el paisano summer 2007 #197

8/8/2019 El Paisano Summer 2007 #197

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The Newsletter of the Desert Protective Council

The Newsletter of the Desert Protective Council P.O. Box 3635, San Diego, CA 92163-1635

Phone: (619) 342-5524 Website: www.dpcinc.org

Summer 2007 Editor: Larry Hogue Number 1

LE T TER FROM THE PRESIDEN T Someone asked me recently what I believed was

he number one problem facing our fragile and lovely

Southern California desert lands. He knew I had 30 yearsof experience exploring that landscape and nearly thatong as a politically involved conservation activist. Thehoice is not an easy one, especially considering theitany of possibilities: urban expansion, grazing, mining,

groundwater depletion, energy corridors, governmentmalfeasance in enforcing existing laws, Off-HighwayVehicle (OHV) abuse, habitat loss, invasive animal andplant species, fire, landfill development, wind energy andgeothermal siting, and on and on.

First of all I had to catch my breath at thedaunting challenges conservationists and desert lovers

onfront when they accept the work of stewardship.Oddly, I also felt some sense of pride in the manyuccesses DPC and its fellow organizations have pulled

off over the years, culminating in the 1994 passage of theeminal California Desert Protection Act and theontinuing efforts at implementing it. But I digress.

After a brief period of thought about my choice asDesert Enemy #1, it came to me all too easily: thebreathtaking proliferation of OHVs descending upon our precious desert lands from Imperial County on theMexican border all the way to Inyo County in the north.Anyone who has carefully followed the state of the land

n our desert over the years knows perfectly well of whatspeak. There is no greater single threat to the integrity

of the California desert than poorly regulated OHVs.Having said that, there are clearly many responsibleaw-abiding folks who enjoy riding their off-road toys,

but there is also a persistent element of lawbreakers andplain hooligans in that community. Plus the sheer numbers of vehicles and their designed capability haveoverwhelmed both the land management and lawenforcement agencies in our desert.

I have more than once witnessed a single outlawider on a dirt bike do inestimable damage to literally

acres of wilderness – that is the power of these machines.

If you doubt their power, take a trip out to the Glamisarea of the Imperial Sand Dunes on a holiday weekenduring the season. You will be awestruck, believe me.Still, there are emergingscesses in trying to control th

motorized locusts. The BLM, under great pressure, fi-nally cracked down on completely uncontrolled OHVriders in the dunes, reducing criminal activity and thedamage to the land. Just a year ago DPC was instrumetal in helping pass a landmark and increasingly succesordinance in San Bernardino curbing the worst excessof OHVs in that huge county. We are also a charter member of the Alliance for Responsible Recreation, aumbrella organization working hard to control OHVabuse in California along with Community ORV WatcMost recently, a new group of veteran land managers,Rangers for Responsible Recreation, has formed to caattention to OHV damage across the country.

There is reason for hope, and DPC can take particular pride that our own staffer, Terry Weiner, is key player in the process of forging pertinent state-levlegislation. It will take the combined efforts of desertresidents, conservation organizations, law enforcemensympathetic politicians and responsible OHV leaders get a handle on this colossal problem. And DPC will bthere. See you around that next bend in a canyon.

Nick Ervin, President

Illegal off-roading in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park,February 18, 2007. Photo by Larry Hogue



Page 2 El Paisano Number 19

Education

IMPERIAL COUN T Y PRO JEC TS UPDA TEb y Ter r y W einer

I am happy to report that the Desert Protective Councils assisting the Holtville Unified School District to craft plans

for Imperial County desert field trips for their students. We areworking closely with parent liaison Susan Massey to helpoordinate with elementary and high school teachers. Last year he district hired Susan to work specifically with the new im-migrant parents who arrive annually from Mexico. One of theHoltville District’s most important goals is to help these fami-ies become involved in their children’s education.

One of the proposals we are planning to fundaddresses the goal of involving the Holtville parents moredeeply in the life of the school by providing a family learningactivity, a chance to experience nature in a way that will benew to many of them, and the inspiration to work on a school

mprovement activity. The proposal is for funding to translatebasic desert educational materials into Spanish, provide for aime for parents to read these materials with their children, ando conduct an overnight camping trip to Anza-Borrego DesertState Park where children and parents will experience thedesert together first-hand. This proposal has three phases over he period of the school year: introductory desert education, theamping trip itself, and planning a school desert habitat

garden.Teachers are crafting several other field trip proposals,

ncluding a second grade field trip to Shell Canyon or similar

area, a trip for high schoolers to visit desert waters in ImperialCounty, a Salton Sea natural history field trip, and a trip to theAlgodones Dunes to learn about the dunesecosystem.

The DPC has also invited a proposal from theEnvironmental Outreach Coordinator of the Imperial ValleyRegional Occupational Program for desert wetlands field tripsand other desert education outings.

I heartily invite you to call me or e-mail me your ideasand/or introductory proposals for desert education or onservation, and we can work together to craft a fundable

roposal, which will foster long-term desert protection inmperial County.

Advocacy

S A LT ON SEA RES TOR A TION – F IRS T, T HE GOOD NE W S

In April, California’s Resources Secretary proposed anew Salton Sea Restoration Plan containing much that is goodfor the birds and other wildlife that depend on this vital stop onhe Pacific Flyway. Mandated reductions in agricultural runoff,he sea’s only supply of fresh water, could cause it to shrink or

evaporate completely, removing wetlands vital to migrating

birds and releasing dust from the dry lakebed to pollute theof Imperial and Coachella valleys. The new plan would provide more than 50,000 acres of habitat for a variety of species ranging from migratory birds to the endangered de pupfish and would reduce air quality problems associated wthe exposed lakebed.

But there’s a problem with the plan – a $7 billion problem. Along with its habitat and air quality measures(which will cost about $2 billion), the plan also includes thcreation of two large recreational lakes that would cover additional wildlife habitat. These lakes would require theconstruction of giant dams and an equally large pumpingoperation to move water from one end of the sea to the othThis massive engineering project will destroy more habitatadd to the air pollution problem. All of this proposed work the total cost of the plan at $9 billion – a high price tag agaiwhich the San Diego Union-Tribune has already editorializ

Is it likely that the state will ever spend this much t“Save the Salton Sea”? The California Audubon Societydoesn’t think so, and is instead supporting a phased approathat would ensure that the less-expensive habitat restorationtakes place first. For more information, visit Audubon’s SaSea web page: http://ca.audubon.org/salton_sea.html.

Black-necked Stilt at the Salton Sea. Photo by Ian Parker,

http://parkerlab.bio.uci.edu/nonscientific_adventures.htm



Number 197 El Paisano

Advocacy

CONSERVA TION CORNERUpdat e s on DP C’s d esert conserv at i on ag enda

b y Ter r y W einer During these dehydrated days of California summer,

our desert rests and experiences a short respite from the intensehuman activity of spring. During this quiet season, we desertovers and advocates have busily engaged in a final flurry of egislative negotiations in Sacramento. As you learned frommy column in the spring issue of El Paisano, the DesertProtective Council is part of a coalition of conservation,property-owner and other citizen groups working to improvehe way our state regulates off-highway vehicles. For the pasteight months, we have been involved in a stakeholder processo craft legislation re-authorizing and reforming the CaliforniaOff-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Program. This program was

created in the 1970s to provide for and manage legitimateoff-highway vehicle recreation opportunities, air quality, ando the quality of life of the Ocotillo Community. This programwas created in the 1970s to provide for and manage legitimateoff-highway vehicle recreation opportunities, while protectinghe land and natural resources as well as the recreational valuesfor traditional users of our public lands. As is increasinglynoted these days in state and national media, the explosion inllegal OHV use has had ugly, growing impacts on our publicand, wildlife and on rural communities. In many places dirt

bikes and ATVs have disrupted or totally displaced traditionaloutdoor recreation. And, in an increasing number of communi-

ies, illegal riding is terrorizing private property owners.Since I last reported, amendments made by the

California Senate to the OHV reauthorization bill, SB 742,have created a fatally flawed piece of legislation which pro-vides millions of dollars for more off-highway vehicle ridingopportunities, but deeply shortchanges law enforcement andestoration when we need them most urgently. It actually re-

duces the amounts of fines for violations! It also curtailsdemocracy and transparency in favor of back-room deals bymoving the majority of State OHV Commission appointmentsfrom the legislature to the governor and by stripping away the

public Commission's ability to approve grants, giving thatpower to State Parks OHV Division bureaucrats. What is cur-ently missing from the legislation: a fair and equitable split of

funds for OHV recreation, restoration, and law enforcement;he requirement for actual license plates on OHVs; steep fines,tarting at $150.00 to discourage outlaw use; and a ban on sub-idies for new OHV routes in our last roadless National Forest

areas. Groups opposing the bill in its present form include theCenter for Sierra Nevada Conservation, Sierra Club, CaliforniaWilderness Coalition, Planning and Conservation League,Defenders of Wildlife, The Wilderness Society, Public

Employees for Environmental Responsibility, Desert

Protective Council, Community ORV Watch, among otherUpon hearing our concerns, Assemblywoman Lois Wolk,Chair of the House Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlif pulled SB 742 off the hearing agenda. When the bill is fina put before her committee for consideration, we will work diligently with the California Assembly to achieve reasona

management of OHVs in California. Hope is still alive. Whthe time comes, the DPC will post an action alert for letterssupport or letters to oppose. Keep checking our DPC websfor updates.

While we work for better OHV legislation at the stlevel, we also need to defend San Bernardino County’ssuccessful OHV ordinance. Spearheaded by Community OWatch and enacted by the county’s Board of Supervisors inAugust, 2006, the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Use Codelimits the number of OHV users who can ride on private laat one time and establishes heavier fines for trespass on priand public land. Now, although law enforcement officials cthe ordinance a resounding success, the OHV lobby has persuaded the Supervisors to consider weakening it at theirmeeting on Tuesday, August 21st. I’ll be there, and hope toour San Bernardino County members there, too. The hearinwill be held at the Board of Supervisors Chambers, 385 NoArrowhead Avenue, San Bernardino, 92415-0181. You canalso write the Supes at the above address, or call them: SupBrad Mitzelfelt (District 1) – (909) 387-4830; Sup. DennisHansberger (District 3) – (909) 387-4833. If you live outsidthe county, simply tell them that you’re a stakeholder in andecision that affects federal wilderness, which this ordinan

does. Tell them you want more protection, not less! For moinfo, go to http://orvwatch.com/ or call Mark Heuston at(760) 367-5206.

In other news, the Desert Protective Council hassubmitted preliminary written comments on a proposal to ba recreational vehicle storage facility, dump station and trucwash in the tiny town of Ocotillo in western Imperial CounThe idea of having a place where folks could stash their hutrailers and OHVs instead of hauling them all the way backforth from San Diego and Orange counties is a good one. Tsite, however, is inappropriate for several reasons: this area

zoned rural residential and a large commercial facility is nocompatible with the Ocotillo/Nomirage Community Plan; water usage and run-off would impact the EPA-designatedsole-source aquifer; air pollution and noise would impact thsmall community with hundreds of vehicles coming and goespecially on weekends; the local secondary roads leading the site are inadequate; and Ocotillo lacks a fire departmenserve the facility. studies, to build a right hand lane into thefacility, to come up with a fire plan and to work to get apprfrom the Regional Water Quality Control Board. After completion of these and other steps, the project will go befthe County Planning Commission.



Conservation Corner (cont.)

Representatives of a company called Wind Zero met inune with the Ocotillo community in order to

describe a project they would like to build on 1,000 acreshey own just east of town. They would like to establish

a “training facility” for government (military), law

enforcement and civilians. They would like toncorporate a driving track for emergency andecreational vehicles, a 1,000-yard shooting range, an

airstrip, military/law enforcement “shoot houses,” aonference center, dining and lodging for up to 100

people, an RV park and campground. Once again, theproject site is zoned rural residential and clashes with theommunity plan. About 80 citizens attended the June

23rd meeting and most folks were opposed to this plan,expressing deep concern about the implications of private corporations providing training for our military.The Desert Protective Council opposes this project. It

would be devastating to the cultural sites that existwithin the project boundaries, to desert natural resources,o air quality, and to the quality of life of the Ocotillo

Community.

DESER T NOTESBri ef news it ems f r om around t he deserts…

Thanks to a large grant from the DPC to the SierraClub Foundation, the Sierra Club has hired Micah Mitroskyas the new full-time campaign organizer for the SmartEnergy Solutions campaign, which promotes reliable and

ost-effective alternatives to the proposed Sunrise Powerlink hrough Imperial and San Diego counties. Micah joins the

Sierra Club with over five years experience in marketing andommunications. She completed her undergraduate degree in

Biology at Duke University, and is on the verge of a Master’sdegree in Sociology at San Diego State University. Micah isan avid outdoors person, and enjoys surfing, hiking, andbackcountry camping when she is not working to protectpublic wilderness areas. Her activities will focus onnfluencing key decision makers, organizing communityeaders against this project and building awareness and

visibility for smart energy alternatives to the Sunrise Power-ink. Micah can be contacted at the Sierra Club office on RayStreet at 619-299-1797 or via email at [email protected]. … Introducing the Comite Civico del

Valle, Inc. (CCV): This rather new non-profit grassrootsorganization in Imperial County, founded on the principle of ommunity empowerment, is dedicated to serving the needs

of Imperial County residents and underserved populations byncreasing awareness and promoting action around outdoor

air quality and environmental health in the Imperial Valley.To this end, CCV spent a year organizing and conducting auccessful June 2nd Environmental Health Grassroots Lead-

ership Summit aimed at building capacity for environmental

health leadership in thcross-border region. Aresult of the summit, agroup of Heber residehas already started

organizing themselvesagainst a proposed zonchange that would allocompany to compostmanure in the Heber aFor more informationLuis Olmedo at (760)679-6983. … Anza-Borego Desert State Park just conducted its Ann4th of July Bighorn ShCount, relying on the

of 49 dedicated volunteers willing to brave 113-degreetemperatures. With a strong total number of 259 sheep, anrecord number of 76 at Rattlesnake Spring, the overallnumbers are encouraging. Scientists are concerned, howeabout the weak lamb numbers in Palm and Tubb Canyonwhich could be related to a respiratory illness reported fosome sheep in the past year. Park biologists will monitor these areas closely over the coming months.

IN MEMORIA M JA MES E. HA RMON (1919-2007)In our modern age of hyperbole and empty superl

tives, Jim Harmon was genuinely an extraordinary man. Hlived through the Great Depression and served his countrythe armed forces during three major wars, including severtitanic sea battles against the Japanese in the Pacific. Hewitnessed the full horror of modern warfare, experiences taffected him deeply. Moreover, he went the unusual routerising from the enlisted ranks to reach officer status in the

Navy, from which he retired after twenty years of devotedservice.

Jim earned a Ph.D. in Political Science and joinedfaculty of San Diego State University, where he became a

beloved and sometimes controversial figure. At a time whteaching at SDSU’s Calexico campus was considered theequivalent sent to a gulag in Siberia,this amazing individuactually requested an assignment to the fledgling desertcampus and rose to become chair of his department. Jim’slove affair with desert lands and wilderness manifested itsin his unique domed Navajo-style home in the low desert Imperial County, a dwelling he designed and built largely his own hands over a period of years. It was such a creativendeavor that the house was a featured cover article in amajor magazine of the period. Always an avid desert

Page 4 El Paisano Number 1

Micah Mitrosky, new organizer for the

Smart Energy Solutions Campaign.

Photo by Joseph Zechman



DESERT PROTECTIVE COUNCIL NEW AND RENEWALMEMBERSHIP FORM

Enclosed is my remittance of $[ ] New Membership [ ] Gift Membership [ ] Renewal

NameAddressCity, State, ZipPhoneEmailPlease make checks payable to: DPCMail to P.O. Box 3635, San Diego, CA 92163-1635

MEMBERSHIP LEVELS (please check)[ ] Life $300.00 one time

[ ] Sustaining Membership $50.00 annually[ ] Regular Membership $25.00 annually[ ] Joint Membership $35.00 annually[ ] Senior/Student/Retired $15.00 annually[ ] Additional Gift of $

Have you remembered DPC in your estate planning?

If you would like to receive this newsletter electronically pleasesend an e-mail message stating “ subscribe electronically” to:[email protected]. Rather than a printed copy, you willreceive e-mail notification that the newsletter has been postedto the website. EP1

Number 197 El Paisano

SAVE THE DATES!COME AND JOIN OLD AND NEW FRIENDS AT DPCʼS53rd ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING IN OCTOBER

Plans are taking shape for DPCʼs annual meeting this Octo-ber in Borrego Springs. We hope you l̓l be able to join us!

Dates: October 20 & 21, 2007

Place: Palm Canyon Campground, Anza-Borrego DesertState Park

Speakers: • Mark Jorgensen, Superintendent ofAnza-Borrego, on the 75th anniversary of the Park

• Diana Lindsay, desert historian, publisher, and ABFʼs VP forEnvironmental Affairs, on the 40thAnniversary of the Anza-Borrego Foundation

As usual weʼll be taking your nominations for new Boardmembers, telling stories around the campfire Saturdayevening, and we l̓l have time to explore the park.

botanist, Jim systematically collected the seeds of aridplants and trees from all over the world and created abotanical paradise around his home, propagating andcross-breeding many desert species in his outdoor green-house.

Jim Harmon was nearly 70 years old when I firstmet him, yet he was such a vigorous man that he routinelyworked outside all day in desert heat and frequently took all-day hikes in the nearby Jacumba Wilderness during thefirst ten years I knew him. Long before that time Jim hadmet the love of his life and, characteristically, defiedconvention by marrying a woman a full generationyounger than himself – his beloved wife Edie, with whomhe shared nearly every day of the last 28 years of his life.

Together they made a formidable desertconservation team that aggressively fought the manyll-advised development schemes proposed in Imperial

County over a period of decades. Jim became a lay expert

on groundwater issues and later supported Edie in her many conservation battles on behalf of the desert throughhe Sierra Club and the Desert Protective Council.

In his final years, Jim faced declining health andmany ailments with courage and stoicism. The impacts hemade on desert conservation, and the beautiful place hecreated, will not soon be forgotten by his many friends,colleagues and students. The world is a poorer placewithout him.

Donations in honor of James E. Harmon may be

made to: Western Mining Action Project, P.O. Box 349,Lyons, CO 80540; or Earth Justice, Attn.: Maggie Fleming,426 17th St., Oakland, CA 94612.

KEEP YOUR MEMBERSHIP IN DPC CURREN

Membership in the Desert Protective Council is based on January 1 to December 31 term of membership. If you arelife member you do not need to renew. However, we arealways receptive to gifts to keep our projects going. Manyour members, life and regular, are most generous, and youdonations help ensure that DPC remains a strong voice foconservation in all of our deserts.

Much of our current activity is based on projects iImperial County, as required by the settlement of theMesquite Mine lawsuit. Since we engage in many other projects and issues outside of Imperial County, we keepnonrestricted donations in a separate account for use in mogeneral desert issues.

DESER T PRO TEC T IV E COUNCIL - W HO W E A RE

Nick Ervin, President

Geoffrey Smith, Vice President and Secretary

Larry Klaasen, Treasurer

Byron Anderson, Fifth Officer

Terry Weiner, Imperial Projects & Conservation Coordin

Shirley Harshenin, Webmistress www.nutheadproductions.c

Larry Hogue, Communications Consultant

el paisano summer 2007 #197

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