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P.O. Box 3635, San Diego, CA 92163-1635 Phone: (619) 342-5524 Website: www.dpcinc.org

Summer 2008 Editor: Larry Hogue Number 201

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENTEmerging Threats to Our Desert Lands

In a column some months back, I confidently asserted thatpoorly regulated Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) use was

public enemy number one, the chief threat to the integrityand beauty of our beloved desert lands. In the monthssince my earlier assessment, one I have held for years, Ihave now come slowly to realize that a new, ominousdanger confronts lovers of the southwestern deserts. Notthat OHV abuse has suddenly declined, mind you, but asudden new gold rush is upon us, one that cloaks itself

cleverly in a green disguise. It goes by the harmless nameof renewable energy. Save Fossil Fuels! ReduceGreenhouse Gases! Prevent Pollution! Lower Your EnergyBills! Utilize the Inexhaustible Power of the Sun!

Sounds great, doesnt it? Maybe its too good to be true?Readers ofEl Paisano have read a good deal over the

last year or so about DPCs active engagement fightingagainst the Sunrise Powerlink project (see our website),including substantial financial support for the grassrootscampaign in San Diego and Imperial counties to kill thishuge proposal. This despite the fact of Sempra Energysclaims that the project will transport significant green

power from a major proposed solar energy installation andlikely geothermal sources of energy as well.

Those of our members who live outside of these two

counties may not know all the specifics, but therein liesthe devil. The contention that the Sunrise Powerlink willcarry large quantities of clean, renewable energy is largely

a lie, built on unproven technologies, supposition andimplausible facts. More importantly, this proposedmonster is only the vanguard of a far larger emergingthreat.

As the largest land manager in the deserts ofCalifornia and Nevada, the federal Bureau of Land

Management (BLM) oversees a vast expanse of public

land, land that in many cases is the last remaining base forpreserving dwindling areas of wildness plus just plain oldopen space. And it is that open space which is the target ofthe newest California gold rush. It is no exaggeration to

say that the BLM California Desert District has beeninundated with requests to lease public land for renewableenergy projects, from solar collectors and wind turbinescovering large expanses to geothermal plants intended totap the energy of super hot subterranean water.

While suggestive of an innovative and easy way out oour (largely self-inflicted) energy mess in this country,

much more lies below the surface of this juggernaut thanmere geologically heated water. First of all, manycompanies with unproven records of performance haverushed to cash in on the solar, wind and geothermal energy

boom, some with no histories in the energy business at allor with dubious technology. This is especially true in the

solar realm. So far, many proposals are heedless when itcomes to siting on lands with other established values.Inadequate, poorly vetted propositions in the early stagedo not bode well for the future in other aspects. And whowill speak up for protection of particularly sensitive lands

Not the BLM, based on history and experience.

On top of other uncertainties, none of the renewableenergy options come without an environmental cost inaddition to often taking up large expanses of ever more

precious open space, wilderness and wildlife domain.Wind farms require huge networks of construction andmaintenance roads which compact and denude soil,

turning the vital microbiotic crust to dust, while providingeasy access for exotic weeds and renegade off-roaders, letalone threatening birds. Solar collectors and converterscontain significant amounts of toxic materials and they toorequire large tracts of land. Geothermal plants pull upheated water from far below the earths surface that

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Audubons Imperial ValleyLandowner Stewardship ProgramBy Al Kalin, Audubon California's

Landowner Stewardship Coordinator for Imperial Valley

Audubon Californias highly successful Landowner Stew-ardship Program has recently expanded to Imperial Valley

where habitat restoration projects are currently beingimplemented on five different sites totaling over 750 acres.

Designed for farmers and ranchers, the programs goalis to work with land owners to conserve and restore

wildlife habitat while remaining compatible with theexisting agricultural operations on the farmers fields.

Not only is Imperial Valleys 500,000 acres ofirrigated farm land one of the most intensely farmed areasin the nation, it is also considered one of the mostimportant bird areas in the United States. Over 400 speciesof birds have been recorded in the area. In many instances,the majority of the worldwide population of several

species, such as the eared grebe, depends on the ImperialValley during their yearly migration. The burrowing owl, astate species of concern and year-round resident ofImperial Valley, accounts for 70% of Californias entire

population.The Landowner Stewardship Program, with help from

the Imperial County Farm Bureau, began operations in theImperial Valley in 2005. The local Farm Bureaus awardwinning Silt Total Maximum Daily Load VoluntaryCompliance Program, which educates farmers on how toreduce nutrient rich silt leaving their farm fields andentering the Salton Sea, is a perfect venue to reach all the

farmers in the Imperial Valley during their Total Maximum

Daily Load annual drainshed meetings and find newcooperators for the Landowner Stewardship Program.

The Imperial Valley Landowner Stewardship Programis currently working to restore 80 acres of critical wetland

adjacent to the Salton Sea and Sonny Bono

Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge. Recentwater transfers from the Imperial Valley tourban areas in California are putting the

Salton Sea at risk, so it is important thatwetland projects next to the Salton Sea aremaintained for maximum year-round habitat.

On three riverine habitat projects invasivtamarisk have been removed and native treesand shrubs, including a high population ofwillow and native mesquite trees, are being

planted to enhance the area around the farm-ers fields. One of the projects will also

include over three acres of native saltgrasswhen the project is completed.

Near Mount Signal at the Southwesterncorner of Imperial Valley, next to the Mexicanborder, Audubon restorationists are workingto increase native habitat on a 650-acre

ranch which borders the desert. Plans arebeing developed for 11 acres of hedgerow plantings,including native trees and shrubs.

These are exciting times for Audubons LandownerStewardship Program in the Imperial Valley and thenumber of farmers wanting to participate in the program i

increasing every week. To contribute to the program or formore information see http://ca.audubon.org/lsp or call AlKalin at (760) 455-1399.

Students from Brawley Union High Schools Environmental Science Class work at

planting trees on the Morgan East property, part of Audubons Landowner Stewardship

Program in the Imperial Valley. Photo by Nancy V. Kellogg.

Robert Thomas/Mt. Signal Property Wheat, sudangrass, and milo avisible in foreground, with the non-native athel (Tamarix aphylla) treethe background, soon to be replaced with natives. Photo by Al

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CONSERVATION CORNERBy Terry Weiner

Conservation & Imperial County Projects Coordinator

Greetings, DPC members, friends and assorted desertlovers. I hope this finds you well and having enjoyed a

sweet springtime season in the desert and in your ownbackyards. The Mojave and Colorado deserts saw quite awonderful bloom in spring 2008. In very early February in

Shoshone California, south of Death Valley National Park,the pink and purple cup-like blossoms of the desert fivespots were already in profuse bloom in the pastel-colored

mud hills. The high desert of our Mojave NationalPreserve in the Ivanpah Mts. at 5,000 ft. was ablaze as lateas the first week-end in May withthe newly openedflaming coral blos-

soms of the claretcup cactus. Theground betweenthe cacti wassprinkled with the

periwinkle blue of

phacelias andmustard-yellowgold fields. Theroads of the Pre-serve were linedwith tall peach-

colored blossomsof the desert mal-low. The AlgodonesDunes sprouted flowers like mad during February andMarch, ending with a good crop of the rare and odd-looking partly-parasitic plant called Sand food

(Pholisma sonorae), a plant which fascinates me so muchthat I did a term paper on it for a UCSD Ecology class notlong ago. The Desert Botanical Gardens website(www.dbg.org) has more interesting information about this

plant, which is threatened by off-road vehicle use at theAlgodones Dunes.

This botanical excursion has been leading to the issuethat is perennially on my mind and on my work plate: off-road vehicles in the desert. Have we made progress in 35years in protecting the desert from off-road vehicle (ORV)impacts? In the early 1970s, recognizing the proliferation

of ORVs and conflicts with other types of recreation onpublic lands, California State Parks established the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division (OHMVRD)in order to develop a program and tools for managingORVs on public lands across the state. (See sidebar for the

distinction between OHVs and ORVs.) The OHV Programis funded mainly from diversion of a percentage of ourCalifornia fuel tax dollars ($55 million for 2008), portionsof which are earmarked mainly for establishing andoperating legal ORV riding areas, for law enforcement and

for restoration of ORV damage to public and private land.Without the California OHV Program, there would be noorganized management and monitoring of the damage

from this impactful form of recreation. Nevertheless, thepopularity of ORVs continues to grow with an increasingvariety of types of vehicles, many of which are larger,

farther ranging and more destructive.This past weekend, I was camped next to pristine

dunes within theMojave Preserve,where only street-legal vehicles are

allowed. Out of theblissful silencecame the growl ofengines from ap-

proaching non-street-legal four-

wheel ORVs.Before I reached thdunes on foot,seven men onORVs had drivenup and down the

sides of the sanddunes, previouslymarked only by

tiny tracks of lizards and rodents. They made deep donutgouges and ran over dunes plants. After flagging themdown and explaining that they were riding illegally, they

did retreat from the dunes but drove cross-country acrossthe desert to a dirt road where they were still ridingillegally. California OHV regulations require registrationstickers (green stickers) on ORVs. Only one of the sevenORVs was bearing one.

The Desert Protective Council is taking an active role

in the Alliance for Responsible Recreation, a coalition ofproperty owners, citizens groups and conservationorganizations working on strategies for crafting andgaining support for tighter regulations and more stringentfines for trespass and damage to public and private lands.

In Arizona, for instance, 55,000 acres of the SonoranDesert National Monument have just been closed to off-roading for up to two years, and the penalty for motorizedtrespass is a fine of up to $1,000 and up to one year in jail

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Fresh ORV tracks mar a pristine dune system in the Mojave Preserve, where riding anORV is illegal. Photo by JD Morehouse

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ORVs vs OHVsConfused about the difference between OHVs and

ORVs? An Off-Highway Vehicle is any vehicle, often

street-legal, that is used off of paved roads, on a jeep

road, for instance. A stock SUV can be considered an

OHV, and many hikers, birders, and other non-motorized

recreationists drive off-highway to access trailheads. As a

category, off-highway vehicle is meaningless, since it

captures so many vehicle types and uses. An Off-Road

Vehicle is any vehicle that is designed to, or primarily

used to, go beyond jeep routes and established trails.

ORVs are used legally at open play vehicle areas such

as Imperial (Algodones) Sand Dunes and Ocotillo Wells

State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA). The category

includes two- or four-wheeled cycles, sand rails, and

souped up trucks and SUVs used for rock-crawling and

hill-climbing. While the more generic term OHV is used

in Californias recreational motor vehicle program, the

program mainly represents ORV users. And while the

OHV portion of the gas tax is calculated based on the

number of drivers who go off of a paved road, most of

these funds are used to benefit off-roaders, not the larger

class of off-highway vehicle drivers. (The situation

became even more skewed toward off-roaders in the last

legislative session, a problem the Alliance for

Responsible Recreation is working on.)

(Conservation Corner, continued)

We hope similar penalties will be instituted for motorizedtrespass in wilderness areas, state parks and other pre-

serves within California where motorized access is alreadyillegal, and for motorized trespass on private land. Thecoalition is also working on a campaign to raise the aware-

ness of the general public, the media, and our local, stateand national representatives about the wide-ranging envi-ronmental consequences of motorized recreation. If youare a member of a property owners group concerned aboutORV abuse in your area, please email me. Your group maywant to consider joining the DPC as a member of our

expanding Alliance for Responsible Recreation.Early this year, we received a wonderful tool to help

with our goal of building public support for land managersand other decision-makers to stop off-road vehicle abusein the form of a coffee-table book, published by WildlandsCPR out of Missoula, Montana. Thrillcraft: The Environ-

mental Consequences of Motorized Recreation, edited byGeorge Wuerthener, contains alarming photographs andinsightful essays and is a powerful medium for conveyingthe graphic abuse that ORVs inflict on land, watersheds,air quality and wildlife habitat. DPC received 70 copies ofThrillcraftthat we are distributing free of charge to

decision makers, land managers, libraries and others whomay be able to use this book to influence the publics

perception of what types of ORV use is unacceptable. Ifyou would like to receive a copy ofThrillcraftfor the

purpose of taking it to your local or state representatives,

your local planning commission or Board of Supervisors,please email me and send a check for $5.00 to cover thecost of mailing, and I will send you a copy. Meanwhile,

you can look at reviews ofThrillcrafton Amazon.com.Have a good, safe summer and as always, I would

love to hear from you by phone, letter or e-mail on any

desert-related topic or concern. I also invite you to readabout the new ban on ORVs in the Sonoran Desert National Monument at our new DesertBlog, www.desertblog.netPlease do feel free to take the time to post a comment. Wewould love to hear your thoughts.

Terry Weiner

terryweiner@sbcglobal.net

SUNRISE POWERLINK UPDATEby Larry Hogue

The May 12 California Public Utilities Commissionhearings in Borrego Springs were a great success for oppo

nents of the Sunrise Powerlink and proponents ofSmartEnergy Solutions for San Diego. 400 people packed theafternoon hearing, and the evening hearing saw nearly300. Roughly 80% of the speakers were against all routesof the Sunrise Powerlink, and a showing of hands revealedabout the same ratio for the entire audience. More than

150 people spoke. The pro speakers consisted mainly ofbusiness groups and chambers of commerce. All of themspoke from the same playbook created by San Diegosmovers and shakers at a meeting in 2004, where renewablenergy was chosen as the best way to sell the public onthe Sunrise Powerlink.

In contrast, opponents had many good, insightful arguments against the Powerlink and in favor of a distributed,low-carbon energy system for San Diego, many of whichthey developed on their own. Four out of five commissioners attended the hearing, which is rare for the CPUC. Theyseemed to really appreciate hearing from passionate,

involved citizens.Whats next: While the commission did seem to be

listening to the people, theyre under heavy politicalpressure, mainly from Governor Schwarzenegger, toapprove some version of the Sunrise Powerlink. Clearly,

we face an uphill battle in protecting the deserts and otherlandscapes we love, but recent history holds out somehope. The ill-fated Valley-Rainbow transmission project(think of it as Sunrise Powerlink 1.0) was voted down bythe CPUC in 2003 because the facts showed it to be

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unnecessary, and be-cause communitieswere persistent andunited in their oppo-sition. The Toll Road

project proposed torun through SanOnofre State Beach

(also supported bythe Governor) saw aheavy blow with the

recent Coastal Com-mission decision.When people cometogether to do sim-

ple, effective ac-tions, these types

of victories are pos-sible. Thats why it ismore important than

ever to keep the pressure on leading up to the CPUCdecision in the fall.

What you can do: Help keep the pressure on by

calling the Governors office at 916-445-2841. Ask himto oppose the Sunrise Powerlink, because smarter energyalternatives are available!

But even if the CPUC approves the Powerlink in thefall, thats just Round 1 of a long battle. Our campaign iswell set up for Round 2, which will move to the courts. As

one knowledgeable source told us, the politics may favorthe Sunrise Powerlink, but the technical elements of thecase are against it. The facts of the case should make somevery persuasive arguments should it be necessary to bringthe project before an impartial judge. Well keep youinformed of developments as they happen on our blog (see

next article for more info).

DPCs New DesertBlogSince the last issue ofEl Paisano, we have started a newonline information source, DesertBlog. You can view it onour website, and also at www.desertblog.net. Topics range

from desert conservation issues such as the Sunrise Power-link (which we covered heavily leading up to the May 12hearing); natural and cultural events in the desert, such aswildflower blooms and rock concerts; book reviews; andmullings on the aesthetics of the desert landscape. Larry

Hogue has done a lot of the writing so far, but look forposts in the future from desert author Chris Clarke, pastDPC board member Jim Ricker, and DPCs own TerryWeiner. If you sign in to post comments, you can join thediscussion on any of the topics presented on the blog. You

can even sign up to have posts e-mailed to you, avoidingthe annoying task of frequently checking lists of favoritewebsites, only to find that nothing new has been posted.So far, weve averaged about three posts a week, but withsummer coming up were beginning to hit some dry spells

We hope youll read the blog, and give us your feedback.

DESERT NOTESBrief news items from around the deserts

A new wilderness bill could protect the WhiteMountains and the Amargosa River, as well as areas in the

Sierra Nevada and San Gabriel Mountains. Co-sponsoredby Sen. Barbara Boxer and Rep. Buck McKeon (R-CA25th), the Eastern Sierra and Northern San Gabriel WildHeritage Act would provide wilderness designation for theWhite Mountains, Americas largest and highest desertmountain range, containing the second largest unprotected

roadless area in the lower 48 states. Death ValleysAmargosa River would gain Wild and Scenic River StatusMcKeon, a Republican, is getting slammed by motorizedaccess groups, so a call or e-mail of support couldnt hurt:(202) 225-1956; http://mckeon.house.gov/contact.shtml ..As a result of a 2005 lawsuit by Bluewater Network,

National Parks & Conservation Association and WildlandCPR, the National Park Service is instituting a new pilot

program to better protect ten national parks from off-roadvehicle abuse. Death Valley and Joshua Tree are includein the program, which will feature beefed up enforcementand education programs to stop off-roading where it is not

allowed, and to better manage it in the places where it isallowed. According to Wildlands CPR, While off-roadvehicles arent allowed in many national parks at all,ecological damage and recreational conflict are on the risefrom illegal use. With the recently announced settlement,

park administrators have finally acknowledged the

severity of the problem and pledged to take new action toprotect park resources from off-road vehicle damage. Theorganization says this program, if successful, could serveas a model for other lands managed by NPS. As the photoof the dunes on page 3 shows, the Mojave Preserve couldcertainly benefit from such a program.

Mojave Desert Communities Threatenedby Toxic Sludge, Lax Air Quality Standards

by Pat Flanagan

The small town of Hinkley, upwind of Barstow, could hos

an open air toxic sludge composting facility, if NurseryProducts LLC and two members of the San BernardinoCounty Board of Supervisors get their way. Sludge is thefinished solids of wastewater treatment, containinghousehold wastes; all sewer, drain, street and agricultural

DPCs Terry Weiner testifies at theSunrise Powerlink hearings.Photo by Diana Lindsay.

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runoff; and industrial and medical wastes. These wastesinclude heavy metals, medicines, antibiotics, pesticides,

pathogens, viruses and 516 chemicals that have beenidentified (but only 20% tested for.)

This proposed Hinkley facility covers half a square

mile and will take in a truck full of sludge every seven anda half minutes, or 400,000 tons a year. The sludge will be

piled 12 feet high, 30 feet wide and 1000 feet long. There

is nothing to protect the ground, nothing to stop the gasesreleased, and nothing to stop the dangerous dust from

blowing. The location for this facility has the 4th highest

average wind speed in California (10.9 mph). The windsconsistently blow from the west, easily covering the eightmiles to Hinkley School, then the two more miles toLenwood School, and the ten miles to Barstow.

Hinkley and Barstow are not the only communities inSan Bernardino County threatened by toxic sludge. The

Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District (MDA-QMD) is exploring writing a rule which couldblockuncovered toxic sludge processing facilities within its

boundaries--or not. The rule couldbe written to allowuncovered facilities, opening the way for toxic sludgefacilities anywhere in San Bernardino County with

sufficient open space.If the uncovered facilities are permitted, MDAQMD

would be the only air quality basin in California to permitopen air toxic sludge facilities; the health and safety of thecitizens would be risked for tax dollars. Dennis Hans-

berger and Brad Mitzelfelt, the San Bernardino County

Supervisors for the 1st and 3rd Districts (Morongo Basin)respectively, are eager for the Hinkley facility and pushingfor the weak rule. Others, including the Mayor of Twenty-nine Palms, Elaine Bernal, want the strong rule. A weakrule would set a precedent for similar facilities bringingtoxic sludge to Lucerne Valley, Landers and other county

lands with lots of space -- and few citizens with even lessmoney to complain.

Two groups, HelpHinkley.Org and the Center for Bio-logical Diversity (CBD), sued the County of San Bernar-dino in State Superior Court on five Environmental Quali-ty Act (CEQA) issues. In April, the court decided in favor

of HelpHinkley and CBD for three of the five causes ofaction there was no dispute that the facility would emitvolatile organic compounds and would contribute to asignificant cumulative impact on air quality.

The Hinkley toxic sludge facility is on hold for now,

but the rule on whether to allow uncovered toxic sludgefacilities to operate within the MDAQMD is currentlyunder deliberation. Third District Supervisor Hansberger isrunning for re-election on the strength of his concern forair quality in the South Coast District which he helped

form; would that he had equal concern for the air qualityeast of the mountains.

Now is the crucial time for concerned citizens tocontact members of the MDAQMD and request a strongrule that protects the air we breathe. No basin should

sacrifice the health and safety of its citizens. Air quality isonly as good as the lungs that breathe it.

Send emails to gboardclk@mdaqmd.ca.gov (Clerk of

the Governing Board) and ask that your comments bedistributed to all board members.

IMPERIAL COUNTY PROJECTSby Terry Weiner

Imperial County Projects Coordinator

DPC is proud to announce a major new project in ImperiaCounty. We have contracted with Pat Flanagan, long-timenaturalist-educator, to design a desert ecology curricu-

lum for 4th and 5th grades with materials and activities,including field trips, oriented around the wealth of naturaland cultural features of Imperial County. Pat will be working closely with Elizabeth Molina De La Torre, Director othe Imperial Valley Science Project in El Centro and withher lead science teachers.

The initial goal of this project is to produce environ-mentally literate 4th-5th grade students. When studentslearn to perceive, appreciate and understand the life pro-cesses and interactions of plants and animals in the naturaenvironment around them, they become capable of takingappropriate action to help protect and improve the health

of natural systems and thus can be nurtured into bona fidedesert protectors. Imperial County is rich in a variety ofecosystems including the ecosystems of the Salton Sea, thvast Algodones Dunes, the microphyll woodlands east ofthe dunes, the riparian areas along the Colorado River.Culturally speaking, Native American sacred sites are

scattered throughout the County, including 2,000 year-oldworld-class ground drawings called geoglyphs. ImperialCounty is also geologically rich, with much varied evi-dence, in rock and layers of fossils, of the time when theentire area was under water and of various periods ofvolcanic upheavals. The curriculum specific to the Colo-

rado Desert will be designed around field trips to theseunique places in the county.

Pat will be working this summer with Imperial Countyteachers to integrate the new desert ecology materials intothe science curriculum and lesson plans that teachers have

already developed for each grade level. Students will haveclassroom studies as well as field studies and also oppor-tunities to participate in service activities with value to thecommunities. Another part of our desert education plan isto contact local, state and federal elected officials about

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P.O. BOX 3635SAN DIEGO, CA 92163-1635

INSIDE THIS ISSUEImperial Valley Stewardship Program.......... page 2

Conservation Corner..................................... page 3Sunrise Powerlink Update ............................ page 4

Desert Notes.................................................. page 5

Mojave Toxic Sludge.................................... page 5

New Education Programs ............................. page 6

Enjoy this complimentary copy

of El Paisano, and consider

joining today!

FAVORITE DESERT PLACES: THE MOJAVE NATIONAL PRESERVE

Photo by JD Morehouse