-gress passed the Endangered American Wilderness Act in 1978, and the California Wilderness Act of 1984. Although most of the 47 new wilderness units were again on national forests and na-tional parks, these Acts included the first BLM lands in California. These were BLM additions to the USFS Santa Lucia, Ishi, Machesna, and Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel wilderness areas. Congress also passed the Arizona Wilderness Act of 1984, with forty new units, and the first stand-alone BLM wilderness areas. The Arizona Wilderness Act was also the first major wilderness bill to fully recognize the importance of desert landscapes to the wilderness system. The follow-up Arizona Wilderness Act of 1990 added over 40 more des-ert wilderness areas, most on BLM and FWS lands. The BLM’s final California Statewide Wilderness Study Re-port was released in 1991, and the Secretary of the Interior rec-ommended that 62 WSAs, 2.3 million acres, should be designated as wilderness. However, all 209 WSAs in California continued to be managed under the non-impairment standard until the pas-sage of the California Desert Protection Act in 1994. As described in California Desert Miracle, the California Desert Protection Act

(CDPA) was the culmination of over a decade’s hard work by wil-derness advocates. The final bill included 69 new BLM wilderness areas (over 3.5 million acres), over 100,000 acres of wilderness on national forests and national wildlife refuges, and almost four million acres of wilderness managed by the NPS, for a total of ap-proximately 7.6 million acres of new wilderness in the California Desert. In addition, the CDPA designated Death Valley and Joshua Tree National Monuments as National Parks, and created the new Mojave National Preserve. The Omnibus Public Lands Act of 2009 added another 700,000 acres of wilderness in California, much of that land (540,000 acres) in the California Desert as new wilder-ness or additions to existing wilderness. As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, we should reflect on the perseverance of citizens, public servants, and legislators that resulted in the preservation of our mag-nificent wilderness heritage. One of the best ways to honor this achievement is to visit our Southern California wilderness areas, whether in the desert or the mountains. A wide variety of events to commemorate the Wilderness Act and enjoy our wilderness re-sources are being offered by the Sierra Club, the BLM, the Forest Service, the National Park Service and others throughout the year. New activities are being added continuously, so be sure to check the most current calendar of events on the Wilderness 50th An-niversary website, www.wilderness50th.org.

Greg Hill is the Wilderness Coordinator for the BLM California Des-ert District Office. Greg attended UCLA and in 1976 served as an in-tern with the Sierra Club California Office, working on the California Coastal Protection Act. Since 1981 Greg has worked throughout the Southwest and California as a Park Ranger for the National Park Service and as an Outdoor Recreation Planner for the BLM. He re-sides in Yucca Valley, California.

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The National Wilderness

Conference

The National Wilderness Conference, the first national gathering of the wilderness community in 25 years, will occur Oct. 15-19, 2014 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It will be filled with diverse plenary sessions, presentations, panels, exhibits, field learning, and skill de-velopment workshops. Included in the festivities are the ‘Get Wild’ Festival on October 18; the People’s Film Gala scheduled for October 14 and 19; pre-conference trainings October 14-15; field trips in-cluding multi-day backpacking trips, day trips and half-day trips before and after the conference. For complete details, go to www.Wilderness50th.org

Aldo Leopold

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BY ROBERTA MOORE

SUPERINTENDANT OF GREAT BASIN NATIONAL PARK

Interview With Steve Mietz

Great Basin National Park Superinten-dent Steve Mietz learned early about what his life’s mission would be. Grow-ing up in New Jersey, Steve Mietz joined the Boy Scouts and found an outlet to express his love of the outdoors, and learned a land ethic that would inspire him to pursue his current vocation. Dur-ing a two week backcountry hike at the Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico, Steve discovered the American West, and as soon as he graduated from Cornell University, he left the east coast and headed to Montana to fulfill his dreams of living among the big moun-tains and the wide open spaces. Steve feels that his experience has helped him address the complicated challenges that Great Basin National Park faces. He states, “My science and resource management background and experience has aided in my understand-ing and approach to the complicated re-

source management challenges that Great Basin National Park faces, like the Southern Nevada Water Authority water development project, wildland fire, and climate change. Because of my background, I strongly believe in rooting management decisions in a science-based process. As Natural Resource Chief at Grand Canyon National Park and Superintendent at Missouri National Recreation River, I worked with all the park divi-sions and gained a detailed understanding of their processes, which continue to inform the daily operational decisions in the areas of maintenance, law enforcement, and visi-tor services. My work for the Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation gives me a unique understanding and appreciation for the tribal perspective on park related issues and has inspired me to make an extra effort to reach out and engage tribes affili-ated with Great Basin National Park.” Steve became enamored with Great Basin National Park the first time he visited in 2003. He found a mountain oasis in a sea of sagebrush and camping along a lively stream in the cool, crisp mountain air, after traveling for hours across the hot, dusty desert, he describes the experience as a real treat. He explains, “As all westerners appre-ciate, places with natural, flowing surface water are rare and so special – not just eco-logically, but emotionally. Oh, but it is not just the scenery of the grandiose mountains and flowing streams that makes this a very special place, but what lives on top and underneath the mountain are just as thrilling. To walk among the ancient bristlecones, visit the Grand Palace in Lehman Caves and gaze at the night sky, Great Basin National Park offers that rare opportunity to ponder the longevity of existence which puts our lives in perspective. To be entrusted to protect these valuable resources is both an honor and a weighty responsibility.” “Great Basin National Park offers so many world class resources packed into a rela-tively small area that visitors of different abilities and interests usually find an activity that satisfies their needs. I think folks who visit Great Basin National Park take home an experience of national parks as they were a generation ago – less crowded, less rushed, and in a more pristine condition. One visit to this national treasure and you will always be a fan and protector of this special place.” For Steve, one of the high points during his first year at Great Basin National Park was the release of the Great Basin National Park quarter (coin), which for Steve and his staff turned out to be a great occasion to highlight the park and its national importance to a wide audience. Steve feels the quarter’s portrait of the lone bristlecone will inspire folks across the country to learn more about this special tree and the park that exists, in part, to protect it for the enjoyment of future generations. “The large turnout for the release ceremony at the Great Basin Visitor Center and exceptional speakers made the event the highlight of my time so far at Great Basin National Park.” Another highlight for Steve was going into the Great Basin National Park backcoun-try with climate change scientists from the Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine Environments (GLORIA) project and with archeologists at Johnson Mine. GLORIA scientists do repeated inventories of alpine environments to document what species are present. During this year’s inventory, GLORIA and park scientists found many new species in the alpine zone near the park’s peaks, indicating that plants are moving up-hill in response to climate change.

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Superintendant Steve Mietz

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Steve feels the biggest challenges for Great Basin National Park are formulating a response to the dual external threats of climate change and Southern Nevada Water Authority’s plans for large scale water development projects near the park. He be-lieves that both threats could potentially have catastrophic im-pacts to the integrity of park resources so severe as to impact the very reason that Congress designated this area as a national park. “To address these challenges, the park is working with other federal agencies and Southern Nevada Water Authority to develop a resource monitoring plan which will be an early de-tection system for impacts from potential future groundwater pumping adjacent to the park. In addition, the park continues to work to reduce its carbon footprint and encourage scientific research into climate change related topics. Climate change adaption strategies will be developed and incorporated into park strategic planning documents.” Recognizing this year’s 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act and because of his affection for wilderness, Steve points out that Great Basin National Park, nested between the Mt. Moriah Wilderness Area in the North Snake Range and the Highland Ridge Wilderness Area in the South Snake Range, has many of the same characteristics. He states, “While not designated wil-derness, Great Basin National Park contains many wilderness attributes that allow the visitor to experience natural, quiet sol-itude and unspoiled vistas.”

Steve, his wife, Stephanie, and sons, Jack and Ben, enjoy living in the park. And as he puts it, “Daily visits of wildlife and sweeping vistas on our walks throughout the park are always a thrill. It is gratifying to watch my children develop a strong conservation ethic as they experience the interconnectedness of life within the park.”

Roberta Moore is retired from the National Park Service (Interpretive Park Ranger) and is currently on the Friends of Nevada Wilderness Board of Directors. She is the editor of “Wild Nevada: Testimonies on Behalf of the Desert”.

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Wheeler Peak Cirque

All Types of Ways to Get Involved

Volunteers gathered for a weekend in March at Great Basin NP to help clean Lehman Caves during the annual lint camp. Participants picked lint from cave formations and walls along 600 feet of pas-sage. Volunteers also carried out over 4,000 pounds of old trail de-bris. Superintendent Steven Mietz said, “The lint campers’ volunteer work is invaluable to preserving the world-class Lehman Caves for-mations. While providing a vital service to the park, the volunteers also get a unique, up-close and prolonged experience of the cave that few visitors enjoy.”

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A STATE PARK AT A CROSSROADS

BY TERRY WEINER & KAREN SCHAMBACH

Ocotillo Wells

On a recent clear spring afternoon in Anza Borrego Desert State Park, visitors enjoyed a sweeping view of the desert and the unusual cerulean blue of the Salton Sea from Fonts Point lookout in “the badlands” at the northeast end of the park. Soon, a brown haze ap-peared on the eastern horizon. As the light spring breeze became a gusty wind, the haze thickened and spread across the valley and began to rise, forming a huge dense brown cloud that rolled westward. Within minutes, the eastern horizon was opaque with dust, and the Salton Sea disappeared from view. The brown cloud continued to grow, rising into the air, and barreled westward toward Anza Borrego. The dust storm that day was generated in Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA). SVRAs are off-road vehicle parks operated by the Off Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division of California State Parks. The 85,000-acre Ocotillo Wells SVRA, in east-ern San Diego and northern Imperial Counties, is the largest of eight SVRAs in California. It is situated on the western side of the Salton Trough, immediately west of Highway 86 and the Salton Sea. It is adjacent to the eastern boundary of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and near the ancient western shoreline of Lake Cahuilla. The Ocotillo Wells area is a badly damaged but still stunningly beautiful piece of Colo-rado Desert zone in the Sonoran Desert. It is dense with Native American cultural sites, including ancient trail segments, cairns, circular rock features, remnants of fish traps along the old lake shorelines, ceremonial sites, lithic scatters and other features. Even

though most of the SVRA has yet to un-dergo archaeological surveys, more than 1,200 sites have been identified to date. There are paleontological resources in the northern section of the area, adjacent to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park wilder-ness, including extensive deposits of fossil woods and buried Pleistocene mammal remains. In the SVRA’s northern section, there are multi-colored sandstone hills, 10,000-year-old desert pavement and an-cient stream meanders. Peninsular Big-horn sheep historically descended in the summer from the high country into the steep washes in the Desert Cahuilla Pre-historic Area to browse on mesquite pods. In the southeastern part of Ocotillo Wells, there are mesquite dunes and several rare and endemic plants. The alluvial soils are extremely subject to erosion. Ocotillo Wells is home to the increasingly rare flat-tailed horned lizard and is part of the Flat-tailed Horned Lizard Special Manage-ment Area.

ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY California State Parks originally es-tablished Ocotillo Wells SVRA in 1976 as a 20,000-acre off-highway vehicle rec-reation area, in hopes of corralling the rampant cross-country driving that was occurring throughout this part of the So-noran Desert. Off-highway vehicle (OHV) use was a serious threat to uniquely beau-tiful geological features, sensitive paleon-tological resources, Native American his-toric sites and habitat for a wide variety of plants and animals. Over the decades, the OHV Division added private in-holdings and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land, vastly expanding the SVRA to its cur-rent 85,000 acres. The plan to protect a broad swath of the desert, including Anza-Borrego Des-Annual Truckhaven Event- Ocotillo Wells SVRA

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Resources Code § 5090.43 requires, “If off-highway motor vehicle use results in damage to any natural or cultural values, appropri-ate measures shall be taken to protect these lands from any fur-ther damage. These measures may include the erection of physi-cal barriers and shall include the restoration of natural resources and the repair of damage to cultural resources.” (Emphasis added.) Public Resources Code § 5090.35 requires monitoring and pro-tection of cultural and archeological resources within SVRAs. It also requires monitoring of and compliance with soil conserva-tion standards and habitat protection programs. Thus, the Legis-lature has made it clear that areas that contain fragile ecological, geological and cultural resources must be protected. The inclusion of such areas within the Ocotillo Wells SVRA does not override that mandate. Unfortunately, not only users, but also State Park officials have failed to take the Department’s mission and the Public Re-sources Code to heart. OHV managers regularly cite the need to “balance” resource protection with “OHV opportunity.” However, that balance was already taken into account when the legislature adopted the governing laws. Despite laws and regulations that mandate protection of soils, wildlife habitat, and cultural resourc-es, and allow OHV use only to the extent that it does not adversely affect those resources, only lip service is often paid to resource protection. Ocotillo Wells SVRA is, for the most part, an open rid-ing area. Riding is supposed to be restricted to designated routes in the 20,000 acre parcel owned by BLM and managed by the park. However, during our visits to the area, we witnessed complete disregard for these restrictions by users and no enforcement by management.

WHISTLEBLOWERS AND LITIGATION For years, resource specialists have pointed out the unsus-tainability of the open riding policy at Ocotillo Wells. How, they ask, can resources be protected when vehicle tires are allowed to ride over every square inch of land? Courageous Ocotillo Wells

ert State Park, from uncontrolled OHV driving did not mean State Parks intended to sacrifice the same fragile resources within the boundary of the SVRA. But designating the SVRA as an “open rid-ing” recreation area – allowing visitors to drive their OHVs any-where and everywhere throughout the park – created a de facto sacrifice zone. The open riding policy is also responsible for the dust clouds that frequently emanate from the area and contribute to the degradation of Imperial County’s air when microscopic par-ticles of sand (PM10) become airborne and breathable. The challenge of managing the increasingly large SVRA be-came very obvious in the early 2000s, following the creation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Ocotillo Wells and BLM to have State Parks manage 20,000 federal acres in the far eastern stretches of the park. The MOU restricts vehicle travel in this area to designated trails only, in order to protect geological features such as bubbling mud pots and fragile alluvial sandstone hills. The “designated trails only” rule, however, was unadvertised and unenforced for over a decade, and a visitor would have been unable to detect any difference in management of the BLM lands from the rest of the state park. Despite the increasing degradation of the park’s natural and cultural resources, the OHV Division purchased an additional 4,000 acres of private in-holdings in 2006. These had been the Freeman Properties in the Desert Cahuilla Prehistoric Area, north of the main part of the Ocotillo Wells SVRA. The original plan of conser-vation organizations, including the Desert Protective Council and the Anza-Borrego Foundation, was to purchase the available sec-tions of the Desert Cahuilla Area for protection of the cultural re-sources and rare geological features. These sensitive lands would expand Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Off-roaders had used these lands (when they belonged to pri-vate landowners, Anza-Borrego Foundation and State Lands Com-mission) for 30 years without authorization. But now the OHV Di-vision wanted to protect the OHV “opportunity” in this area. The State Parks Director at the time, Ruth Coleman, insisted that the OHV Division be allowed to partner with State Parks in the pur-chase and in the management of the Desert Cahuilla area. There were extended negotiations on how the newly acquired lands would be managed by the two adjacent State Parks, and the final agreement divided the 4,000-acre acquisition between Anza-Bor-rego Desert State Park and Ocotillo Wells SVRA.

SVRAS VS. THE MISSION OF STATE PARKS California’s OHV program was created by the Legislature in 1971 in response to increasing conflicts on public lands over OHV use. The OHV Division, the OHV Fund and the OHV Commission were created by 1982 revisions to the original Chappie-Z’berg Law (California Vehicle Code Section 38000). While SVRAs are State Parks designated specifically for use by OHVs, they remain first and foremost state parks, and therefore subject to the Mission of California State Parks, to “provide for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most val-ued natural and cultural resources and creating opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation.” The designation of an area as a recreation area does not over-ride the Department’s duty to protect sensitive resources. Public Continued on page 12

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Desert Cahuilla Area, part of what is now Ocotillo Wells North

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Continued from page 11resources staff have addressed this question repeatedly over the years. When the OHV Division produced a legislatively mandated Program Report in 2011, Ocotillo Wells Environmental Scientists recommended restricting use to designated routes because of in-creasing damage to vegetation and habitat. But park managers have ignored their concerns Under a Public Records Act request, Public Employees for En-vironmental Responsibility (PEER) acquired an email sent by an Ocotillo Wells environmental scientist to his superiors. “The most profound impact of recreation on habitats docu-mented in the park so far is the lack of annual plant production and general plant recruitment in all areas sampled. For some sampled habitats, this has meant substantial loss of vegetation, soil and general habitat integrity. Because of the generalized nature of this impact, the best strategy to adapt to this condition is to confine the recreation to defined, designated, and maintained routes. This management approach would contain restoration practices and al-low overall sustainability and function of the surrounding habitat. For the park to maintain and properly manage and enforce sus-tainable OHV use, open riding must cease. Open camping as a policy needs to be changed to designated camping areas. Large open ‘play’ areas may remain without loss of entire habits in particular ar-eas but will never be sustainable for soil or microscopic organism loss. In order to accomplish this task, many new trails in the park will have to be designated and the areas between routes rehabili-tated. With the addition and defining of routes and campgrounds, nearly all resource management problems will be mitigated to near completion.” The above statement was watered down in the OHV Commis-sion’s 2011 report, which said, “natural resources appear to be de-grading” at Ocotillo Wells SVRA, “sampled habitats have sustained substantial loss in vegetation, soil and general habitat integrity,” and “OHV recreation may be causing a lack of plant recruitment and loss of annual seed bank,” which is “particularly apparent in areas of intense motorized use.” (California State Parks, Off-High-

way Vehicle Commission, 2011 Program Report, p. 84.) Even so, no management changes were made at Ocotillo Wells. Another park environmental scientist filed a formal whis-tleblower complaint on December 21, 2011. The park Supervisor, two OHV Division Deputy Directors, two State Park Directors, the Resources Secretary, and the State Auditor, have all ignored his complaint to date. In May 2013, PEER and the Desert Protective Council filed a lawsuit asking that vehicle use in Ocotillo Wells SVRA be restricted to designated routes. In a May 15, 2014 decision Sacramento Superior Court Judge Timothy M. Frawley affirmed his tentative ruling of May 9th rejecting efforts by State Parks and the California Off-Road Vehicle Association (which intervened in the case) to dismiss the suit. The suit contends that the Ocotillo Wells open-riding policy violates the Public Resources Code man-date to protect desert resources. In essence, it argues that public recreational activities cannot be allowed to destroy the very assets parks are supposed to safeguard for future generations. The case will now be set for trial to determine whether the department is abusing its discretion by making no effort to restrict ORV traffic to designated trails, to maintain trails, or to protect cultural and archaeological resources within the park.

A NEW GENERAL PLANThe State and off-road interests argue that any changes in man-agement should be those adopted by a new General Plan, a process that began in 2009. This effort has so far consisted primarily of several rounds of soliciting public comment. Thus far, no infor-mation has been provided regarding natural or cultural resource surveys or carrying capacity.

Terry Weiner is the Conservation and Projects Coordinator for the Desert Protective Council. (www.protectdeserts.org), a co-founder of Solar Done Right (www.solardoneright.org), Chair of the Alliance for Responsible Recreation and a member of the Sierra Club National Recreation Issues Team.

Karen Schambach is a California native and California Field Direc-tor for Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (www.peer.org). She is also founder and President of the Center for Sierra Nevada Conservation.

Take Action

Once the NOP is released and scoping begins, it will be critically important for the public to engage in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and General Plan adoption process by attend-ing scoping meetings and submitting written comments on the pro-posed alternatives. Those alternatives will reveal the intentions of California’s Department of Parks and Recreation. Will they continue to treat the park as a sacrifice area, or will future management of Ocotillo Wells be consistent with the stewardship mission of Califor-nia State Parks? To get on the State’s mailing list for General Plan updates and comment opportunities, go to the OHV Division’s web-site at: http://planocotillowells.com/.TE

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Dust at Ocotillo Wells-as seen from Anza Borrego Desert State Park along the north side Hwy S22

Ocotillo Wells: A State Park at a Crossroads

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The East Mojave

Continued from page 5as dwarf Indian mallow (Abutilon parvulum) and Navajo muhly (Muhlenbergia arsenei) that in California are only known in either the Clark Mountains or New York Mountains. Sadly, last year while exploring the interior of the Mescal Range, I came across two men with chain saws cutting down the pinyon pines that grow here. I have no idea why, and did not ap-proach these questionable characters with chainsaws in the mid-dle of nowhere to ask. Large scale mining is also a threat for this range. Just across the highway from the Mescal Range lies the largest rare earth mine in the U.S.A. It would be devastating if this destructive mine where to spill over and expand across the highway. The area is also a very important animal corridor for wildlife traveling between the Mojave National Preserve to the Clark Moun-tains and beyond. The Mescal Range is managed by the BLM and its central and eastern sections, at this time, have no form of pro-tection. This area definitely meets all requirements for wilderness designation and needs to be designated as soon as possible.

THE CASTLE MOUNTAINS My first trip to the Castle Mountains was a very memorable one. I was there to monitor and make a conservation seed collec-tion of the near endemic pinto beardtoungue (Penstemon bicolor). It was the middle of July and the day saw triple digit temps. There were not very many flowers, but I was fascinated by the area and vowed to return to explore further. That evening while driving out along the little 4-wheel drive road, a roadrunner appeared on the road in front of me. I was only able to drive about 3 MPH on this little road. Instead of running off into the brush the roadrunner continued to run along the road in front of me. It in fact ran in front of me for nearly a mile! Eventually, it darted after a lizard in the shrubbery. I was surrounded by one of the thickest and largest stands of Joshua trees I have ever seen to date. With the sun set-ting behind them, it was a truly perfect moment.

Since then I have spent countless days, during all seasons, in the Castle Mountains exploring the abundant wildlife that they contain. This mountain range, until recently, was also botanically unexplored. Recent explorations by desert botanist James Andre and myself have turned up a plethora of rare plant species and at least one plant new to the California flora. To date we have found over 30 rare plant species in this range, several of which are near endemics and found only in this part of the Mohave. If you have not been to the Castle Mountains, you should go. It is best to visit in the late summer after the monsoonal rains. During this time, the valleys at the base of the mountains ap-pear as large grassy savannas. After the rains, hidden among these unique grasslands are flowers that may be seen only at this time of the year. The stands of Joshua trees here are outstand-ing; even if you are a desert snob, you will still find them more than impressive. Historically the Castle Mountains have seen a good amount of mining, especially at their southern end. This has not been an issue for some time now, but just recently a large mining claim has been reopened for this range and it seems likely that large scale mining may commence in its southern section. This area is managed by the BLM and has no form of protection what-so-ever. I have heard it strongly stated that this area should be given over to, and managed by, the Mohave National Preserve. Whoever the manager may be, this area fills many requirements for wilderness designation and should be designated so as soon as possible. Look for more wild places that need wilderness designation in up-coming editions in 2014.

Duncan Bell is a field botanist for Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden and spends most of his time doing floristic work in the undercol-lected and unexplored mountain ranges of Southern California.

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as a swamper on a wagon train along the Mormon Trail, as a prospector in Pioche, Nevada, and as a teamster driving freight wagons out of Las Vegas and eventually to the mining camps of Greenwater, to the south of Death Valley. These mines, like most of those in Death Valley, were pro-motions that drained the investors and produced almost nothing from the ground. Before these mining ventures collapsed, “Dad” had moved thirty miles south to the present site of Shoshone, where he bought land and established a variety of business ventures. His nickname was accidental. When Native Americans were present, his children always addressed him as “Dad,” and so quite naturally the Indians also called him “Dad.” In time everyone re-ferred to him this way, and it is said that even his own parents eventually called him “Dad.” He was the founder of Shosho-ne. This was in the very early 1900s. Among Dad’s acquaintances was a younger fellow, Charles Brown, a min-er and allegedly sheriff in Greenwater. Charles fell madly in love with one of Dad’s daughters, Stella, but by her father’s decree their marriage had to wait till the day she turned eighteen in 1910. By this time the To-nopah and Tidewater Railroad had pushed north to service the mining ventures in the region. As the terminus of the line, Sho-shone became a major hub of commerce, and Dad was a major financial beneficiary. Charlie and Stella had moved to the Dale Mining district, near present-day Joshua Tree National Park, and then to Tonopah, where Charles rather successfully invested in a bar. By this time Dad was older and living alone, and in 1920, at the request of one of Stella’s sisters, Charlie and Stella returned to Shoshone to help manage the business. A few years later Highway 127 was completed north from Baker through Shoshone, and tourism became a second economic engine for the family. In time Charlie became the principal citizen of Shoshone and rather a legend of the area. He was elected to the California State Senate, where he served for twenty-five years. The store in Shoshone goes by the name “Brown’s General Store,” and state highway 127 running north to Death Valley is signed as the “Charles Brown Highway.” Charlie Brown had four children, two boys and two girls. One of the sons had a

distinguished military career in World War II and went on to become a circuit judge. The second son took over the family holdings in Baker, California. The oldest of Charlie’s four children was a daughter, Bernice, who married Maurice Sorrells. As Charles became older, he asked Bernice and Maurice to return from their home in Sacramento to help run Sho-shone and the businesses there. When Maurice was elected a Supervisor of Inyo County, it was Bernice who became the principal town manager. Susan Sorrells has described the family business during those years.

“Shoshone was the hub of commerce in the Amargosa and Death Valley area. Our fam-ily owned a Standard Oil dealership and a wholesale grocery and dynamite business, and they took supplies to the seven or eight mining camps in the area, where about forty miners stayed during the week. There were also about fifty mines in the area, most of these being talc, but there were also gold, lead and silver mines. My family also owned a store, bar, café and lodging in Shoshone. The area was booming and it was really good business.”

Susan has also spoken warmly about her childhood growing up in the town:

“Shoshone was a paradise for children growing up there. We were so free. It was fabu-lous. Everyone owned horses and we would go on overnight rides for two or three days. This was when I was eleven and my brother was seventeen. Almost daily I rode my horse into the wetlands and surrounding hills where I spent a lot of my time. I really loved the land. It was a wonderful, wonderful life.”

The journey to adulthood was not direct, and perhaps Susan’s travels have been even more varied and adventurous than those of her ancestors. Eventually, however, they brought her back to her childhood home. After elementary school in Shoshone, she went one year to a Catholic school in Los Angeles, returned to Shoshone for tenth grade, and then, as already mentioned, completed high school at Westlake School for Girls. Susan had no interest in the family business and went off to college: one year at the University of Southern California and an eventual graduation from Smith College in Mas-sachusetts. Politics had become an interest, and Susan worked one year as an intern in Washington DC and then spent two years in Liberia in the Peace Corps. Perhaps this latter experience motivated her to complete a Master’s Degree in African studies at UCLA. She was married briefly, lived several years in Europe, and finally returned to Shoshone when her mother’s failing heath required assistance. Again in Susan’s words:

“I was living in Geneva when my mother needed assistance in managing the busi-

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Past and Present, left: home of Charlie and Stella Brown, right: sign for one of the present non-profits

Pioneers In The Desert: A Lesson For The Future

Continued from page 1

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nesses. My mother and I were very close, and I told her that I wanted to come home and work with her until she decided what she wanted to do, such as getting a general manager or selling the property. She had expressed an interest in leaving the desert and working for the United Nations.”

Susan’s father had died some years before, so upon her moth-er’s death, Susan became owner and manager of the town. In 1985 the mining endeavors south of Death Valley collapsed, and the town struggled to survive. Ultimately Susan and the community decided that their economic future lay in tourism – but it would be of a sustainable kind that respected and valued the land. The town has established several non-profit organizations to promote environmental protection. They have worked hard to re-store nearby wetlands, and they have partnered in several projects with the local Bureau of Land Management. The town has encour-aged researchers, both in biology and geology, to visit, study, and use their facilities. Many of these developments have already been described in the Desert Report article “Communities In The Amar-gosa Valley Strive To Make Tourism A Success” (June 2012). Susan Sorrells may be a new kind of pioneer who leads in a direction that will become increasingly important in our future. Her own words best describe her vision for the future:

“Our goals are to establish a town where people and endan-gered species live side by side. We strongly believe that people don’t have to be the enemy but instead can caretake and stew-ard the environment where they live. As a result, the residents and guests will be renewed by their interaction with nature, which is already happening.”

Craig Deutsche describes himself as a long-time desert rat. In an earlier life he was a high school teacher, a distance runner, and an editor for the “Desert Report.” Retired now, he humors a bird-watching wife and is a committed volunteer in the Carrizo Plain Na-tional Monument.

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Susan Sorrells

Next Desert Committee Meetings

THE SUMMER MEETING will be held August 15-16, 2014 at the Noren Group Camp in the White Mountains. Note that this is a different group camp than in recent years. Terry Frewin will chair.

THE FALL MEETING will be held November 8-9, 2014 at Saddleback Butte State Park in Antelope Valley. Kate Allen will chair.

We encourage local citizens in the area to attend, as many of the items on the agenda include local issues. Email Tom Budlong at tombudlong@roadrunner.com or call 310-963-1731 to be put on the invitation list.

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BY PAT FLANAGAN

NEW TOOL AVAILABLE TO ASSESS MIGRATORY BIRD SPECIES

When solar or wind projects are to be con-structed on federal land the National Envi-ronmental Protection Act (NEPA) requires that the effects of the projects on migra-tory birds be analyzed. If the proposed project is on state lands, then the Califor-nia Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) also comes into play. Sometimes both federal and state regulations apply. For instance, surface rights may be federal while the water rights remain with the county. Migratory bird species using the Pa-cific Flyway in the California Desert have been inadequately assessed under NEPA and CEQA by the Bureau of Land Man-agement (BLM) and industrial solar en-ergy project applicants. A good example is Bechtel’s 6.5 square mile Soda Mountain Solar project (Soda Mountain Solar LLC), which straddles Interstate 15 between the Mojave National Preserve and the Soda Mountain Wilderness Study Area. Public comments are currently being reviewed. I submitted comments on this project.i During my review of the draft BLM en-vironmental documents, I read that the project’s “operations and maintenance-re-lated interference with the movement of migratory birds through existing migra-tory corridors”ii was “less than significant” before mitigation and that “no mitigation measures are required.”iii This evaluation was based on the proj-ect applicant’s bird surveysiv for the spring and fall of 2009. During the spring count, 629 birds comprising 22 species were de-tected, and 210 birds comprising 23 spe-cies were identified in the fall count. Ten Species of Special Concernv were listed as “known to occur or with the potential to occur” in the study area, with three of these species—the Western burrowing owl, the Mojave horned lark, and the Log-gerhead shrike—seen during the surveys.

The remaining seven species—including the long-eared owl, the brown pelican, and the yellow-headed blackbird—are expected to appear “only as migrants.” Only as migrants? Migrants are what the Migratory Bird Treaty Act protects – birds flying to their breeding or wintering sites. “Only” references the critically important passage time in a bird’s year, which if not successful, eliminates breeding and wintering. I became curious as to how many migrating species we could be talking about? To find out I consulted eBird, a citizen scientist enterprise run jointly by Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society. Below is the eBird website description.vi

A real-time, online checklist program, eBird has revolutionized the way that the birding community reports and accesses information about birds. eBird provides rich data sources for basic information on bird abundance and distribution at a variety of spatial and tempo-ral scales. By maximizing the utility and accessibility of bird observations made each year by recreational and professional bird watchers, eBird is amassing one of the largest and fastest growing biodiversity data resources in existence. The observations of each partici-pant join those of others in an international network of eBird users. eBird then shares these observations with a global community of educators, land managers, ornithologists, and

The Impacts Of Energy Projects On Migratory Birds

Figure 1: Desert Hotspots

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conservation biologists. eBird documents the presence or absence of species, as well as bird abundance through checklist data. A birder simply enters when, where, and how they went birding, then fills out a checklist of all the birds seen and heard during the outing. Local experts review unusual records that are flagged by the filters. eBird data are stored in a secure facility and archived daily, and are accessible to anyone via the eBird web site and other applications developed by the global biodiversity information community. In 2014 a peer reviewed journal article on the eBird enterprise was published in Biological Conservation.vii

I was surprised by the number of bird species and eBird hotspots (as reported locations are called) within the vicinity of Soda Mountain Solar. Across the street, so to speak, is Zzyzx, the Desert Study Center within the Mojave National Preserve (#8 in Figure 1), with 224 species. Six miles northeast of the project is Bak-er, the gas stop with the world’s tallest thermometer, with three hotspots. The Water Treatment Plant (#9) has the highest count with 176 species. With my comment letter I presented an eBird map with 36 hotspots located, on average, within 80 miles from Baker with a table showing the number of birds and reporting checklists for each. I made several assumptions when choosing the hotspots: • birds migrate toward breeding or wintering locations; • birds fly at an elevation allowing visibility over a wide area; • birds utilize great amounts of energy when flying and look for

areas to rest, drink, and eat;• over millennia birds have seen the Pleistocene lakes and Holo-

cene wetlands come and go – they know how to recognize and take advantage of a water source from even the briefest glint;

• birds will veer off their route to access the promise from the glint;

• birds ignore what has no immediate value eBird is the most easily available comprehensive data tool to best understand the movement of migratory birds through the desert portion of the Pacific Flyway. Point-count bird surveys used by energy project applicants are limited in time (a couple of sea-sons, maybe two years), and furthermore these surveys are specif-ic to the undeveloped project site, without taking into account the attractions to migrating birds that may be created by the project itself (see the Avian Mortality report below). Point-count bird surveys are not sufficient in themselves to assess the actual or potential impacts of proposed energy projects on native birds. With the 7,000 acre Silurian Valley Solar project north of Baker under review for project acceptance by BLM, and the Palen power towers on Interstate 10 still under review, I decided to use eBird to explore a larger area of the flyway over the California Desert. I was spurred on by the release of the US Fish and Wildlife Ser-vice forensic report on “Avian Mortality at Solar Energy Facilities in Southern California.”viii The report identifies specific hazards to birds, including: vertically-oriented mirrors or other smooth re-flective panels; water-like reflective or polarizing panes; actively fluxing towers; open bodies of water; aggregations of insects that attract insectivorous birds; and resident predators. I constructed a spreadsheet (the eBird list) comparing seven “cherry picked” eBird hotspots (from many), along 380 miles of the migratory corridor: from the Salton Sea (338 species) north to Death Valley National Park (315 species).ix I added three hotspots along the 146 miles east from the Daggett Evaporation Ponds to Primm Valley Golf Club, all within the Pacific Flyway. I chose the Daggett Evaporation Ponds because they are immediately adjacent to the original Solar One Power Tower, which I had surveyed in

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Black-throated sparrow on Mojave Yucca in Joshua Tree NP with Cascade Solar reflecting in the background

1983. The ponds provide cooling for the adjacent power plant to the west. Even though they are not currently full, they continue to attract shorebirds and birders. The 117 recorded species at the Daggett Evaporation Ponds represents avian use of an ephemeral pond over time. Primm Valley Golf Club (121 species) was chosen because its lush greens, trees, and glistening ponds are tucked up to the Ivan-pah solar facility’s actively fluxing towers and vertically oriented mirrors. The Avian Mortality report lists 49 species identified by their remains at Ivanpah, of which 69% (34 species) are among the species recorded using the golf club amenities immediately adja-cent to the Ivanpah solar facility. I also incorporated into the eBird list the Partners in the Flight (PIF) Watch and Stewardship species,x and the California Depart-ment of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) Species of Special concern.xi PIF is a governmental and non-governmental partnership organized in 1990 to study and develop conservation strategies for migratory landbird species of continental importance for the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The Results: there are three spreadsheets on the eBird List. 1) Comparison of 10 hotspots; 2) Comparison of Salton Sea and Death Valley (the south to north locations) and Big Morongo Canyon Pre-serve (BMCP) and Zzyzx, two heavily birded hotspots with over 200 species. Zzyzx is approximately 155 miles north of BNCP; 3) Analy-sis of PIF species. Go to www.DRECR.org and look under migratory birds to see the complete eBird list. SPREADSHEET 1 The eBird List: a comparison of the species in 10 California desert hotspots • Comparison as of 3/27/2014 = 428 speciesxii

• Watch list with 100 species – birds with some combination of concerns: population decline, small range, or distinct habitat threats – 41% are on the eBird List. Continued on page 19

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Solar Tentacles Reach Into Owens Valley

Continued from page 3and unnecessary development.” In an LA Times article (July 7, 2004) then-LADWP General Manager Frank Salas said, “…environmentalists and the DWP are in agreement that Owens Valley should be preserved and maintained in its current condition for future generations.” Inyo County has responded in two ways to the SOVSR project. The first re-sponse was to draft a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with LADWP that the county believes will offset econom-ic impacts to the county’s budget. The MOU provides for $4,000,000 in cash and $2,000,000 in loans for housing. In return, Inyo County would agree not to oppose the SOVSR. This negotiated MOU would also set a precedent for any other renew-able project that comes along. In fact, a private land PV project, Northland, with the same size as the LADWP Solar Ranch, is proposed immediately to the north. The second response by Inyo County was a proposed Renewable Energy Gen-eral Plan Amendment (REGPA) that out-lines areas of the county that might be acceptable for renewable energy projects of all types – PV, thermal, solar and wind. The preferred map delineates as accept-able large tracts of the Owens Valley, the Highway 395 corridor from Owens Valley to the south county line, Centennial Flat, Panamint Valley, Deep Springs Valley, Chicago Valley and more. Needless to say, this REGPA proposal on top of the South-ern Owens Valley Solar Ranch has greatly increased the volume of the opposition voices. New comments were made by The Wilderness Society, Defenders of Wild-life and the National Resources Defense

Council. The Inyo Register opposed the destructiveness of renewable energy development in an editorial. The Inyo County Board of Supervisors held two workshops with the public and the Inyo Planning Department. Both hearings drew a full house, with near-unanimous op-position to the proposed REGPA. In fact, the crowds swelled out of the open doors and were estimated to be from 80 to 100 people. The tribes spoke of the loss of their cultural history. The National Park Service advised the Inyo County Board that Manzanar is a ‘site of con-science’ like the Trail of Tears and the Little Rock High School. Members of local communi-ties and others from outside the valley defended wildlife values, such as migrating and resident birds. They shared concern for the Lower Owens River Project and Inyo County’s tourism-based economy, and praised the uniqueness of Inyo’s world class landscapes, night skies, historic Pat Keyes Trail and the sounds of Nature. Many speakers suggested

Mt Williamson from the proposed solar site

REGPA hearing before the Inyo County Board of Supervisors

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The Impacts Of Energy Projects

Continued from page 17alternatives, such as rooftop solar in Los Angeles and energy con-servation. “This is not a NIMBY deal,” said a Lone Pine resident, “We WANT solar in our yards. Better yet, on our roofs.” Numerous speakers strongly opposed renewable energy projects of any kind anywhere in Inyo County while others suggested consideration of different sites within the county. So far, discussion of the REGPA by the Inyo Supervisors has taken place prior to any vote consideration. Supervisor Jeff Griffith observed, “This the most organized public voice I‘ve seen here in Inyo.” Board Chair Rick Pucci stated, “This is about our valley, not money.” Regarding the inclusion of wind projects in the REGPA, Supervisor Matt Kingsley said, “Wind is ugly, no wind.” And Su-pervisor Linda Arcularius told the audience, “Our county needs money and wind is the only taxable renewable. But I support no wind.” The Inyo Supervisors then directed the Planning Depart-ment to revise the proposed REGPA and incorporate public and Board comments. On May 7th the revised REGPA was brought before the Inyo Board of Supervisors. It eliminated Panamint Valley, Centennial Flat, Deep Springs Valley, and most of Owens Valley from the list of Renewable Energy Development Areas (REDAs), and excluded wind from anywhere in Inyo County. The remaining REDAs in-clude Laws (120 acres for up to 20MW), Owens Lake (900 acres for 150MW), Rose Valley (600 acres for 100MW), Pearsonville (600 acres for 100 MW), north of Trona (600 acres for 100MW), Sandy Val-ley (600 acres for 100MW), and Charleston View (2400 acres for 400MW). An overall cap of 250 MW was called for in the western county (Highway 395 corridor), which is the available capacity on the LADWP transmission line. Siting criteria include using existing transmission corridors, building on disturbed lands, avoiding impacts to visual resources and encouraging rooftop and community array solar. A Programmatic Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) will be drafted by the Inyo County Planning Department. There will be lo-cal hearings held, with more opportunity for public comment. The PEIR should be ready for review by the Inyo Board of Supervisors this winter. Inyo County has now made an unprecedented statement of policy on renewable energy. It calls for no wind energy develop-ment (the only taxable renewable energy source) and exclusion of most of the county from consideration of solar projects. But Inyo County has no defined authority over lands owned by Los Angeles or the Federal government. This doesn’t mean, however, that the county has no influence. The policy of Inyo County must be con-sidered when renewable energy project proposals come forward on federal lands or lands owned by Los Angeles.

Mike Prather has lived in Inyo County since 1972, both in Death Val-ley and in Lone Pine. He has worked on desert issues such as wildlife, water, wilderness and parks all of that time. He is past chair of the Toiyabe Chapter of the Sierra Club, Eastern Sierra Audubon, Owens Valley Committee and currently is chair of the Inyo County Wa-ter Commission. Mike and his wife Nancy are retired public school teachers and have two grown daughters, Robin and Phoebe. They also have two grandchildren, Kestrel Sage and Wren Talus. Mike lives in the Alabama Hills above Lone Pine.

• Stewardship list (with 92 species – species with a high percent-age of global or Western Hemisphere population restricted to a single avifauna biome- 57.6% are on the eBird list

• California DFW Species of Special Concern: 25 species are added by notation on the eBird list

SPREADSHEET 2• Comparison of Salton Sea (338 species) with Death Valley Nation-

al Park (315 species): 252 species overlap; 86 species Salton Sea only; 63 species Death Valley NP only

• Comparison of Zzyzx (224 species) and Big Morongo Canyon Pre-serve (228 species): 176 species overlap; 48 Zzyzx only; 52 Preserve only

SPREADSHEET 3 Partners in Flight (color-coded by notation to species on the eBird List)• PIF Species of Continental Importance in Avifaunal Biomes

SUMMARY All migratory bird species are protected by federal treaty. Solar project developers are not currently required, either during plan-ning or operations and maintenance, to adequately assess the individual and cumulative impacts of solar (or wind) projects on migratory species. Point-count bird surveys focus on undeveloped project sites, and provide scant understanding of the attractions to birds created by vertically-oriented mirrors or other smooth reflective panels; water-like reflective or polarizing panes; actively fluxing towers; open bodies of water; aggregations of insects that attract insectivorous birdsxiii. eBird is an existing tool that can provide a regional matrix of data for comprehensively evaluating the possible impacts of these projects on migratory bird species year around, year after year. We did not intend to booby-trap the Pacific Flyway, so let’s be smart enough not to. Until we acknowledge and understand the depth of our challenge we are in no position to know which lo-cations have the least amount of impact, or to develop effective mitigation strategies.

Pat Flanagan is a consultant, writer, and activist living in Twenty-nine Palms.

References can be found in the Notes section of desertreport.org.

Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918

Migratory birds are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 (MBTA, last amended 2013), which includes Conventions with Mexico, Canada, Japan, and Russia, and the Calif. Fish and Wildlife Code Sections 3503, 3503.5, 3505, and 3513. Avian species protected under the MBTA are those listed in the four conventions and, in ac-cordance with the Migratory Bird Treaty Reform Act of 2004, “all species native to the United States or its territories, which are those that occur as a result of natural biological or ecological processes.”i

DESERT REPORT JUNE 201420

California/Nevada Regional Conservation Committee Desert Committee

Outings

For questions concerning an outing, or to sign up, please con-tact the leader listed in the write-up. For questions about Des-ert Committee outings in general, or to receive the outings list by e-mail, please contact Kate Allen at kj.allen96@gmail.com or 661-944-4056. For the most current listing, visit the Desert Report website at www.desertreport.org and click on outings. The Sierra Club requires participants to sign a standard liability waiver at the beginning of each trip. If you would like to read the Liability Waiver before you choose to participate, please go to http://www.sierraclub.org/outings/chapter/forms/, or contact the Outings Department at 415-977-5528 for a printed version. The Sierra Club California Seller of Travel number is CST 2087766-40. (Registration as a seller of travel does not consti-tute approval by the State of California.)

ESCALANTE BACKPACK June 19-22, Thursday-SundayThis a moderate 3-night/4-day backpack into one of the unique places of the desert southwest. Cottonwoods and some pines line the river. Wading shoes will be needed as we will be constantly in and out of the river. Meet at the BLM Visitor Cen-ter noon Thurs at the west end of Escalante to get permit. The first day we will hike in about 6 miles. The next day we will explore a scenic side canyon with nice narrows and swimming holes. On the third day we will move a couple of miles and do some more side hiking. Last day hike out. Route requires a car shuttle. Limit 12. David Hardy, hardyhikers@embarqmail.com, (702) 875-4826, email preferred. S. Nevada Group/CNRCC Desert Committee

INDEPENDENCE DAY WEEKEND IN THE BLACK ROCK DESERTJuly 3-6, Thursday-SundayCome visit this beautiful desert 100 miles north of Reno. Activi-ties TBD but probably include hot springs, the Emigrant Trail and other explorations. Leader is very familiar with the area. Primitive camping, bring your own food, water & shovel. It’s a busy weekend on the Playa as many people use this week-end as a “shake-down” for Burning Man! There will be big fire-works. Possible Ham Radio class one day. Hams, bring your radios, there will be lots of Ham activity on the Playa! RV’s and trailers OK, no facilities. Dogs on leash only. Sign-ups 6/15 thru 7/1, David Book (775) 843-6443. Great Basin Group/CNRCC Desert Committee

EASTERN NEVADA WILDERNESS SERVICEJuly 11-14, Friday-Monday Once again the California/Nevada Wilderness Committee partners with the BLM Ely office to enjoy camping in an East-ern Nevada Wilderness area and doing a valuable service project there. Join us! This year’s special feature -- not only work, but celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act--don’t miss it. Where? Latest word: Most likely location is Mt. Grafton Wilderness. (The summit of Mt. Grafton is the highest point in Nevada on BLM land.) Central commissary offered. Contact Vicky Hoover. (415) 977-5527, vicky.hoover@sierraclub.org. CNRCC Wilderness Committee

PERSEID METEOR SHOWER AT BLACK ROCK DESERTAugust 8-10, Friday-SundayMeet in Reno Friday evening and drive the 100 miles north to Black Rock. Contact leader if you want to meet us on the Playa. Burning Man setup will be going on so the playa will be pretty busy. There will be 50+/- people camping at Mid-Playa to watch the meteor shower. Unfortunately, it’s close to full moon, but we’ll be visiting hot springs and having a potluck, possible dutch-oven cook-off. Dogs on leash, Ham radio activ-ity, we’ll have porta-potties but no other facilities. RV’s and trailers OK, no hookups + expect dust! Sign-ups 7/25 thru 8/5, David Book, (775) 843-6443. Great Basin Group/CNRCC Desert Committee

Desert Committee Listserv

If you find Desert Report informative, sign up for the Desert Committee’s listserv. Here you’ll find discussions of items interesting to desert lovers. To sign up, send an email with the following information:To: Listserv@lists.sierraclub.orgFrom: Your real email addressSubject: [this line is ignored and may be left blank]Message:SUBSCRIBE CONS-CNRCC-DESERT-FORUM YOURFIRSTNAME YOURLASTNAME [this must fit on one line] You will receive a welcome message and some tips on using the system.

DESERT REPORT JUNE 2014 21

Current Issues

Redrock Canyon State Park (CA)Nightmare Gulch, belying its name, is a scenic canyon in Red Rock canyon State Park. For many years OHVs have had almost unfet-tered permission from State Parks to tear up the bottom of the canyon as they wished, driving out nesting raptors such as eagles and falcons and destroying vegetation and Indian sites in the bot-tom of the canyon. Recently State Parks closed the canyon to vehicles while leav-ing it open to all other uses such as hiking or equestrians. This was because floods had made the canyon almost impassible to ve-hicles without extensive dirt moving causing even more damage, and vehicles driving very close to the canyon walls to avoid bad spots in the route, undermining the walls and causing rockfalls. State Parks is now considering whether or not to reopen the canyon to vehicles, and are being inundated with communica-tions from OHV enthusiasts demanding that the canyon be re-opened to vehicles. State Parks also needs to hear from those who believe the canyon should remain closed to vehicles to protect the remaining natural values, and as a place non-motorized recre-ationists can enjoy without being harassed by vehicles. Your in-put can be given via email to russ.dingman@parks.ca.gov or via postal mail at CA State Parks, Tehachapi District, 15101 Lancaster Rd, Lancaster CA 93536. – Stan Hayes, Chair of Red Rock Canyon State Park Task Force

Court Ruling Allows BLM To Reopen Previously Closed Areas Of Algodones Dunes To OHV UseIn April, the court rejected a lawsuit filed by environmentalist’s which claimed BLM’s plan for the dunes was inadequate. This quickly led to the announcement by BLM that areas in the Algo-dones Dunes previously closed to OHV riders will change in the fall of 2014. The land had been placed off limits 14 years ago to protect the Peirson’s milk vetch, a plant listed as threatened un-der the federal Endangered Species Act. The recent court decision allowed BLM to implement the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area Management Plan (RAMP), which increased areas open to OHV riding in the recreation area. For complete background in-formation on this issue, see the cover story in the December 2013 issue of Desert Report.

Two Plants In Death Valley National Park Removed From Endangered Species ListThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced in February that Endangered Species Act protections have successfully recovered the Eureka Valley evening primrose and Eureka dune grass. Both plants grow on sand dunes in the area of Death Valley National Park and nowhere else on Earth; they were protected under the Act in the late 1970s because of threats from off-road vehicle rec-reation. Protecting their habitat from vehicles allowed their pop-ulations to stabilize, leading to the current plan to remove them from the endangered species list. The plants were protected in 1978, and the Fish and Wildlife Service published a recovery plan in 1982 outlining actions to improve their status. Endangered Spe-cies Act protection spurred the Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service to implement on-the-ground measures to protect the plants from off-highway vehicles. A 2007 status re-view indicated the plants were no longer in danger of extinction.

JAN

E CI

PRA

Eureka Valley Evening Primrose

DESERT REPORT JUNE 201422

The meeting drew 60 attendees representing the general public, local business and land owners, and public agencies. Con-servation organizations included the Wilderness Society, Nature Conservancy, National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), the Old Spanish Trail Association (OSTA), and more. It became ap-parent during the afternoon session that many participants op-posed the Aurora project and were unhappy with the format of the public meeting. There was strong vocal protest on two points: 1) the BLM was not recording the 3-minute comments made by speakers, some of whom had traveled from other cities to speak, and 2) questions to Iberdrola took place in “break-out” sessions, making it impossible for participants to hear all the questions and answers. Thirty-six speakers made public comments regarding the Au-rora plant, of which only one was in support. Many objected to the BLM’s considering a variance to allow building a plant outside des-ignated SEZs, especially in an unspoiled valley linking three NPS properties. Many made the point that Silurian Valley represents a key “jumping off” point into the desert for those leaving Interstate 15 at Baker. Others pointed out the existence of ecologically sen-sitive zones adjacent to the Silurian Valley and other properties that enjoy special protections. These include the Amargosa River, which is designated a Wild and Scenic River and the Old Spanish National Historic Trail, whose corridor would be impacted both visually and physically by the two proposed power plants.

PROJECTS WOULD IMPACT OLD SPANISH TRAIL AND LATER MORMON ROAD Archival evidence, including John C. Fremont’s 1845 account, is clear that the Old Spanish Trail passed through Silurian Valley. After 1849 the Trail route became part of the Mormon Road, a wag-on trail that brought miners, Mormons and other emigrants to southern California. As a National Historic Trail, the OST corridor is administered by the BLM as part of its National Conservation Lands, the branch devoted to protecting scenic landscapes. In 2013, BLM intern Amy Oeschner reported in a research pa-per, read at the annual conference of the American Institute of Archaeology, that she used aerial photos and software enhance-ment to locate portions of the trail in Silurian Valley. She then conducted ground-truthing surface surveys of trail segments to record and document condition of the trail. Artifacts she found

include a clay pipe bowl, datable to James Buchanan’s presidential campaign of 1856, in the Mormon Road period. She also found a mule shoe consistent with those used by Mexican mule caravans.

BROAD COALITION FORMING TO OPPOSE THE TWO PLANTS Leaders of desert conservation organizations and business and property owners in Tecopa and Shoshone are coordinating an effort to build a broad coalition opposing licensing of the two Silu-rian Valley plants. Says NPCA’s David Lamfrom, “The Silurian Val-ley represents a beating heart of the Mojave Desert in California. We mustn’t allow a dagger to be put through it.” Susan Sorrells, who owns businesses in Shoshone points out that ecological and cultural tourism are what bring people to Shoshone. “They trea-sure the open desert which we have so far preserved in this area,” she says. The coalition will work for establishment of a broad conser-vation corridor extending from Shoshone and the Nevada state line in the north to I-15 and the Mojave Preserve in the south, thus ensuring the perpetuation of the vital Silurian Valley corridor link-ing three NPS units and protecting the treasured vistas of the Silu-rian Valley.

Jack Prichett is president of the Old Spanish Trail Association-Teco-pa chapter. He has made numerous presentations on the Old Span-ish Trail and the threats posed by large desert solar plants.

Continued from page 2

Silurian Valley In The Crosshairs

Take Action

If you are interested in supporting this effort, please direct letters to the following:

BLMRegarding Aurora Solar: blm_ca_Silurian_Valley_Solar@blm.govRegarding Silurian Valley Wind Farm: jchilders@blm.gov

California Senator Diane Feinstein:www.feinstein.senate.gov

Electrical Generation Plants Proposed for Silurian Valley

PLANT SIZE PEIS Variance Required? OUTPUT LOCATION PHYSICAL FEATURES

Silurian Valley ~7200 acres Yes Up to 200 About 10 miles north of Solar array field anSolar (Aurora Solar) Megawatts Baker along Highway 127 estimated 1,518 acres

Silurian Valley ~25,000 acres, No Up to 200 North of Aurora Solar From 63 to 111 windmillWind Project plus 9000 for Megawatts off Highway 127 towers, many as tall as transmission of power 400 feet, depending on final design

DESERT REPORT JUNE 2014 23

EDITORIAL STAFF MANAGING EDITOR Stacy Gossstacy.goss@comcast.net(408-248-8206)

CO-EDITORSCal FrenchCalfrench@gmail.comNate KrummNathanKrumm@live.comLiz CrumleyXidawa66@gmail.comIngrid Crickmore Ingridcrickmore@earthlink.net

CIRCULATIONKate Allenkj.allen96@gmail.com(661-944-4056)

OUTINGS EDITORKate Allenkj.allen96@gmail.com(661-944-4056)

GRAPHIC DESIGNJason Hashmijh@jasonhashmi.com (626-487-3791)

Published by the Sierra Club California/Nevada Desert Committee

All policy, editing, reporting, and graphic design is the work of volunteers. To receive Desert Report please see details on the back cover. Articles, photos, and original art are welcome. Please contact Stacy Goss (stacy.goss@comcast.net, 408-248-8206) about con-tributions well in advance of deadline dates: February 1, May 1, August 1, and November 1.

OUR MISSIONThe Sierra Club California/Nevada Desert Committee works for the protection and con-servation of the deserts of California, Nevada and other areas in the Southwest; moni-tors and works with public, private, and non-profit agencies to promote preservation of our arid lands; sponsors education and service trips; encourages and supports others to work for similar objectives; and maintains, shares and publishes information about the desert.

JOIN SIERRA CLUBFrom community issues and action to lobbying on a national level, membership helps you take action on many issues. As a member, you’ll have opportunities to get involved with local chapters, as well as be part of a large national network of environmental ad-vocates. Your voice will be heard through congressional lobbying and grassroots action. www.sierraclub.org/membership

OFFICERSCHAIRTerry Frewinterrylf@cox.net(805-966-3754)

VICE CHAIRJoan Taylor(760-778-1101)

OUTINGS CHAIRKate Allenkj.allen96@gmail.com(661-944-4056)

COORDINATORSCALIFORNIA WILDERNESS DESIGNATION AND PROTECTIONVicky Hoovervicky.hoover@sierraclub.org415-928-1038

NEVADA WILDERNESS DESIGNATION AND PROTECTIONMarge Sillmsill@juno.com775-322-2867

DESERT WILDERNESS DESIGNATION AND PROTECTIONTerry Frewinterrylf@cox.net805-966-3754

IMPERIAL COUNTYTerry Weinerterryweiner@sbcglobal.net619-342-5524

EASTERN SAN DIEGO COUNTYDonna TisdaleTisdale.donna@gmail.com619-766-4170

EASTERN RIVERSIDE COUNTYDonna CharpiedDonna.c@ccaej.org760-347-7586

DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARKGeorge Barnesggared@gmail.com650-494-8895

MOJAVE NATIONAL PRESERVESid Sillimangssiliman@csupomona.edu

CARRIZO NATIONAL MONUMENTCraig DeutscheCraig.deutsche@gmail.com310-477-6670

PANAMINT/INYO MOUNTAINSTom Budlongtombudlong@roadrunner.com310-963-1731

COACHELLA VALLEYJeff Morganjckmorgan@earthlink.net760-324-8696

ENERGY ISSUESJoan Taylor (California)760-778-1101Laura Cunningham (Nevada)bluerockiguana@hughes.net775-513-1280

OFF-ROAD VEHICLE ISSUESTerry Weinerterryweiner@sbcglobal.net619-342-5524George Barnes (public lands)ggared@gmail.com650-494-8895

MINING ISSUESStan Haye760-375-8973

NEVADA WATER ISSUESJohn Hiatthjhiatt@anv.net702-361-1171

Funding for Desert Report is made possible, in part, by the generous, ongoing support of the following:

Sierra Club California sierraclub.org/ca

Desert Protective Council dpcinc.org

Desert Tortoise Council deserttortoise.org

EarthShare California earthshareca.org

The Wildlands Conservancywildlandsconservancy.org

The Desert Legacy Fund at The Community Foundation Serving Riverside and San Bernardino Countiesthecommunityfoundation.net

Sierra Club San Gorgonio Chapter sangorgonio.sierraclub.orgwww.desertreport.org

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