tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53119297046975227692024-03-13T23:53:52.381-07:00Mojave Desert BlogAdvocating for the Preservation of Desert WildlandsShaun G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17039896758011526968noreply@blogger.comBlogger751125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311929704697522769.post-81572618820905858122020-04-19T18:17:00.000-07:002020-04-21T06:25:21.941-07:00Mowing Vegetation as Mitigation: Trump Administration Practice Goes UnchallengedThe Trump administration is again touting the practice of mowing thousands of acres of desert vegetation as environmentally-responsible, despite a preponderance of evidence to the contrary. The draft environmental review of the <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/planAndProjectSite.do?methodName=renderDefaultPlanOrProjectSite&projectId=81665#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Yellow Pine Solar </a>project in southern Nevada claims that vegetation mowing - as opposed to bulldozing - will yield positive outcomes that are highly doubtful. This positive framing of the construction practice misleads the public and decisionmakers and ignores decades of scientific research regarding the impacts of mechanized disturbance on desert wildlands. According to the draft environmental review:<br />
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<span style="background-color: #fce5cd;">"Mowing is becoming the standard on large site-type ROWs to prevent permanent impairment of public lands (as mandated by FLPMA) and in lieu of off-site mitigation...</span><span style="background-color: #fce5cd;">Mowing methods are designed to help preserve soils, biological soil crusts, soil seed banks, native perennial vegetation diversity and structure, and cacti and yucca species, and to resist weed invasions, dust, and erosion. " </span><i style="background-color: #fce5cd;">- Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Yellow Pine Solar project in Nevada, page 2-12</i></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguG3SRp1eWppA12MIrZRUkctNI3X6qIt4H12am4iSqUVcVsmgjkgUHDWuNT9j5v-rVfOO_oXPTc0U9V2pPTSA0rbvs7PUswqaPR-8qQ2FJjFuBg5lXLJxs8qBE7xpaurS8DA1Vdtwi9JaT/s1600/SVG_5982.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguG3SRp1eWppA12MIrZRUkctNI3X6qIt4H12am4iSqUVcVsmgjkgUHDWuNT9j5v-rVfOO_oXPTc0U9V2pPTSA0rbvs7PUswqaPR-8qQ2FJjFuBg5lXLJxs8qBE7xpaurS8DA1Vdtwi9JaT/s400/SVG_5982.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Yellow Pine Solar project would be built on nearly 5 square miles of desert wildlands between the Nopah and Spring Mountain ranges. </td></tr>
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Describing vegetation mowing as a replacement for "off-site mitigation" (or protecting habitat elsewhere) sets a dangerous precedent in policy, and also in messaging. The construction practice will still result in extensive crushed vegetation, compacted soils, and a drastically undermined ecosystem. Is it better than bulldozing? Yes, in the same way that getting shot in the leg is better than getting shot in the face. It is much better to just avoid it, and install solar on already-disturbed lands and on rooftops.<br />
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The video below shows mowing of vegetation during construction of BrightSource Energy's hybrid natural gas/solar power tower facility in California. And this precedes additional disturbance caused by other vehicles used to dig trenches, clear access roads, and install posts and solar panels.<br />
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Before issuing the Yellow Pine Solar analysis, Trump's Interior Department in November issued the final environmental review for the 11 square mile <a href="http://www.mojavedesertblog.com/2019/11/unlikely-allies-trump-administration.html" rel="" target="_blank">Gemini Solar</a> project, also in southern Nevada. In that document, Interior dubiously claims that desert tortoises - listed as a threatened species and whose population continues to <a href="https://www.publicnewsservice.org/2020-03-25/endangered-species-and-wildlife/groups-warn-ca-desert-tortoise-on-path-to-extinction/a69674-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">spiral downward</a> - will be able to inhabit that solar site even after vegetation is mowed and soils are compacted by tractors. Interior plans to reintroduce up to 183 desert tortoises to the Gemini Solar site once construction is complete. The plan is clearly arbitrary and capricious because the same final environmental analysis also acknowledged that whether or not the reintroduction will succeed is "unknown." <br />
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<span style="background-color: #fce5cd;">"This vegetation is expected to rebound within a few years of construction, based on evidence from other Mojave Desert solar facilities where vegetation was crushed and allowed to regrow. General wildlife species that can fly over, fit through, climb over, or crawl or burrow under the security fencing are expected to continue to inhabit the solar facility, both during construction and O&M." </span><span style="background-color: #fce5cd;"> <i>-Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Gemini Solar project, page 3-69</i></span></blockquote>
<b>The bulk of scientific study indicates that mechanized disturbance of desert soils can have cascading impacts on vegetation and the animals that depend on that vegetation, including the desert tortoise. </b> Mowing vegetation across a solar site will require multiple passes by heavy equipment, in addition to the heavy equipment needed to construct access roads, dig trenches, and instal thousands of posts and solar panels. These vehicle passes will not only crush vegetation, but also compact the soils. <a href="https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2007/1353/report.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Studies </a>of off-highway vehicle (OHV) activity on Mojave Desert ecosystems conclude that:<br />
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<span style="background-color: #fce5cd;">“Important effects of OHV activities on soils and watershed function include soil compaction, diminished water infiltration, diminished presence and impaired function of soil stabilizers (biotic and abiotic crusts, desert pavement), and accelerated erosion rates. Compacted soil inhibits infiltration of precipitation. In turn, soil moisture available to vegetation is diminished, volumes and velocities of precipitation runoff increase, and soil erosion accelerates, leading to the formation of gullies and other surface changes. Additionally, soil compaction may inhibit root growth among plants, in which case organic matter, litter, soil fertility, and vegetative cover are diminished, further exacerbating the soil’s susceptibility to erosion.” <i>- Environmental Effects of Off-Highway Vehicles on Bureau of Land Management Lands: A Literature Synthesis, Annotated Bibliographies, Extensive Bibliographies, and Internet Resources, US Geological Survey</i></span></blockquote>
The Yellow Pine Solar project, if approved, will result in the removal of wildlands hosting a diverse array of plant and animal species. During surveys of the site, biologists observed dozens of desert tortoises and several burrowing owls. Raptors were noted foraging over the site, to include golden eagle and red-tailed hawk. Lesser nighthawk, loggerhead shrike, barn swallows, horned lark, and sagebrush sparrows were among the many other bird species observed. Botanical surveys encountered instances of Fremont's phacelia, chicory, beavertail cactus, California poppy, wolfberry and desert almond, in addition to the abundance of Mojave yucca and creosote. All of this will be cleared and crushed to make way for solar panels that, with the right policies in place, can be installed on already-disturbed lands or on rooftops. <br />
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If you wish to send public comments on this project to the BLM by the May 4 deadline, please visit this <a href="https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Oppose-the-Yellow-Pine-Solar-Project.html?soid=1130207326880&aid=OpPlbK1CVnk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Basin & Range Watch </a>info page. At the bottom you will find suggestions on what to include you in your comments. Comments can be e-mailed to: blm_nv_sndo_yellowpine@blm.gov <br /></div>
Shaun G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15851941188361133949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311929704697522769.post-3141487043192037562020-04-13T12:44:00.001-07:002020-04-14T10:01:35.033-07:00 Steering Economic Stimulus Toward Sustainability: A Case for Distributed Generation As lawmakers debate stimulus programs to bolster an economy that has sunk in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, there are<a href="https://www.powermag.com/renewable-energy-advocates-decry-lack-of-help-in-stimulus-bill/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> calls</a> for incentives and grants for renewable energy companies. What can we learn from the last major renewable energy stimulus, and <i>how can we pursue a bold and progressive program that supports people more than corporations</i>, <i>and protects wildlands more than rich investors?</i> <br />
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As the Los Angeles Times <a href="https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2020-04-10/congress-billion-clean-energy-coronavirus-crisis" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">points out</a>, the last major stimulus aimed at the renewable energy industry occurred under the Obama administration. Investors and corporations benefited the most from this approach. Some of those grants and incentives spurred research and development, and others supported "steel in the ground," such as large-scale solar projects on public lands in the desert. Those large projects created mostly temporary jobs, and often resulted in unnecessary destruction of key wildlands. For example, the <a href="http://www.mojavedesertblog.com/2014/06/brightsource-underperforming-adds.html" target="_blank">natural gas-burning Ivanpah Solar project</a> in California received a $539 million grant so they could bulldoze prime desert tortoise habitat and install solar power towers that kill birds and insects. And as for jobs, it was built over an hour drive away from the nearest city. Not quite the ideal community investment.<br />
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We can choose a different path, now. Technology available today can enable a much more sustainable program that can benefit our climate and our communities, while sparing our wildlands.<br />
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<span style="color: #073763;">Investing in Distributed Generation and Storage = Investing in Communities</span></h3>
Any new stimulus aimed at boosting renewable energy should focus on distributed generation and storage in low-income communities. As the economy lags, it will be low-income communities that struggle the most not the CEOs of renewable energy companies. Programs are already in place in the US and other countries that serve as a model for how we can focus on bringing these technologies to low-income communities, resulting in reduced energy bills for those that need the relief, and new jobs in our neighborhoods. <br />
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In California, the Disadvantaged Communities – Single-family Solar Homes (<a href="https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2019/09/california-disadvantaged-low-income-solar-program/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">DAC-SASH</a>) program supports the installation of <b>rooftop solar </b>where the financial relief of lower utility bills can help the most. This benefit - reduced electricity bills - is enduring. So the investment in clean energy provides long-term aid to families in need. It also provides job training right in the communities most affected by economic downturn. Programs like these should be implemented and expanded across the country. <a href="https://www.renewableenergyworld.com/2017/01/20/listen-up-rooftop-solar-potential-in-the-us/#gref" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Studies </a>have shown that the US has the potential to meet a significant portion of our electricity demand through rooftop solar.<br />
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If you do not own the home that you live in, this can usually constrain whether or not you can install solar panels. But incentives could be extended to that allow renters to subscribe to <b>community solar </b>programs. An ideal community solar installation is a small or mid-size project in a city or on already-disturbed lands. Local community members subscribe to a "share" in the project and receive an offset in their utility bill. In the District of Columbia, a <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90344023/community-solar-is-an-excellent-way-to-create-energy-equity-if-its-done-right" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">community solar project developer</a> has found a way to ensure access for disadvantaged communities to these clean energy sources. Federal stimulus could steer grants and incentives to projects such as these, ensuring local development and local benefits.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let's replace old, inefficient water heaters with smart systems.</td></tr>
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In Hawaii, a US company will install thousands of "<a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/10/01/1923461/0/en/Shifted-Energy-to-Equip-2-400-Water-Heaters-in-Hawaii-with-Grid-Interactive-Technology-to-Create-Virtual-Power-Plant.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">grid-interactive water heaters</a>," including across low-income communities, to provide the utility with a demand response mechanism and thermal energy storage solution. Imagine a large-scale Federal stimulus program to replace aging and inefficient, gas-powered water heaters in low-income communities, and providing more <b>efficient </b>systems that can enable our grid's transition to 100% renewable energy.<br />
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In Australia, another US-based company has piloted a "<a href="https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a31977069/tesla-virtual-power-plant/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">virtual power plant</a>" that networks over 1,000 rooftop solar installations across low-income households. The low-income families have seen up to 20% reductions in electricity bills, while the we all benefit from clean energy. Because these systems are networked, they also bring more resilience and stability to the grid. And as for sustainability, virtual power plants can save real wildlands. No bulldozers scraping the desert, and no emissions fouling our atmosphere.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1pBON5Ny7rBZbtIZAZdvp6AnW6rOCOCCkDNE1H9bLDzF9WM_FK7BSNBLyKeyYGUgvt4m0qNqFpKWTPo2IBIO-8dMx2FKbQvAs5PBuz-x7hwc03cBsUyHi3SjFJ55o-0iRs3tnULhyYsK/s1600/Rooftop+Solar+Install+CA.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1pBON5Ny7rBZbtIZAZdvp6AnW6rOCOCCkDNE1H9bLDzF9WM_FK7BSNBLyKeyYGUgvt4m0qNqFpKWTPo2IBIO-8dMx2FKbQvAs5PBuz-x7hwc03cBsUyHi3SjFJ55o-0iRs3tnULhyYsK/s320/Rooftop+Solar+Install+CA.jpeg" width="320" /></a>There is another reason distributed generation and virtual power plants should be a primary focus of our economic stimulus. US companies lead the world in developing these technologies. Encouraging <i>and</i> leading this paradigm shift can bring economic promise and global sustainability. There is a vast network of US-based technology firms, manufacturers and installers that can benefit from a ground-up policy approach that starts in our low-income communities. Virtual power plant technology is also not simply limited to batteries and solar panels. It includes a range of other implementations - some are camera-ready and others are more cutting edge. From the smart water heaters and thermostats, to using electric vehicles as distributed energy storage and dispatch devices. There is potential for economic benefits across a range of sectors.<br />
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<span style="color: #073763;">Mobilize Urban Spaces for Clean Energy</span></h3>
Local municipalities and counties will be struggling as their tax base takes a hit in this economic downturn. Just as distributed generation can provide an enduring economic benefit to individuals, it can do the same for local governments and civic organizations. Reducing utility bills for our schools, churches, fire and police departments would be a benefit for local ledgers and for the climate. Every school parking lot, civic center rooftop, and bus depot should be a new solar host. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX1hIgFEljmDt-MyegCbsWzVj3TmTmlSfTKdIzex8ETQxQ3b1SabHbNu3vJnme-SHRRjn19Ai9s1zuPse_E7g13auWzJjFjJwyeHJtP8RNSwK1VR2wlfIIxfqXg_7JD01e8z6BhW72b9UB/s1600/parking+lot+solar.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX1hIgFEljmDt-MyegCbsWzVj3TmTmlSfTKdIzex8ETQxQ3b1SabHbNu3vJnme-SHRRjn19Ai9s1zuPse_E7g13auWzJjFjJwyeHJtP8RNSwK1VR2wlfIIxfqXg_7JD01e8z6BhW72b9UB/s320/parking+lot+solar.jpeg" width="320" /></a>Federal stimulus could boost this sustainable "sweet spot" in solar energy deployment by providing energy grants to municipalities. This would ensure that we continue to rapidly deploy clean energy in spaces that do not involve the sacrifice of wildlands. A parking lot not covered by a solar canopy should be as problematic as not washing hands or wearing a face mask during a pandemic. We face a climate and extinction crisis, and the simplest and wisest response is to rapidly deploy clean energy and energy efficiency solutions in our cities.<br />
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As we continue to battle the immediate threat of the coronavirus pandemic and seek ways to support communities in need, we should look at renewable energy stimulus as not just another corporate bailout, but an opportunity to shift the paradigm. Distributed generation technologies provide us with an opportunity to do so in a way that empowers disadvantaged communities, reduces harmful emissions, and saves desert wildlands.Shaun G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15851941188361133949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311929704697522769.post-59728005881511250172019-11-17T11:43:00.001-08:002019-11-18T16:28:24.867-08:00Unlikely Allies: Trump Administration Joins Enviros to Plan Solar Project on Prime Tortoise Habitat<b>The Trump Administration this month released an assessment that concludes that a solar developer can crush and mow vegetation across several square miles of prime desert tortoise habitat, and still consider those lands as viable habitat for the species. </b> The silence of some national-level environmental groups regarding the unconventional and unscientific conclusion appears to signal their comfort taking risks with a species already facing significant peril, as well as these groups' inability to champion more sustainable locations to generate clean energy in Nevada. <br />
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The <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/434719604/Biological-Opinion-on-Gemini-Solar-Project" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">biological opinion</a> released by the Trump Administration constitutes the official position of the Fish and Wildlife Service regarding the impacts of the proposed Gemini Solar project; its curious willingness to declare heavily disturbed lands as viable tortoise habitat was necessary for the project's approval because the project would be built on lands that have been identified as a vital habitat linkage sustaining the species.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKm1mPdprx7KCszsS0n0T8ZdAASHvmi65A4lEubwzMfP9zSjhI0NMxcWoYvMCPMggUoqjwkqUedSSmqYxhu-iDxukB0kCuHEQE3CTMFQzCRVIEiCJVc_-7Qunyoh_UxAa6TRS5EY_D295y/s1600/DSCN8920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKm1mPdprx7KCszsS0n0T8ZdAASHvmi65A4lEubwzMfP9zSjhI0NMxcWoYvMCPMggUoqjwkqUedSSmqYxhu-iDxukB0kCuHEQE3CTMFQzCRVIEiCJVc_-7Qunyoh_UxAa6TRS5EY_D295y/s320/DSCN8920.jpg" width="320" /></a>The Trump Administration's pending approval of the <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/planAndProjectSite.do?methodName=dispatchToPatternPage&currentPageId=149503" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gemini Solar</a> project will substantially expand the type of activity considered acceptable on desert tortoise habitat, contradict factors considered in the tortoises' original endangered species <a href="https://ecos.fws.gov/docs/federal_register/fr1673.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">listing</a>, and ignore previous scientific findings. All at a time when multiple studies indicate that the desert tortoise continues to experience <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/434884748/DoW-DTC-FWS-Letter-on-Increasing-Recovery-Actions-for-DT-3-20-2019" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">sharp population declines </a>and may be headed toward extinction.<br />
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The Gemini Solar project would cover nearly 11 square miles of desert tortoise habitat that the Fish and Wildlife Service previously identified as a <a href="http://solareis.anl.gov/maps/alternatives/index.cfm#dt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">high priority</a> for conservation efforts. According to the biological opinion, the Department of Interior expects that at least 270 adult and sub-adult tortoises will be displaced from their habitat, and hundreds of juvenile tortoises - which are too small to detect - will be killed during construction. The project is expected to result in a pinch point that will constrain genetic exchange across its range and further undermine the species' long-term resilience.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #073763;">An Unlikely Alliance</span></b></h3>
<b>The Gemini Solar project is benefiting from a Trump Administration <a href="https://e360.yale.edu/features/open-for-business-the-trump-revolution-on-public-lands" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">approach to public lands</a> that tosses aside science-based findings and landscape-level planning in favor of rampant development. </b>The Gemini Solar project has exposed a double standard among some environmental groups that appear content to let scientific standards slide for the sake of renewable energy, although they continue to challenge the same faults in how the Department of Interior approves fossil fuel development or off-road vehicle activity.<br />
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Specifically, environmental groups like the Center for Biological Diversity and Sierra Club have argued in court that <a href="https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2019/desert-tortoise-and-orvs-04-16-2019.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">off-road vehicle activity</a> in desert wildlands degrades the quality of the habitat for desert tortoises. They have argued that when vehicles crush vegetation, compact the soil and introduce non-native plant species, the tortoise loses. But these groups have been silent on the Gemini Solar proposal and its portrayal of mowing and crushing vegetation as tortoise-friendly. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwDSztS6dRn3a2koCU3ffkaCsH9rrbNc0mz9NSeE6SzfiPgBjv4oT-vyTlbCbVDxnyiJ6GzQAXY7MDMYV9FKvDk0clmr7VjZbj5h1AD4ceMnJqZQLFzL83nyz_3Ddlj0zCj4riqM9a00KX/s1600/three_corner_milkvetch_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="700" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwDSztS6dRn3a2koCU3ffkaCsH9rrbNc0mz9NSeE6SzfiPgBjv4oT-vyTlbCbVDxnyiJ6GzQAXY7MDMYV9FKvDk0clmr7VjZbj5h1AD4ceMnJqZQLFzL83nyz_3Ddlj0zCj4riqM9a00KX/s400/three_corner_milkvetch_01.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Threecorner milkvetch. Photo by Dianne Bangle</td></tr>
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Similarly, the project is expected to significantly impact the state-listed <a href="http://heritage.nv.gov/taxon_detail/16691" target="_blank">threecorner milkvetch</a>. This plant is considered critically endangered by the State of Nevada, and the Department of Interior acknowledged in its environmental assessment that the Gemini Solar project would destroy or disturb 25% of the plant's remaining habitat on public lands. According to the Department of Interior report, "[m]itigating for threecorner milkvetch habitat loss is no longer possible. Habitat conservation is the method needed to ensure the long-term survival of this species. Threecorner milkvetch is currently state-listed as critically endangered." Elsewhere in southern Nevada, environmental groups are purposefully seeking protections for <a href="https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2019/clark-county-flowers-03-08-2019.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">rare plants</a> as a way to stymie urban sprawl, mining, and fossil fuel development. But national-level groups have not spoken up about the potential for the threecorner milkvetch to lose a quarter of its habitat.<br />
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It is not clear if the silent environmental groups stand to gain monetarily from their acquiescence to the Gemini Solar developers. The project will also impact historic and cultural resources on public lands, and the solar developer has sought to purchase the silence of other groups. The <a href="https://oldspanishtrail.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Old Spanish Trail Association</a> reportedly accepted a donation of 1.4 million dollars from the Gemini developers. It is not uncommon for potential opponents to receive payments in quid pro quo for not challenging the project in court. One of the anticipated impacts of the Gemini project is that it will disturb or destroy a high potential route segment of the Old Spanish Trail National Historic Trail, a Congressionally designated trail of historic significance. The silence of the Old Spanish Trail Association would be valuable to the Gemini developers. <br />
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On the other hand, the National Parks Conservation Association submitted a <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/435305684/Gemini-Solar-Comments-From-NPCA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">letter of concern </a>regarding the impacts of the project, citing the harm the project will cause to the desert tortoise, the Old Spanish Trail, and Salt Song trail. According to the NPCA:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: #fce5cd;">"The technology proposed for generating and storing power at Gemini, photovoltaic panels and battery storage, can be deployed in alternative locations with far less habitat value, such as urban spaces developed on lands disposed by the BLM under the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act of 1998."</span></blockquote>
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Similarly, <a href="https://www.basinandrangewatch.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Basin and Range Watch</a> has vocally opposed building the project on a location of critical importance to the desert tortoise, as well as the endangered three corner milkvetch. They have routinely raised concerns about the project to reporters seeking comment on the Gemini project, and have learned that national-level environmental groups simply declined to give comments to the same reporters when asked.<br />
<h3>
<b><span style="color: #073763;">Endangered Species Take a Back Seat </span></b></h3>
<div>
A recent study (<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327540133_Population_trends_in_Mojave_desert_tortoises_Gopherus_agassizii" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Allison and McLuckie</a>, 2018) found that severe and ongoing decline in desert tortoise populations in four of five critical habitat units demonstrate the species is headed to extinction, which may be attributed to insufficient implementation of recovery actions, slow response to implemented actions intended to increase populations or restore habitat, or insufficient mitigation of ongoing and new impacts resulting from human activities and land uses. The Desert Tortoise Council and Defenders of Wildlife <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/434884748/DoW-DTC-FWS-Letter-on-Increasing-Recovery-Actions-for-DT-3-20-2019" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">submitted a letter</a> to FWS earlier this year raising alarm about the preponderance of evidence that the tortoise is in dire trouble.<br />
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So it is even more appalling that the Trump Administration would not only approve an 11 square mile solar project on important desert tortoise habitat, but that the approval would also lower the standards for development across the species' range. When the Department of Interior established Solar Energy Zones in 2012, it also identified lands considered to be high priority for conservation efforts because they served as important habitat linkages for the desert tortoise. Protecting these lands would help ensure the resilience of the desert tortoise and allow for genetic exchange. The Gemini Solar project will essentially form a fence across one of these linkages and substantially impede habitat connectivity in the region, as seen in the map below.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWt2NQN2D7TNPNH2FB4Ryty8KMnRStihv5qbw45QotMkpnzd1IyDaDHaVczqvugEK-7JRJ5mXSnxJHSZVKMEbjrxvMh12F2iDGY8FeDM61T5_6pHncHB4ixmKy69fR4Vsx_qU_wV1WHPy9/s1600/Gemini+Solar+DT+linkages+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWt2NQN2D7TNPNH2FB4Ryty8KMnRStihv5qbw45QotMkpnzd1IyDaDHaVczqvugEK-7JRJ5mXSnxJHSZVKMEbjrxvMh12F2iDGY8FeDM61T5_6pHncHB4ixmKy69fR4Vsx_qU_wV1WHPy9/s640/Gemini+Solar+DT+linkages+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A map shows the Gemini Solar project site (outlined in red), FWS-identified desert tortoise priority 1 linkage habitat (yellow shading), and priority 2 linkage habitat (orange shading). As measured from the boundary of the mowed project site, there would be less than a mile of viable habitat remaining to provide connectivity for the desert tortoise.</td></tr>
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<br />
The biological opinion claims that the pinch point is wider than a mile because it counts part of the solar project site as viable desert tortoise habitat. This is fuzzy math that assumes that tortoises will thrive on lands that have been traversed by heavy construction equipment, and where plants will be mowed and soils compacted. This assessment sharply contradicts the original Fish and Wildlife Service <a href="https://ecos.fws.gov/docs/federal_register/fr1673.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">listing</a> of the desert tortoise as endangered, which had this to say about vehicle impacts on the quality of tortoise habitat decades ago:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: #fce5cd;">"...studies demonstrate that operation of off-highway vehicles has a negative effect on reptiles, mammals, and birds in creosote shrub and desert wash habitats. Impacts include loss of the vegetation required by tortoises for forage and cover, collapse of tortoise burrows, soil compaction which reduces surface water penetration and seed germination, and crushing tortoises. Quantifiable reductions in tortoise numbers have been documented through field research (NERC 1990). Several decades may be needed for these disturbed areas to recover."</span></blockquote>
The solar developers plan to use a vehicle like the one below to mow down all plants on the project site to as low as 18 inches. Heavy equipment will then be used to dig trenches, access roads, and install mounting poles for solar panels. Yet, the biological opinion somehow determines that the habitat qualities that tortoises require will be maintained. According to the biological opinion for the Gemini Solar project:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: #fce5cd;">"Mowed areas are those where the vegetation and soils/substrates will be maintained, albeit somewhat altered, during Project construction and operation by using methods such as mowing shrubs to 18 to 24 inches in height and using low-impact vehicles to minimize vegetation crushing. "</span></blockquote>
So you can drive a tractor like the one pictured below across several square miles of important tortoise habitat, mow and crush vegetation, and the Trump Administration will consider that habitat to be well "maintained."<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYmcc6PwzBuRhT3ji3J4JCTOGoN5OzTkTBncnW0VOZgCeya7XwR6WZ4ARGrKERgjHWAWUKNdRpUeK53-dK_5gZkjsGXzafPNkXdioa5q5KuixNnXxwHrpVS6CDrLB89amejcuwcYevgjFQ/s1600/IMG_2298.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1195" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYmcc6PwzBuRhT3ji3J4JCTOGoN5OzTkTBncnW0VOZgCeya7XwR6WZ4ARGrKERgjHWAWUKNdRpUeK53-dK_5gZkjsGXzafPNkXdioa5q5KuixNnXxwHrpVS6CDrLB89amejcuwcYevgjFQ/s640/IMG_2298.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the type of mulching equipment that would be used to mow vegetation across much of the project site. The biological assessment describes this as a "low impact vehicle."</td></tr>
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The mulching equipment like the one above exerts similar, if not greater ground pressure than the OHV vehicles that have been prohibited from riding off designated roads in tortoise habitat (prohibited for good reason). According to the Gemini Solar project environmental assessment, “a flail-type mower mounted on skids that are mounted on a low-ground pressure tractor, approximately 5 to 6 pounds per square inch (psi) (34 to 41 kilopascals), is an example of” the type of equipment that would be used for mowing. However, <a href="http://www.dtmsgroup.co.uk/ground_pressure" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">available information</a> indicates that the average wheeled OHV exerts 2 psi (13.8kpa) of ground pressure; less than the pressure of the equipment proposed for construction of the Gemini Solar project. So the biological opinion essentially erodes years of scientific study concluding that soil compaction and vegetation crushing by vehicles and other human disturbance negatively impacts the desert tortoise.<br />
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<h3>
<span style="color: #073763;">Cutting Fossil Fuels, Not Our Wildlands</span></h3>
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<b>There is no doubt that we need to rapidly expand our generation of clean energy and eliminate fossil fuel emissions. This is a moral imperative to solve a problem that we brought about. But we do not need to continue to sacrifice wildlife and wildlands to fix this problem. </b>We have the technology to generate clean energy in our cities and on already-disturbed lands. The Gemini Solar project is not a bold step toward clean energy but a demonstration of how low we have set our standards. Bold action means demanding a clean energy transition that puts sustainability of the natural world over the sustainability of investors' profits. Bold action means transforming our electrical grid into one that future generations can take pride in, and not regret.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG2HzaFxtkYjSB_OuwWjcabdlxfg1rzFu9AEEbgLPpVVw5NwG4OF2IndaSR-BUx0lxhbgEbwveE2l2kWS6EYeF-w7h4rxiDWBZvzfhJbNF4ybi0QQlGUq5TUx3uYvbYZCdrdBzNI_HAt38/s1600/100302-F-2428H-102.JPG.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="557" data-original-width="780" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG2HzaFxtkYjSB_OuwWjcabdlxfg1rzFu9AEEbgLPpVVw5NwG4OF2IndaSR-BUx0lxhbgEbwveE2l2kWS6EYeF-w7h4rxiDWBZvzfhJbNF4ybi0QQlGUq5TUx3uYvbYZCdrdBzNI_HAt38/s320/100302-F-2428H-102.JPG.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: USAF/Lou Hernandez</td></tr>
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Technology at our disposal today can <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90378717/this-virtual-power-plant-made-of-solar-and-batteries-means-oakland-can-stop-burning-jet-fuel" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">network thousands of distributed energy resources</a> and energy efficiency gains to offset the need for new centralized power plant construction. Studies have also identified hundreds of square miles of places in our country like <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/big-valley/article234189497.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">retired farmlands</a> and mine sites that could serve as locations for utility-scale renewable energy projects. There is absolutely no reason why the Gemini Solar project has to be built in a location that has such significant impacts on wildlife.<br />
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The desert tortoise and other wildlife should not face double jeopardy for mistakes we humans have made. We deprive them of habitat, alter the climate, and then destroy more of their habitat to fix what we did to the climate. But climate change is not the only cause of extinction. Activist Greta Thunberg often recognizes more than one crisis in her speeches and statements. “We are now facing an existential crisis, the climate crisis, and ecological crisis, which have never been treated as crises before,” <a href="https://www.teenvogue.com/story/greta-thunberg-speech-extinction-rebellion-climate-demonstration" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">she remarked in a speech </a>earlier this year. "They have been ignored for decades, and for way too long, the politicians and the people in power have gotten away with not doing anything at all to fight the climate crisis and the ecological crisis. We will make sure that politicians will not get away with it for any longer.”<br />
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Ms. Thunberg is right to call them out as distinct but related crises. The <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jul/10/earths-sixth-mass-extinction-event-already-underway-scientists-warn" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">sixth mass extinction</a> began long before parts per million of CO2 began to significantly alter weather events and average temperatures. But climate change will only make it worse for species on the brink. Racing to solve one crisis but not the other will only bring us back to where we started. Many activists are catching on to this. But in Nevada, and much of the US southwest, it appears that we are going to ignore the extinction crisis a little longer and let energy companies decide which species are acceptable sacrifices to their shareholders.<br />
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<div style="display: block; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto;">
<a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/434884748/DoW-DTC-FWS-Letter-on-Increasing-Recovery-Actions-for-DT-3-20-2019#from_embed" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View DoW DTC FWS Letter on Increasing Recovery Actions for DT.3!20!2019 on Scribd">DoW DTC FWS Letter on Incre...</a> by <a href="https://www.scribd.com/user/32298073/SaveTheDesert#from_embed" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View SaveTheDesert's profile on Scribd">SaveTheDesert</a> on Scribd</div>
<iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.7729220222793488" data-auto-height="false" frameborder="0" height="800" scrolling="no" src="https://www.scribd.com/embeds/434884748/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&show_recommendations=true&access_key=key-RQofOJHqaIU4Kx1LG2OO" title="DoW DTC FWS Letter on Increasing Recovery Actions for DT.3!20!2019" width="600"></iframe></div>
Shaun G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15851941188361133949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311929704697522769.post-64256489979618585772019-09-19T19:11:00.000-07:002019-09-19T19:11:33.393-07:00We Can Do This: Ending Fossil Fuels and Saving Wildlands<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqITuJf46NrrIYHlnE2_AIP1dU7JquOxTqr-_H_LtXwQAKjbomPnDdaeniVweSTmR5t25gcNID31MHcZoPmaoMelPEUTRpD62ebS2-H1KsiDK24Zl_CFh2W50ZSJw__2FFKudUuBp5-ZVr/s1600/fullsizeoutput_576d.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqITuJf46NrrIYHlnE2_AIP1dU7JquOxTqr-_H_LtXwQAKjbomPnDdaeniVweSTmR5t25gcNID31MHcZoPmaoMelPEUTRpD62ebS2-H1KsiDK24Zl_CFh2W50ZSJw__2FFKudUuBp5-ZVr/s320/fullsizeoutput_576d.jpeg" width="320" /></a>As we gather to demand bold action to end fossil fuels, we can also ensure that wildlands no longer have to shoulder the sacrifice for our consumption of electricity. Renewable energy technology is extremely flexible and scalable, which means that we can replace fossil fuels without replacing wildlife habitat. <br />
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<ul>
<li><b>A Million Rooftops!:</b> Even with relatively tame policy incentives, <b>California was able to install over <a href="https://www.californiadgstats.ca.gov/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">8,240 megawatts</a> of rooftop solar</b>. That is clean energy generated across over nearly 1 million rooftops. And there is still room for plenty more! In fact, a <a href="https://www.kcet.org/redefine/study-la-county-could-power-half-of-california-with-rooftop-solar" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">study</a> found that one metropolitan area had enough rooftop solar potential to power half of the state of California. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>Smart Locations for Large Projects:</b> Through smart environmental policies, California has also guided thousands of megawatts of large-scale solar projects to <a href="http://www.mojavedesertblog.com/2017/05/can-we-transition-to-renewable-energy.html" target="_blank">already-disturbed lands</a>. One solar project on former agricultural land in the Central Valley could generate up to<a href="https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-agriculture-farmlands-solar-power-20190703-story.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> 2,700 megawatts</a>, as the Los Angeles Times notes. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>Virtual Power Plants Are Real:</b> Virtual power plants are giving utility companies the ability to more efficiently harness distributed generation and storage, such as rooftop solar paired with battery storage. Solar panels and batteries are installed across spaces in our cities, without destroying wildlands, and utility companies can remotely monitor and manage the energy they deliver to the grid. This is not just a concept, it is already being used in <a href="https://microgridknowledge.com/virtual-power-plant-california/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">California</a>, with additional virtual power plants being rolled out in <a href="https://www.inverse.com/article/58821-solar-energy-one-of-the-largest-virtual-power-plants-is-coming-to-utah" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Utah </a>and <a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/sunrun-lands-1000-home-solar-and-battery-grid-services-contract-in-hawaii#gs.4uyra8" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hawaii</a>.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>Microgrids Avoid Wildfire:</b> Communities are fed up with wildfires sparked by downed transmission lines in drought-stricken wildlands. They are recognizing the <a href="https://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/10027255-181/greater-wildfire-risks-prompt-growth" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">value of microgrid technology</a> that allows them to generate clean energy in their community and store it in local battery installations. This reduces the need to build expensive and dangerous high-voltage power lines.</li>
</ul>
We can do this. With the right policies and incentives, our Green New Deal can ensure a transition to renewable energy that respects our wildlands and reflects our conservation ethic.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxuY2Iad-fMPyzbzPAxOtCoZOtdnja7Iz5mLE0UDl_5MbaPBThi-knh-8nkNQBw-T_F9ofUNFmJVjfwqvNznfNcc3yFyl54fhL6BZU8XkuJkAiKW1vFK6HXAzJLTIPa9zUemZ3jXD6OH6/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-09-19+at+9.55.12+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="867" data-original-width="1600" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxuY2Iad-fMPyzbzPAxOtCoZOtdnja7Iz5mLE0UDl_5MbaPBThi-knh-8nkNQBw-T_F9ofUNFmJVjfwqvNznfNcc3yFyl54fhL6BZU8XkuJkAiKW1vFK6HXAzJLTIPa9zUemZ3jXD6OH6/s400/Screen+Shot+2019-09-19+at+9.55.12+PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Solar on former agricultural lands. Not on wildlands.</td></tr>
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<br />Shaun G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15851941188361133949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311929704697522769.post-61399177058805554992019-07-20T10:07:00.001-07:002019-08-24T16:24:09.365-07:00Desert Wildlands Need Your Voice in VegasThe Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is hosting <a href="https://www.blm.gov/press-release/blm-host-public-meetings-proposed-gemini-solar-project" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">two public meetings</a> on plans to mow down nearly 11 square miles of intact desert wildlands to build the <a href="http://www.mojavedesertblog.com/2019/06/green-groups-silent-as-solar-company.html" target="_blank">Gemini Solar power project</a>, which would be located northeast of Las Vegas along the entrance road to <a href="http://parks.nv.gov/parks/valley-of-fire" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Valley of Fire State Park</a>. It will be very important for concerned citizens to attend because most environmental groups have taken a <a href="http://www.mojavedesertblog.com/2019/06/green-groups-silent-as-solar-company.html" rel="" target="_blank">muted stance</a> on the project, even though it is expected to displace up to 260 desert tortoises, and wipe out beavertail and silver cholla cacti, burrowing owl nesting locations and imperil a rare plant found in only a few places in the Mojave. <br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">[UPDATE: These meetings have concluded, but you can still submit comments by e-mail up to September 5. Scroll down for details on how to submit comments.]</span></b><br />
<b>Any member of the public is welcome to attend the meetings</b>, and public comment sessions are during the last hour of each session:<br />
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<i><b>Public Meeting #1 - Las Vegas</b></i><br />
<b>When:</b> Tuesday, July 23rd, 5:00 - 8:00 PM<br />
Where: Suncoast Hotel and Casino, <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/9090+Alta+Dr,+Las+Vegas,+NV+89145/@36.1691451,-115.3001061,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x80c8bf8f152ce339:0x4214dd15fbb2ec76!8m2!3d36.1691517!4d-115.2913521" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">9090 Alta Dr, Las Vegas, NV 89145</a><br />
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<i><b>Public Meeting #2 - Moapa</b></i><br />
<i><b>When:</b> </i>Wednesday, July 24th, 5:30 - 8:30 PM<br />
<b><i>Where:</i> </b>Moapa Community Center, <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/1340+NV-168,+Moapa,+NV+89025/@36.671681,-114.5925347,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x80c90a73ce02c1c1:0xb6ff194ceed22be6!8m2!3d36.671681!4d-114.590346" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">1340 East State Highway 168, Moapa, NV 89025</a><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>If you cannot make it to these meetings, scroll to the bottom of this post for info on how you can send comments to the BLM via e-mail.</i><br />
<b></b><br />
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<b></b>
<b><br /></b><i>The above map represents an approximate footprint of the proposed Gemini Solar power project, superimposed on downtown Las Vegas. This gives some perspective on how much wildlands the project will destroy, equivalent to leveling much of the Las Vegas strip, from the Mandalay Bay to north of the Stratosphere, and much of the airport.</i><br />
<br />
<b>Why is the Gemini Solar project a bad idea?:</b><br />
<ul>
<li><b>There are many better places to install solar panels. </b>Nevada has plenty of untapped rooftops, parking lots, and already-disturbed lands where we can generate clean energy <i>without sacrificing</i> wildlands. The Gemini Solar project will line the pockets of utility company investors and the project developer, but ignore opportunities for average citizens to cut down their own utility bills through <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/research/rooftop-solar-net-metering-is-a-net-benefit/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">net-metering</a>.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>This company should not be given a free pass.</b> The developer wants to build the Gemini Solar project on public lands <i>outside </i>of designated solar energy zones. The BLM previously established areas deemed fit for utility-scale solar energy where there would supposedly be fewer impacts on wildlife and recreation opportunities. The Gemini Solar project will <i>not</i> be built in one of those designated <a href="http://blmsolar.anl.gov/sez/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">solar zones</a>. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>The 11 square mile project will be built on wildlands that host an incredible diversity of desert plants and animals.</b> In addition to desert tortoises, there are burrowing owls, kit fox, badgers, loggerhead shrike, LeConte's thrasher, cactus wren, phainopepla, and lesser nighthawks. Bighorn sheep are known to pass through and forage on the wildlands, and a significant portion of the rare threecorner milkvetch plant's known habitat would be lost or imperiled. The BLM's own <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/planAndProjectSite.do?methodName=dispatchToPatternPage&currentPageId=149503" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">environmental analysis</a> has determined that this project will have significant impacts on wildlife.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>The company misleadingly promises to relocate tortoises back to the project site after construction.</b> Arevia Power suggests that vegetation mowed down to accommodate construction will re-grow underneath the solar panels and allow for tortoises to co-habitat on the industrial-scale project site. See below for why this is misleading and will put wildlife at increased risk.</li>
</ul>
<b>Mowing or Bulldozing?</b><br />
<br />
Perhaps the most absurd aspect of the Gemini Solar project proposal is that the company promises to reduce impacts on wildlife by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BGRD21H07Y" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">mowing vegetation</a> on part of the site. <b>This proposal is a public relations stunt, not a scientifically sound method to preserve habitat. </b>Of the 11 square miles that Arevia Power plans to use for the Gemini Solar project, 7 square miles will be mowed and the remaining 4 square miles will be bulldozed. Plants could be mowed down to 18 or 24 inches, according to the BLM's environmental analysis, and that would require tractors driving across much of the site. This means that not only will plants be cut down or crushed by the vehicles, the soils will be compacted.<br />
<b></b><br />
The developer wishfully promises that desert tortoises can again use the area where vegetation was mowed, but ignores the fact that after driving vehicles back-and-forth across 7 square miles of fragile desert habitat, cutting and crushing plants, tortoises will be left with a severely degraded landscape. Soil compaction will make it difficult for desert plants to grow back, depriving tortoises of a food source. All of this disturbance by vehicles will also increase the likelihood that non-native weeds take root. Non-native plants - such as <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/red-brome-carries-fire-and-burns-saguaros" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">red brome</a> and <a href="http://www.tsusinvasives.org/home/database/brassica-tournefortii" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sahara mustard</a> - not only lack nutrients that tortoises need to survive, they also pose a fire hazard. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoSNJQwRlRYX7OUUItK3jSPYAzeH4nX0OBgRSiCoWb7pYBWT85C3nEo8s7IuCnm8RSEijrMCr9gACvSsYb3EKFN3zO-YDksf4HDGCOeGuej0xz93RPufDiqHaaX7EF9gPVATEyLuP9UPPC/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-07-20+at+10.37.53+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1148" data-original-width="1490" height="491" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoSNJQwRlRYX7OUUItK3jSPYAzeH4nX0OBgRSiCoWb7pYBWT85C3nEo8s7IuCnm8RSEijrMCr9gACvSsYb3EKFN3zO-YDksf4HDGCOeGuej0xz93RPufDiqHaaX7EF9gPVATEyLuP9UPPC/s640/Screen+Shot+2019-07-20+at+10.37.53+AM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The BLM's environmental analysis provided this example of the kind of mowing equipment that would be used on the site. The mowing activity almost certainly would result in the significant loss of plants to crushing and soil compaction, making the area unsuitable for most wildlife.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It is also not clear what the company's plan is for when they need to regularly access the site to wash solar panels and for other routine maintenance, again jeopardizing wildlife "reintroduced" to the site after construction. Nor is it clear who will pay for the repeated relocation of tortoises from the site when it is time to decommission or alter the solar project in 30 years when the company's lease on public lands ends.<br />
<br />
It is irresponsible for the BLM, Arevia Power, and any environmental group to suggest that this construction technique will miraculously allow wildlife to thrive in a space dominated by solar panels and industrial activities. The best alternative is to leave these wildlands alone and install the solar panels on already-disturbed lands, on rooftops or over parking lots.<br />
<h3>
<b>How to Submit Comments by E-Mail:</b></h3>
The BLM is also accepting written comments on the Gemini Solar project. You can send comments by September 5 via e-mail to:<b> <a href="mailto:blm_nv_sndo_geminisolar@blm.gov">blm_nv_sndo_geminisolar@blm.gov</a></b><br />
<br />
Your e-mail should point out several issues that the BLM should consider in a revised environmental analysis of the Gemini Solar project:<br />
<ul>
<li>Urge the BLM to select the <b>"no action" alternative</b>, which means the Gemini Solar project should not be built on desert wildlands.</li>
<li>If this project must be built on public lands, then the BLM should consider evaluating <b>alternative locations</b>, such as existing solar energy zone or to <i>already-disturbed lands</i> identified by the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/re-powering" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">EPA's RE-Powering America's Land </a>initiative. </li>
<li>The BLM should more carefully evaluate the claims that desert tortoises will be able to thrive on the site after vegetation is mowed, soils are compacted, non-native plants take root, and solar panels are installed. The BLM's environmental analysis currently ignores how these negative impacts are likely to make it impossible to reintroduce desert tortoises or other wildlife to the site.</li>
<li>The BLM's analysis should also more thoroughly evaluate how construction of the massive solar project could risk genetic linkages across the desert tortoise's range. </li>
<li>The BLM's analysis should more thoroughly evaluate the potential impact of this project on golden eagle and desert bighorn sheep foraging habitat. Bighorn and golden eagles have been known to traverse these wildlands.</li>
<li>No aspect of the project should be allowed to jeopardize habitat for the endangered threecorner milkvetch. The plant's range is limited, and it does not make sense to risk the survival of a species to install solar panels that can just as easily generate electricity on rooftops.</li>
</ul>
It is also worth letting any of your <a href="https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">elected officials</a> know that you support policies that promote rooftop solar, and oppose the destruction of desert wildlands.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQypZrLEmB2nRL5nZWZZ6EigMyWlXFZkkNn7foUDlsLTWekxb5cylrVqsM6FC_u5OK_WJTk89HVMmwCJgRnQQ76Uo-JFxzglaVl9oYmx2aiEW5JS5G1eEvDFFZ4TBQ4PF_qD7QE2Ff8zkM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-06-10+at+11.00.12+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1506" data-original-width="1600" height="602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQypZrLEmB2nRL5nZWZZ6EigMyWlXFZkkNn7foUDlsLTWekxb5cylrVqsM6FC_u5OK_WJTk89HVMmwCJgRnQQ76Uo-JFxzglaVl9oYmx2aiEW5JS5G1eEvDFFZ4TBQ4PF_qD7QE2Ff8zkM/s640/Screen+Shot+2019-06-10+at+11.00.12+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A map of the proposed Gemini Solar power project site, located northeast of Las Vegas.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9cFQPOnwgOnQPtfoJUOCx-Xxf7VAcY1SF9VlQG88zSAP_O0a9z95LqisNFJ1nW56V3v75uPZmgHcB9_6yDzweeyEvEpQwHVmXJ1zBxX7AE_rskybDqmJcNjmKsdp3ajK9HuCwuL4S6xqV/s1600/Solar-Panel-garage_1-777x437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="777" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9cFQPOnwgOnQPtfoJUOCx-Xxf7VAcY1SF9VlQG88zSAP_O0a9z95LqisNFJ1nW56V3v75uPZmgHcB9_6yDzweeyEvEpQwHVmXJ1zBxX7AE_rskybDqmJcNjmKsdp3ajK9HuCwuL4S6xqV/s640/Solar-Panel-garage_1-777x437.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How many parking lots in the Las Vegas metro area could use these solar canopies? Keeping vehicles shaded from the hot sun, generating clean energy, and sparing desert wildlands.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Shaun G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15851941188361133949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311929704697522769.post-43828782264406631152019-07-13T12:39:00.001-07:002019-07-16T03:12:59.105-07:00How Can We Ensure a Green Implementation of the Green New Deal?Green New Deal proposals and policy discussions often sound like a smorgasbord of different issues. You hear about job creation, counteracting inequities that have impacted underrepresented communities, research and development, agriculture, transportation, and the list goes on. Rightly so; the environmental problems of today rest on a complicated, interlocking puzzle of social, technological, and economic problems. But the underlying goal of any Green New Deal is the dramatic expansion of the renewable energy sector. That raises a prickly question: how do we do that and protect the environment at the same time? A recent <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-019-0309-z" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">UC Davis/Center for Biological Diversity study</a> led by Dr. Rebecca Hernandez highlighted perhaps the greatest challenge we will face in implementing a Green New Deal: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: #fce5cd;">"Achieving a rapid transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources on planet Earth to support human activities, in a manner benign to Earth’s life support systems, is arguably the grandest challenge facing civilization today.</span> <span style="background-color: #fce5cd;">The consequences of climate and other types of global environmental change are a cautionary flag against the extrapolation of past energy decisions."</span></blockquote>
In other words, if a Green New Deal is not guided by a <b>conservation ethic</b>, it
will also accelerate habitat loss and contribute to the extinction
crisis by promoting industrial-scale development on already-beleaguered
wildlands. The Green New Deal <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-resolution/109/actions" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">resolution that Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced</a> in Congress does have language highlighting the need to "secure for all people" a "sustainable environment" and "access to nature." How to implement this, and what constitutes a "sustainable environment" with sufficient "access to nature" is left for us to define.<br />
<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>BrightSource Energy mows down desert habitat on public lands to build the Ivanpah Solar project.</i></div>
<br />
There is practically no resolution in the policy or advocacy world to <i>directly</i> address the challenge identified in the UC Davis/CBD study; the challenge of undertaking a rapid renewable energy transition that strives to minimize the footprint of this new infrastructure on wildlands. There <i>have</i> been policy efforts at the state or local level to attempt to address this, but if we are going to push a Green New Deal at the Federal level, then we need bold and vocal advocacy to ensure that the energy transition adheres to a conservation ethic.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQonvw6GuAyhH0ex7bAuR-EwQ0-BMVaPx7KtNO4ElBCeA3uM0-NZjAX3MBcupzvnS4avjeby7o8K4wAkF-tLboUZMRRaCGDlkCpa57KUj6f4U5rDOWGUU9NPPh6St-FSk2QKAHJSzpL98/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-07-13+at+2.52.48+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1320" data-original-width="1256" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQonvw6GuAyhH0ex7bAuR-EwQ0-BMVaPx7KtNO4ElBCeA3uM0-NZjAX3MBcupzvnS4avjeby7o8K4wAkF-tLboUZMRRaCGDlkCpa57KUj6f4U5rDOWGUU9NPPh6St-FSk2QKAHJSzpL98/s320/Screen+Shot+2019-07-13+at+2.52.48+PM.png" width="304" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>An advocate for or against wilderness?</i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
One might think this is obvious, or that the environmental community is already taking on this challenge. But <a href="http://www.mojavedesertblog.com/2019/06/green-groups-silent-as-solar-company.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">we actually remain tepid</a> in taking on this responsibility. Some organizations probably fear that they will sound contradictory, calling for renewable energy but critizing renewable projects that jeopardize wildlands. Other organizations that ostensibly advocate on behalf of wildlands have <i>explicitly called for the conversion of public lands into renewable energy industrial zones</i>. Namely, the Wilderness Society in a <a href="https://www.wilderness.org/articles/article/public-land-protections-provide-pathways-successful-green-new-deal" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">recent blog post</a> and <i><a href="https://www.outsideonline.com/2393257/green-new-deal-public-lands-clean-energy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Outside Online</a> </i>article urged Green New Deal proponents to put public lands in the crosshairs for renewable energy developers. This would be like the ACLU advocating warrantless searches and wiretaps in response to a terrorist attack. The constituency we protect has become our sacrifice. <b>This sacrifice of wildlands is all the more absurd given that we have the technological and policy solutions available to transition to renewable energy with little or no footprint on public lands. </b><br />
<br />
<b>We cannot characterize any Green New Deal proposal as "bold" if it is weak in how it protects the natural world. Without this component - maintaining wildlands and biodiversity - we are only continuing the paradigm of trading species, forests, deserts and grasslands for kilowatts.</b> Candidates' are being very forward leaning in their Green New Deal proposals - some include multi trillion dollar implementations plans. And while some proposals call for investments in distributed generation and "restoration" of some wildlands, they implicitly leave on the table the option of bartering away other wildlands to energy companies. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0tXR8UXAYjnKVFi-w5cAiTR1GEK328NZ4h2svSGqQ8nvU7RPEROJjqN0Tc7C-fJGl9tzkCo-lVCqqWqHRGwPmHiH3Pv3IoXEolBasPYRHIzrnjSZbeaZ1vF04IoLMJ3gR3XCHt0WbSVl_/s1600/green+solar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="345" data-original-width="500" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0tXR8UXAYjnKVFi-w5cAiTR1GEK328NZ4h2svSGqQ8nvU7RPEROJjqN0Tc7C-fJGl9tzkCo-lVCqqWqHRGwPmHiH3Pv3IoXEolBasPYRHIzrnjSZbeaZ1vF04IoLMJ3gR3XCHt0WbSVl_/s320/green+solar.jpg" width="320" /></a>We should consider a supplemental resolution that calls for maintaining biodiversity and wildlands in our energy transition. This is not about identifying which of our wildlands and wildlife will be left to future generations and which ones we will sacrifice to powering our economy. Nor is this about a "no net-loss" approach where we sacrifice some wildlands and "restore" others that are deemed to provide "ecosystem services" to human communities. Neither of those approaches is "bold."<br />
<br />
Climate change should be a reason to reassess how we treat the natural world, and not just a prompt to unplug fossil fuels and plug in renewable energy with little or no thought for the consequences such actions have on wildlands and wildlife. We humans caused climate change and its impacts on the natural world; wildlands and wildlife should not have to face double jeopardy for our actions. Is that too bold? <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>A Resolution Ensuring a Green Transition to Renewable Energy</b></div>
<ul>
<li>Whereas, fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions have resulted in destructive impacts on our communities, wildlands and wildlife;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Whereas, our efforts to address human-caused climate change should involve a radical transition in how we generate and consume energy to reduce our destructive impacts on the natural world;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Whereas, wildlife have as much right to exist on this planet as humans and maintaining biodiversity is critical to a sustainable environment; </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Whereas, we already have the technology and resources available to significantly reduce our energy consumption and to reduce the impact of the energy generation sector on wildlands; </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Whereas, studies have identified <a href="https://www.epa.gov/re-powering" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">thousands of square miles of already-disturbed lands</a>, <a href="https://www.kcet.org/socal-focus/lots-of-la-county-rooftops-ideal-for-solar-power-finds-ucla-report" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">rooftops</a>, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/01/28/the-best-idea-in-a-long-time-covering-parking-lots-with-solar-panels/?utm_term=.3d9d76e93531" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">parking lots</a>, and other spaces that can host new renewable energy generation capacity without destroying intact wildlife habitat:</li>
</ul>
Now, therefore, be it resolved that:<br />
<ol>
<li>It is our duty to ensure that our implementation of Green New Deal policies:</li>
</ol>
<ul>
<li><b>Maintains Biodiversity and Wildlands:</b> The deployment of renewable energy sources and the evolution of our power grids should not result in the loss of existing wildlands. </li>
</ul>
<ul><ul>
<li><b>Recognizes the Intrinsic Value of all Wildlife: </b> Green New Deal policies should hold all existing wildlife and the wildlands where they reside as equally important to a sustainable environment. All human communities hold equal intrinsic worth and right to existence. All natural communities hold the same worth and right to existence. Attempting to value what "services" an ecosystem provides to a human community is an act of maintaining inequity in our politics and law. [<a href="https://islandpress.org/books/keeping-wild" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">1</a>][<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjN-tD7qbLjAhVLVs0KHZInDN0QFjAAegQIABAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsciencepolicy.colorado.edu%2Fadmin%2Fpublication_files%2F2014.58.pdf&usg=AOvVaw2PCQMJFrvrI7WxsPp1TH9l" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">2</a> -PDF] The Endangered Species Act does not make such distinctions, nor should Green New Deal policies.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
2. Policies should prioritize investments, technologies and research that spare wildlands during and after our energy transition:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Energy Efficiency:</b> How efficiently we consume energy must be considered as important as the source of that energy. According to the <a href="https://www.energy.gov/eere/slsc/energy-efficiency-savings-opportunities-and-benefits" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Department of Energy</a>, the United States has the potential to "cost-effectively reduce its electricity use" by 16% in the year 2035, or 741,000 GWh. Capturing this energy efficiency could significantly reduce our impact on the natural world. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>Distributed Generation and Storage:</b> Policies should be crafted to prioritize the deployment of distributed generation and storage in the built environment, such as rooftop solar or solar canopies over parking lots paired with battery storage. </li>
<ul>
<li><b>Recognize the Value of Techno-Ecological Synergies: </b>Building on the findings of the UC Davis/CBD study, we should implement policies that provide incentives for <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-019-0309-z" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">techno-ecological synergies</a> to significantly minimize impacts on wildlands and wildlife, and obtain other benefits for our communities. The study identifies at least 10 beneficial outcomes for rooftop solar and storage that are not fully captured in existing policies or power purchase contracts.</li>
<li><b>End The Public Land Giveaway:</b> The current cost for electricity generated from a distributed generation installation is typically higher than for utility-scale projects that displace wildlands. But this cost difference is subsidized in part by the availability of low-rent public lands, or the construction of utility-scale projects on remote parcels of private lands far from our cities. The up-front cost differences between distributed generation and utility-scale also do not properly capture the net benefits of distributed generation to our grid [see Brookings <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/research/rooftop-solar-net-metering-is-a-net-benefit/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">study</a>], or the costs of upgrading long-distance transmission lines to accommodate remote, central power projects. Utility regulators and Federal agencies charged with stewarding our public lands need to end this paradigm and put a higher value on land-sparing technologies.</li>
<li><b>Expand Existing Tools and Policies; Innovate and Develop New Tools:</b> We acknowledge a climate emergency and extinction crisis, but we allow utility companies and utility regulators to roll-back and weaken incentives for rooftop solar. More progressive net-metering policies, feed-in-tariffs, incentives for "<a href="https://www.utilitydive.com/news/autogrids-japan-project-could-be-worlds-largest-virtual-power-plant-comp/557550/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">virtual power plants,</a>" and subsidies for distributed generation projects in disadvantaged communities can ensure deployment of clean energy and its benefits in all of our communities at a faster pace, while maintaining our access to nature.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>Direct Utility-Scale Energy Projects to Already-Disturbed Lands: </b> Priority should be placed on utility-scale projects that are built on already-disturbed lands close to our cities. The UC Davis/CBD <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-019-0309-z" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">study</a> identified nearly 827,000 square kilometers of degraded lands that could host renewable energy developments, part of which includes EPA-identified <a href="https://www.epa.gov/re-powering" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">RE-Powering America's Land</a> program. There is no sufficient excuse to allow energy companies to bulldoze intact wildlands.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>Reduce Renewable Energy-Associated Material Waste: </b> We must invest in the research and development of technologies and materials that reduce the impact of renewable energy technologies across their life-cycle, to include the recycling of solar panels and energy storage devices. Lithium and other types of batteries are already a key component of our transition to renewable energy, allowing us to capture and dispatch intermittent energy sources and also electrify the transportation sector. But we have great strides to make to reduce how much material - some of it toxic - that we mine from the Earth and then put to waste at the end of its useful life. [see <a href="https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520288171/solar-power" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Solar Power: Innovation, Sustainability, and Environmental Justice</a>]</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiVdbzeTCgKz6rFgB3B4fv7P_98-7Q7Kb4tyEXA5xTIyK0hh2gpPprHXw89EL4vWIoaG4odMyJ2bSDzM0OrWWrJFUfRIJq4ioKeD287wPeKjrFugatSge4QCqkr01MMiszaQwMYwI616Gi/s1600/P1010275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiVdbzeTCgKz6rFgB3B4fv7P_98-7Q7Kb4tyEXA5xTIyK0hh2gpPprHXw89EL4vWIoaG4odMyJ2bSDzM0OrWWrJFUfRIJq4ioKeD287wPeKjrFugatSge4QCqkr01MMiszaQwMYwI616Gi/s400/P1010275.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />Shaun G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15851941188361133949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311929704697522769.post-79977919022454688472019-06-10T20:33:00.000-07:002019-06-10T20:43:02.438-07:00Green Groups Silent as Solar Company Plans Destruction of Mojave WildlandsThe Department of Interior in early June <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/planAndProjectSite.do?methodName=dispatchToPatternPage&currentPageId=149503" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">released</a> its draft environmental review indicating that plans to replace 11 square miles of intact desert wildlands in southern Nevada with the <a href="http://www.mojavedesertblog.com/2018/08/gemini-solar-project-threatens-vibrant.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gemini Solar </a>project would result in significant impacts on wildlife and outdoor recreation. The project proposed by <a href="https://www.areviapower.com/#contact" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Arevia Power</a> would install photovoltaic solar panels on land that is currently home to rare plants, desert kit fox, tortoises and other wildlife. Photovoltaic solar panels are just as easily installed on rooftops, parking lot canopies, and on already-disturbed lands, calling in to question the need to sacrifice desert wildlands to generate electricity. (California has installed over <a href="https://www.californiadgstats.ca.gov/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">8,000 megawatts</a> of distributed solar generation with relatively modest policy incentives.)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAcA0jrp77NaX_wBXvqaOI1xAB9Sk5qxVwLS2GIGw8I4uZWwgfB2vrCGsdNDEFz2MEfPfeK1X7zv-QgNoTVMYo_mH7RrX-BNIOrNjA05RW7BZ0fDK_qSPdiA6_k2P1cW7X3s-jVQDOecbB/s1600/Gemini-SheepRange-view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAcA0jrp77NaX_wBXvqaOI1xAB9Sk5qxVwLS2GIGw8I4uZWwgfB2vrCGsdNDEFz2MEfPfeK1X7zv-QgNoTVMYo_mH7RrX-BNIOrNjA05RW7BZ0fDK_qSPdiA6_k2P1cW7X3s-jVQDOecbB/s400/Gemini-SheepRange-view.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Arevia Power's plans to destroy these Mojave
wildlands will displace or kill nearly at least <b>260 desert tortoises,
and dozens of kit foxes and burrowing owls</b>, according to the draft
environmental impact statement. The area is also home to rare plants,
including the beleaguered <b>threecorner milkvetch</b>. According to the Department of Interior report, "[m]itigating for threecorner milkvetch habitat loss is no longer possible. Habitat conservation is the method needed to ensure the long-term survival of this species. Threecorner milkvetch is currently state-listed as critically endangered." The project would also disrupt the Congressionally-designated <a href="https://oldspanishtrail.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Old Spanish National Historic Trail</a>.<br />
<br />
Despite Arevia Power's plans to destroy an area of wildlands half the size of Manhattan, environmental groups have largely been silent on the project. Clean energy is indeed the answer to cutting our dependency on fossil fuels, but many environmental organizations have yet to build the intellectual courage necessary to consistently inject nuance into national discourse on the deployment of renewable energy and define a <i>sustainable</i> path for our clean energy transition. Some major environmental organizations submitted scoping letters* to the Department of Interior earlier in the environmental review process, but none have come forward with public statements regarding the Gemini Solar project. Only in Nevada can you plan to mow down an area nearly twice the size of Yosemite Valley and fail to draw a public voice of
dissent sufficient to fill a letter to the editor (although I concede
that southern Nevada's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Vegas_Review-Journal" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">largest newspaper</a> is owned by a <a href="https://features.propublica.org/trump-inc-podcast/sheldon-adelson-casino-magnate-trump-macau-and-japan/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">major donor </a>to President Trump).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLxDUNSfCDXE5MB6oqpGllyU5Va40CY_YOGcmcVOE2rITRoFKw1uGux3NbWB6iARjvXU6oIsqjJgsC3VRF7uZYdO_VxZJCF5wL9lu_ynZ9OTRQJQsyVk5602t10inUd9LSnBWmxaMoeKRC/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-06-10+at+11.00.12+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1506" data-original-width="1600" height="602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLxDUNSfCDXE5MB6oqpGllyU5Va40CY_YOGcmcVOE2rITRoFKw1uGux3NbWB6iARjvXU6oIsqjJgsC3VRF7uZYdO_VxZJCF5wL9lu_ynZ9OTRQJQsyVk5602t10inUd9LSnBWmxaMoeKRC/s640/Screen+Shot+2019-06-10+at+11.00.12+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Screenshot from the <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/planAndProjectSite.do?methodName=dispatchToPatternPage&currentPageId=149503" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Draft Environmental Impact Statement </a>shows </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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(*Scoping Comments were submitted by Defenders of Wildlife, Center for Biological Diversity, and the Wilderness Society to the Department of Interior, although these groups have not issued public statements. The Wilderness Society urged politicians to bulldoze more of our public lands for clean energy in a <a href="https://www.wilderness.org/articles/article/public-land-protections-provide-pathways-successful-green-new-deal" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">blog post</a> that ironically notes that "<b>we have barely scratched the surface</b>: less than 5% of the nation’s renewable power comes from public lands." The Wilderness Society urging the sacrifice of wildlands to combat climate change would be like the ACLU advocating warrantless searches and wiretaps in response to a terrorist attack. The Sierra Club did not submit comments. Smaller, grassroots organizations have submitted letters and have been more vocal, including <a href="https://www.basinandrangewatch.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Basin & Range Watch</a> and the <a href="https://deserttortoise.org/eac/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Desert Tortoise Council</a>.) <br />
<br />
Clean energy may reduce carbon emissions, but it can still be disastrous for biodiversity; scientists have regularly identified habitat conservation as the key to preventing extinction and improving the resilience of species already under pressure by the effects of climate change. Famed scientist <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/13/opinion/sunday/the-global-solution-to-extinction.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">E.O. Wilson</a> wrote in a 2016 New York Times editorial that:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: #fce5cd;">"The disappearance of natural
habitat is the primary cause of biological diversity loss at every level
— ecosystems, species and genes, all of them. Only by the preservation
of much more natural habitat than previously envisioned can extinction
be brought close to a sustainable level."</span></blockquote>
Compounding the problems surrounding Arevia Power's plans to destroy desert wildlands is that the Department of Interior <a href="https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/blm-scrapping-revision-of-land-use-plan-for-southern-nevada-1660078/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">decided not to update</a> its Resource Management Plan in southern Nevada. The result is a relative free-for-all on public lands: the Federal stewards of our public lands have not decided through a recent public process what we as a society want to protect or exploit. This gives developers of all varieties an advantage because "multiple use" is the default on most public lands that are not protected. Multiple use, however, is a misnomer because once a developer builds an open-pit mine, solar power project, or natural gas well pad on public lands, it severely limits the number of species that can benefit from that land. The loss of that land to a developer also means that we humans cannot enjoy that land for a vast number of other uses, including camping, hiking, wildlife watching, etc.<br />
<br />
By the end of this year, the Department of Interior could issue a final decision approving Arevia Power's plans to wipe out 11 square miles of wildlands, and that would only be the latest in the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/media/videos/image-week-urban-growth-las-vegas-nevada-usa" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ever-exploding sprawl</a> of southern Nevada. The public can submit comments on this project through the difficult-to-navigate Department of Interior <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/planAndProjectSite.do?methodName=dispatchToPatternPage&currentPageId=149503" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">website</a>, but ultimately the silence of nature's advocates and local elected officials will determine whether this sacrifice is permitted or not. If it is built, we will be able to power our televisions and refrigerators with supposedly guilt-free clean energy, and some seemingly anonymous* investors will profit greatly. We will lose thousands of acres of Mojave plant life and critters that have survived for millennia on those lands. But we have only barely scratched the surface, right?<br />
<br />
(Arevia Power's website lists 1044 10th Avenue, Redwood City, California as its contact address. That address resolves to a $1.2 million, two-bedroom home. As of 2019, it did not have any rooftop solar panels.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieFb96GR3l65BYW2AmeXEPSoWfcpD0vqrCekXLSyH0_M0K5dnxKWx6aFEOO19grJR0L1qRA3mvHFBJQMw_GNG50136xKGjAE6u3ZFTe_NX0tvrrTD7Z31AUoj8xuX1NIDZ-8mVj72ZPQhU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-06-10+at+10.57.07+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1284" data-original-width="1498" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieFb96GR3l65BYW2AmeXEPSoWfcpD0vqrCekXLSyH0_M0K5dnxKWx6aFEOO19grJR0L1qRA3mvHFBJQMw_GNG50136xKGjAE6u3ZFTe_NX0tvrrTD7Z31AUoj8xuX1NIDZ-8mVj72ZPQhU/s400/Screen+Shot+2019-06-10+at+10.57.07+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUP-gjaLYB8ppp5H009KwUsrF5A5PXWPlMGmny1ILzHRqjZDEQ_pfPdRM_8VnRb64FBiTQkWKoPq430qd7XUDTSXwjvl9yNyzsfnDGyafn78pcZxdlvGwYTiu9mPY5XxzUHIBefsqVaI5o/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-06-10+at+10.57.51+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="965" data-original-width="1600" height="385" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUP-gjaLYB8ppp5H009KwUsrF5A5PXWPlMGmny1ILzHRqjZDEQ_pfPdRM_8VnRb64FBiTQkWKoPq430qd7XUDTSXwjvl9yNyzsfnDGyafn78pcZxdlvGwYTiu9mPY5XxzUHIBefsqVaI5o/s640/Screen+Shot+2019-06-10+at+10.57.51+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />Shaun G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15851941188361133949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311929704697522769.post-83276995952547227132018-09-12T17:28:00.000-07:002018-09-12T17:28:04.480-07:00Nevada Ballot Measure a Catch-22 for the Mojave<div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: #fce5cd;"><i><b>"As we focus on climate change, we must also act decisively to protect
the living world while we still have time. It would be humanity’s
ultimate achievement."</b></i> - E.O. Wilson</span> </blockquote>
Nevada is poised to vote on whether to increase its
renewable portfolio standard (RPS) - the share of electricity required to come
from renewable sources - to 50% by the year 2030, <a href="http://www.mojavedesertblog.com/2018/08/nevada-outdoor-enthusiasts-and.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">without any plan</a> for
protecting Nevada's increasingly vulnerable wildlands. An increased RPS
without corresponding plans to protect wildlands is sure to spur a
second rush of solar and wind projects, but continuing to burn fossil
fuels will compound the ongoing harmful effects of climate change on
that same landscape. A more sensible path - providing stronger
incentives for solar on rooftops and over parking lots and diverting
larger projects to already-disturbed lands - has eluded the state's
policymakers and environmental groups. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-QpL_DcVbBmGJBjUK5S0Z6c3LKh4EeYePdAtYRG_UF_28a56h_3HRvb73XmTcmbkEUL-Eq8nqxdWoMa0nI6d7wyJwfH5enDE-YZ2xSZv2mi_uOsKXayMhPMChmAS9s0qD78lKI0ovJZ9G/s1600/20170529-SVG_5305.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-QpL_DcVbBmGJBjUK5S0Z6c3LKh4EeYePdAtYRG_UF_28a56h_3HRvb73XmTcmbkEUL-Eq8nqxdWoMa0nI6d7wyJwfH5enDE-YZ2xSZv2mi_uOsKXayMhPMChmAS9s0qD78lKI0ovJZ9G/s640/20170529-SVG_5305.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Joshua tree woodland in southern Nevada would be transformed into an industrial zone if Eolus wind secures a power purchase agreement to supply electricity to Nevada. It is proposing to install over 200 wind turbines in this intact desert wildland, and has <a href="https://www.knvc.org/knvc-news/wind-energy-developer-eyeing-nevada-backs-question-6/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">openly backed Question 6.</a></td></tr>
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</div>
<div>
<br />
The
ballot measure - <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Nevada_Question_6,_Renewable_Energy_Standards_Initiative_(2018)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Question 6</a> - will essentially authorize Nevada's
utility company to purchase much more electricity from developers of giant solar
and wind energy projects. In Nevada, many of those projects are likely
to be built on public lands hosting intact desert habitat. There are
<a href="http://www.mojavedesertblog.com/2018/08/nevada-outdoor-enthusiasts-and.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">several</a> solar and wind projects expected to receive a rubber-stamp
approval from the Department of Interior in the next couple of years,
and they would be most likely to enter into contracts with the utility,
NV Energy. In fact, the energy companies proposing to bulldoze
Nevada's desert wildlands for these projects are actively campaigning in
support of Question 6.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Multiple environmental
groups are also campaigning for the measure, including the Sierra Club and Center for Biological Diversity. Pushing for more clean energy makes sense given the
need to transition quickly to a fossil fuel-free future to spare wildlife. However, some groups have been silent or have actually supported ill-sited
solar and wind projects. A common refrain from national environmental organizations is that sacrificing a portion of
our desert wildlands is necessary to combat climate change, and that
fighting for policies that prioritize rooftop solar and other
sustainable solutions is a steeper uphill battle.</div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8o9hSU3gks8BJv86cvOHLU0R1rByLUEobezIsK-jLSNWxXQFk329t2JsDoGyW-Cn0dH6z4Y8UVizdCmmCT9GpeeV2AKyuozPuqn-0p9EIcR3dhiTgYlTafYK6CtmurYJE6-hx4ruSgOcQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-09-12+at+8.15.49+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1310" data-original-width="1342" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8o9hSU3gks8BJv86cvOHLU0R1rByLUEobezIsK-jLSNWxXQFk329t2JsDoGyW-Cn0dH6z4Y8UVizdCmmCT9GpeeV2AKyuozPuqn-0p9EIcR3dhiTgYlTafYK6CtmurYJE6-hx4ruSgOcQ/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-09-12+at+8.15.49+PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The <a href="http://www.mojavedesertblog.com/2018/08/gemini-solar-project-threatens-vibrant.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gemini Solar</a> project would destroy nearly 11 square miles of intact desert wildlands adjacent to Valley of Fire State Park in southern Nevada. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div>
But
lost in the argument is the fact the study after study shows that
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/03/opinion/sunday/species-conservation-extinction.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">preserving remaining habitat</a> is one of the most important things we can
do to enable wildlife to survive not only climate change but a host of
other human-caused and natural disasters. No matter how soon we make
the transition to clean energy, the impacts of climate change will be
<a href="https://eos.org/features/how-will-climate-change-affect-the-united-states-in-decades-to-come" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">long-lived</a>. <i><b>A clean energy path that involves the mass destruction of
wildlife habitat with little or no landscape-level planning is a foolish
approach. </b></i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
If Nevadans do not step up for truly
sustainable energy options - rooftop solar, energy efficiency
investments, and solar on already-disturbed lands - Question 6 will
essentially be a vote for bulldozing some of our prized wildlands. <b>This
doesn't mean we have to back away from renewable energy. It <i>does</i> mean that
we need to step up for smarter energy policy, and for protecting our
desert wildlands.</b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicMRd7MQVbXSOnBPO71GopVA_HoTuAeRKadJ0CIRc_j9zkU8pLoEfZS-J3126hAewJC9QR-mzliixIy1z5VXZzMrD7OMDnqcLqDZgTWdEARTDxUfctVQDTGPhXFtjQ93v4fxXxla8-WcJf/s1600/P1010275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicMRd7MQVbXSOnBPO71GopVA_HoTuAeRKadJ0CIRc_j9zkU8pLoEfZS-J3126hAewJC9QR-mzliixIy1z5VXZzMrD7OMDnqcLqDZgTWdEARTDxUfctVQDTGPhXFtjQ93v4fxXxla8-WcJf/s400/P1010275.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our technology allows us to generate clean energy without bulldozing pristine wildlands.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Shaun G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15851941188361133949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311929704697522769.post-49303962488164903472018-09-12T16:51:00.002-07:002018-09-12T16:58:35.567-07:00Trump Proposes Fracking in Western Mojave<div>
The Trump administration is <a href="https://www.blm.gov/press-release/blm-bakersfield-seeks-input-hydraulic-fracturing-analysis-Aug2018" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">proposing</a> to open up hundreds of square
miles of western Mojave slopes and central California grasslands to
hydraulic fracturing (also known as fracking). Oil and gas companies'
fracking technique involves injecting thousands of gallons of <a href="https://news.yale.edu/2016/01/06/toxins-found-fracking-fluids-and-wastewater-study-shows" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">toxic fluids</a> into the ground to break open pockets of fossil fuels. Not
only do these fluids contaminate groundwater supplies, allowing fracking
will also make it more profitable for oil and gas companies to
industrialize vast swaths of grassland, Joshua tree woodland, and oak
woodland to energy exploration.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXGLYlGXP8HA93EwDXdAOA0iOVtjxF73UQy4_-yTaChHkC20ora4om495VwaEQZ2WBZVfKRT6HSqtw5cLWgsSWQEhxvrNgqz_ewJox_n_xqN5Va6KwfWL2sWsovYcEzrdeRx9_DGMazy9Q/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-09-12+at+7.34.36+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="1234" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXGLYlGXP8HA93EwDXdAOA0iOVtjxF73UQy4_-yTaChHkC20ora4om495VwaEQZ2WBZVfKRT6HSqtw5cLWgsSWQEhxvrNgqz_ewJox_n_xqN5Va6KwfWL2sWsovYcEzrdeRx9_DGMazy9Q/s640/Screen+Shot+2018-09-12+at+7.34.36+PM.png" width="578" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Department of Interior map showing proposed area where hydraulic fracturing, also known as "fracking," would be allow in California grasslands, oak woodland and Joshua tree woodland. Full map available <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/388475254/California-Fracking-Map" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div>
Oil
and gas fracking in this area would bring miles of access roads, well
pads, and evaporation ponds containing toxic chemicals harmful to
wildlife. Not to mention the additional greenhouse gas emissions that
such drilling would enable, worsening the ongoing impacts of climate
change on wildlife and humans alike. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIXdnPQF63zE7XCa2rtnk4KrPU7GY8LZSCrBKVWCYP7hFHT71pOFm2H-qFLLyLtPRLQSgyZ-yKYuypCYmffZeVGd1zg_Fsm3GpLboUYPW5w0oBbV5GyIVfYp8cFuiZcbXM1GTqI5B1pIni/s1600/5453897342_5dc6c02428_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="591" data-original-width="900" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIXdnPQF63zE7XCa2rtnk4KrPU7GY8LZSCrBKVWCYP7hFHT71pOFm2H-qFLLyLtPRLQSgyZ-yKYuypCYmffZeVGd1zg_Fsm3GpLboUYPW5w0oBbV5GyIVfYp8cFuiZcbXM1GTqI5B1pIni/s640/5453897342_5dc6c02428_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Natural gas well pads scar the landscape with widespread destruction in Wyoming. Photo cred: Peter Aengst.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Particularly
hard hit would be the wildlands north of Tehachapi stretching all the
way up to Lake Isabella. Multiple habitat types would be affected, and
such a broad swath of these lands could end up being converted to oil
and gas fields that the cumulative development could impede wildlife movement and migration. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The proposal to allow hydraulic
fracturing in these areas is wrong for many reasons. Although the
initial scoping period has closed, the Bureau of Land Management will
again solicit public input on the proposal. You can send your comments
to <a href="mailto:blm_ca_bkfo_oil_gas_update@blm.gov" target="_blank">blm_ca_bkfo_oil_gas_update@<wbr></wbr>blm.gov</a> and keep up-to-date by monitoring the BLM website <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/planAndProjectSite.do?methodName=dispatchToPatternPage&currentPageId=149606" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Corporate extraction of natural gas and other fossil fuels releases potent greenhouse gasses that are contributing to extreme weather patterns. Among these emissions is methane, which is up to 32 times more <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric_methane" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">harmful</a> than carbon dioxide as a heat-trapping gas. A Colorado State University <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/the-u-s-natural-gas-industry-is-leaking-way-more-methane-than-previously-thought" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">study</a> found that the process of producing natural gas emits far more methane than previously estimated. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Shaun G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15851941188361133949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311929704697522769.post-77608680438962418172018-08-20T19:37:00.003-07:002018-08-23T07:58:56.834-07:00Gemini Solar Project Threatens Vibrant EcosystemThe <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/planAndProjectSite.do?methodName=dispatchToPatternPage&currentPageId=149502" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gemini Solar</a> project proposed for desert wildlands next to the Valley of Fire State Park could displace or kill over 260 desert tortoises and dozens of kit foxes, American badgers and western burrowing owls, according to recently released wildlife surveys (<a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/386667362/Gemini-Solar-Spring-2018-Survey-Report" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">1</a>, <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/386667438/Gemini-Solar-DETO-Fall-2017-Survey-Report" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">2</a>). Climate change poses an urgent threat to these same wildlife, but it is inexcusable to bulldoze wildlands to install the same solar panels that can just as easily be installed on rooftops or already-disturbed lands. If we are destroying wildlands to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, then we are perpetuating the stunningly short-sighted sacrifice of nature to continue feeding otherwise unsustainable consumption, despite readily available options that have much lower impact on wildlife.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiISzDUg-_rak9y2dOPJHS5U2Jn8FhA3ic45TWI_B721J-eP0fI6DE8gA8QOAyCFIujdCMy6u5InaBOe-y7A12ppjXme7DiJMUnkzLAduobAs9zq_gDPycVspDUsM4r3wkQzyud48hEoYCM/s1600/programs_fishwildlife_wildlife_featuredproject_utah_kitfox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="831" data-original-width="1274" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiISzDUg-_rak9y2dOPJHS5U2Jn8FhA3ic45TWI_B721J-eP0fI6DE8gA8QOAyCFIujdCMy6u5InaBOe-y7A12ppjXme7DiJMUnkzLAduobAs9zq_gDPycVspDUsM4r3wkQzyud48hEoYCM/s640/programs_fishwildlife_wildlife_featuredproject_utah_kitfox.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nearly 100 active desert kit fox burrows were recorded during surveys of the proposed Gemini Solar project site. Nearly a dozen burrowing owls were also spotted during surveys. Photo by BLM.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="color: #073763;"><b>Wildlife Surveys Highlight Poor Location Choice for Solar Project</b></span><br />
<br />
Biologists conducted two surveys in <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/386667362/Gemini-Solar-Spring-2018-Survey-Report" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">2018</a> and <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/386667438/Gemini-Solar-DETO-Fall-2017-Survey-Report" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">2017</a> and discovered that the proposed Gemini Solar project site currently hosts a diverse array of wildlife. Based on the surveys, biologists estimate that nearly <b>260 desert tortoises</b> likely inhabit the proposed solar project site. Biologists also encountered <b>99 active desert kit fox burrows</b>, spotted <b>11 burrowing owls</b>, <b>29 American badger burrows</b>, and found sign that <b>desert bighorn sheep</b> have used the area. All of these animals will be displaced or killed if the project is constructed. The public is awaiting additional surveys on the project's potential impact on bird and plant life. For desert tortoises that are relocated, <a href="https://insider.si.edu/2017/05/smithsonian-study-shows-relocated-desert-tortoises-reproduce-lower-rate/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">studies </a>have shown that they reproduce at a lower rate and may suffer from lower survival rates due to increased vulnerability to predation and exposure to the elements. Burrowing owls and kit foxes likely would be hazed until they leave the area, and it is reasonable to expect that the stresses they endure finding a new home could result in mortality.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL3tGdBizw3-5fKvWFww7rTQLzzQ2TlVSWtYeTrJdLxEBTS5bK6qqGkxmwbRdLAdNTJHrqq6-LPZ1vzE0UhozUySs9G7QPeemTy2Ziw4oevCByUF0WC6HZFmEWqCkk68dSarBWP7-l2_xr/s1600/Burrowing_Owlb_713x410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="713" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL3tGdBizw3-5fKvWFww7rTQLzzQ2TlVSWtYeTrJdLxEBTS5bK6qqGkxmwbRdLAdNTJHrqq6-LPZ1vzE0UhozUySs9G7QPeemTy2Ziw4oevCByUF0WC6HZFmEWqCkk68dSarBWP7-l2_xr/s320/Burrowing_Owlb_713x410.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burrowing Owl. <br />
Photo from USFWS.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Most desert wildlife species are already being harmed by the effects of climate change. Destroying their habitat for energy projects is only going to compound those effects and reduce the resilience of their remaining populations. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/13/opinion/sunday/the-global-solution-to-extinction.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Studies </a>on endangered wildlife often emphasize that protecting remaining habitat is one of the most important steps we can take to improve their chances of survival. The most important step to combat climate change is to switch to clean energy. Balancing the two requires us to chart a smart and sustainable deployment of clean energy that does not involve wholesale destruction of pristine habitat with every solar or wind project that we build. The Gemini Solar project is a poster child of what <i>not</i> to do.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLR4i-ivOjz9l9-itNq4ZVBoqqkeKkCxq84RDXZ8ZUCHxK50a8vbfupx0lFiDmzmsrLpyQU4UatDdgv5owdCeagfuHqMK4mEHr0euwwY_WqYKEvuroob5ea6U0xKUsCmkGNXBjkWHLyoiA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-08-20+at+9.14.46+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1317" data-original-width="1322" height="636" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLR4i-ivOjz9l9-itNq4ZVBoqqkeKkCxq84RDXZ8ZUCHxK50a8vbfupx0lFiDmzmsrLpyQU4UatDdgv5owdCeagfuHqMK4mEHr0euwwY_WqYKEvuroob5ea6U0xKUsCmkGNXBjkWHLyoiA/s640/Screen+Shot+2018-08-20+at+9.14.46+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Screenshot of a map from the project plan of development, showing its location northeast of Las Vegas.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div>
<span style="color: #073763;"><b>Project Would Represent Significant Extension of Industrial Zone</b></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Several
large solar projects have already been built northeast of Las Vegas
along Interstate-15 on land that was mostly wild in character as of
2010. The Department of Interior established the Dry Lake Solar Energy
Zone as a means to confine solar
sprawl to a 9 square mile area of public lands deemed appropriate
for energy development. However, completed solar projects
already sprawl well outside of the Solar Energy Zone, and pending
projects threaten to further convert a much larger swath of desert into a de
facto industrial zone.<br />
<br />
In addition to the Gemini Solar project, developers are planning at least four others in the area: <a href="https://invenergyllc.com/news/mgm-resorts-international-and-invenergy-announce-the-development-of-a-100-megawatt-solar-array" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Invenergy'</a>s project in the Solar Energy Zone, the <a href="https://www.8minutenergy.com/2018/05/8minutenergy-nv-energy-announce-largest-solar-project-ever-tribal-land/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Eagle Shadow Mountain Solar</a> project on the Moapa River Indian Reservation, the <a href="http://clearinghouse.nv.gov/public/Notice/2018/E2018-147.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Red Flats Solar</a> project, and the <a href="http://clearinghouse.nv.gov/public/Notice/2018/E2018-145.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Red Valley Lands Solar</a> project. If all are built,
much of the landscape between the northeastern edge of Las Vegas and the
Muddy River would be dominated by energy projects. That is a 30 mile span nearly equal to the diameter of
the urban sprawl of Vegas itself. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<iframe height="480" src="https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/embed?mid=1YvNS7o7xh0lN6QrQWwI9jwhQ9URUreiF&z=9" width="680"></iframe>
</div>
<div>
<br />
<span style="color: #073763;"><b>Rooftop Solar Potential Left Untapped</b></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
According to a National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/386669237/Rooftop-Solar-Photovoltaic-Technical-Potential-in-the-United-States-A-Detailed-Assessment" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">study</a>, Nevada's buildings have the technical potential to host 8,700 megawatts of solar generation capacity, yet Nevada is barely about to reach <a href="https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/rooftop-solar-installations-nearing-trigger-for-lower-reimbursement-rates" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">80 megawatts </a>of installed rooftop solar under its net-metering program. The state is rushing to carve up its open wildlands when it has barely leveraged the more sustainable alternative of covering rooftops with the same solar panels that energy companies want to install on desert tortoise habitat. The NREL study did not even include the potential to install solar over parking lots or pair those installations with battery storage, which would significantly boost Nevada's clean and sustainable energy portfolio.<br />
<br />
Nevada residents should urge their elected officials to bolster incentives for distributed solar generation on rooftops and over parking lots. Nevada could expand its net-metering incentives to encourage more rooftop solar, and put in place policies that require or incentivize solar on new buildings and over parking lots.<br />
<br />
<b>The public can also comment on the BLM's review of the Gemini Solar project at the BLM's <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/planAndProjectSite.do?methodName=dispatchToPatternPage&currentPageId=149502" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">website</a>.</b><br />
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<br />
<i>The map below shows the results of the 2017 desert tortoise survey of the proposed Gemini Solar project site. The map only depicts a portion of the total project site. Green circles represent locations where live tortoises were observed.</i></div>
<iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="1.2941176470588236" data-auto-height="false" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_89369" scrolling="no" src="https://www.scribd.com/embeds/386675165/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&access_key=key-SPtaucBLf28QTbTQZfWW&show_recommendations=true" title="Gemini Solar Tortoise Survey Map" width="100%"></iframe>
Shaun G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15851941188361133949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311929704697522769.post-38483703089532530422018-08-08T17:14:00.003-07:002018-08-20T18:45:22.518-07:00Nevada Outdoor Enthusiasts and Conservation Groups Losing GroundNevadans are poised to lose access to <i>hundreds of square miles</i> of desert and mountain wildlands over the next few years, and elected officials appear to be looking the other way. The crush of proposals to convert desert and mountain wildlands into sprawling solar and wind facilities, natural gas drilling fields, expanded military bases, and urban sprawl has left outdoor enthusiasts' efforts divided as they chase each individual threat. When desert communities in neighboring California faced a similar onslaught, the chorus of concern prompted policy changes at the local, State and Federal level to better guide development and protect desert wildlands and rural areas. No such rescue effort appears on the horizon in Nevada.<br />
<br />
Nevada's wildlands are treasured by hikers, backcountry 4x4 groups, hunters, campers, astronomers, photographers, wildlife-watchers, mountain bikers, rockhounds
and a myriad of others. The outdoor experience they cherish is one of
vast landscapes where nature is the dominant force shaping the land, and
not humans. But that treasure, and the ecosystems and wildlife that
compose that experience, may be substantially diminished in our lifetime
if even a fraction of these proposals are approved. <br />
<br />
The map below depicts the approximate boundaries of a sampling of proposals that would negatively affect Nevada's wildlands.<br />
<br />
<iframe height="480" src="https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/embed?mid=1G2U6WLF1uWHTiNmq-qmLWJYrlBTpsFoo&z=8" width="680"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Clark County on June 20 voted to support a plan that could transfer more than <a href="https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/clark-county-sends-public-lands-resolution-to-congress-despite-concerns-from-environmentalists-off-road-racers" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b>68 square miles </b></a>of public lands to private use for development of warehouses and housing tracts, despite widespread opposition from the off-road vehicle, outdoor and conservation communities.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Nellis Air Force Base plans to take over nearly <b><a href="https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/bombs-bighorn-sheep-and-irregular-warfare-the-debate-over-a-300000-acre-expansion-of-an-air-force-training-range" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">471 square miles</a> </b>of public lands to expand its already-sprawling Test and Training Range. The proposal would shut the public out of popular trails and dirt roads, including a large swath of the Desert National Wildlife Refuge.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Sweden-based Eolus Wind Plans to industrialize nearly<b> <a href="http://www.mojavepreserve.org/news/2018/4/27/wind-project-threatens-mojave-wildlands" target="_blank">50 square miles</a></b> of famed Joshua tree woodland west of Searchlight for its Crescent Peak Wind project. The turbines would be visible from significant portions of the historic Mojave Road and jeopardize prized hunting areas. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Gemini Solar would bulldoze nearly <a href="https://lasvegassun.com/news/2018/jul/17/1-billion-solar-farm-near-apex-could-feature-batte/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b>11 square miles</b> </a>of prime desert tortoise habitat neighboring Valley of Fire State Park. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The US Forest Service plans to open up nearly <b><a href="https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2018/ruby-mountains-oil-and-gas-08-02-2018.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">84 square miles</a> </b>of the Ruby Mountains in northern Nevada to oil and gas drilling.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>A private developer wants to build nearly 150,000 homes and several golf courses at Coyote Springs, northeast of Las Vegas. The plan would destroy nearly <b><a href="https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/groundwater-concerns-and-desert-development-clash-again-at-coyote-springs-and-in-court" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">62 square miles </a></b>of mostly intact habitat and jeopardize groundwater supplies. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The Yellow Pine Solar project would bulldoze over <a href="http://www.basinandrangewatch.org/Yellow-Pine-Solar.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b>4.6 square miles</b></a> of
desert wildlands south of Pahrump, including long-lived Mojave yucca. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The Navy wants to expand its Fallon Range Training Complex by incorporating nearly 944 square miles of public lands. About <a href="https://frtcmodernization.com/Proposed-Action/Land-Range-Expansion-and-Renewal" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b>610 square miles</b></a> of this proposed expansion would be closed to the public.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Sandstone Solar project would blanket over <b><a href="http://www.mojavedesertblog.com/2017/10/proposed-solar-project-could-run-into.html" target="_blank">25 square miles</a> </b>of desert
wildlands north of Tonopah with mirrors and solar power towers that pose
a threat to resident and migratory birds. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Invenergy plans to build a <b><a href="https://invenergyllc.com/news/mgm-resorts-international-and-invenergy-announce-the-development-of-a-100-megawatt-solar-array" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">1 square mile</a> </b>solar project in the Dry Lake Solar Energy Zone northeast of Las Vegas. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The Sunshine Valley Solar project would destroy <a href="http://www.mojavedesertblog.com/2018/04/the-curious-case-of-clapper-rail-and.html" target="_blank"><b>1.25 square miles</b></a> of private desert wildlands adjacent to Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, posing a potential threat to endangered bird species. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The Red Valley Lands Solar project would destroy approximately <b>3.1 square miles</b> <b>(<a href="http://clearinghouse.nv.gov/public/Notice/2018/E2018-145.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">.pdf)</a></b> of wildlands near Moapa. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The Red Flats Solar project would destroy over <b>6 square miles (<a href="http://clearinghouse.nv.gov/public/Notice/2018/E2018-147.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">.pdf)</a> </b>of desert habitat in the Moapa Valley.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The Techren Solar project would destroy over <b><a href="http://174powerglobal.com/our-projects/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">3.6 square miles</a> </b>of desert land in the El Dorado Valley.</li>
</ul>
<span style="color: #073763;"><b>Interior Drops Stewardship for Public Lands Giveaway</b></span><br />
<br />
Planning for our desert wildlands usually involves public participation,
but the piecemeal approach to considering individual proposals has so
far neglected consideration for the big picture. The BLM and Nevada authorities may conduct environmental reviews for each of these proposals, but our elected officials have not yet put the brakes on what is becoming a giveaway of our public lands.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiK-Gd5QxJr2KFwFvlPFmC9jWkpLmH1ACtpWB4sZs8JmGIv_5i8-c62iEgEA9lYii82zG8fqXIyYpL4YqRfJ9Jh7YXjTAMhXLG0kksl7M7O18DrzJhOwE6ILVPosoRFgkQZYfR8T8FjIm0/s1600/20170528-SVG_5227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiK-Gd5QxJr2KFwFvlPFmC9jWkpLmH1ACtpWB4sZs8JmGIv_5i8-c62iEgEA9lYii82zG8fqXIyYpL4YqRfJ9Jh7YXjTAMhXLG0kksl7M7O18DrzJhOwE6ILVPosoRFgkQZYfR8T8FjIm0/s640/20170528-SVG_5227.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A lonely desert road beckons for exploration in southern Nevada. If BLM approves the Crescent Peak Wind project, this area will be filled with nearly 200 wind turbines.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
The Las Vegas
Resource Management Plan (RMP), which would typically consider the balance of
competing demands for public lands in a more holistic fashion for the southern Nevada region, is
overdue and probably will not be completed until piecemeal decisions are
made regarding many of the major proposals that will negatively impact
our wildlands and the outdoor recreation opportunities that they afford.
In fact, the initial draft of the RMP was released in 2014. It has been four years since that draft was released; it is not clear when BLM will issue a revised draft for public comment. Meanwhile, Interior and local officials continue to approve the destruction of desert wildlands.<br />
<br />
When California's desert wildlands faced a similar rush of proposals to build energy projects, public outcry prompted the drafting and implementation of the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP), as well as rules at the county level that identified where industrial developers could build and which are to be protected for ecological or recreation values. Although the DRECP is not considered perfect, it set aside vast swaths of public lands for conservation Nothing of the sort has been publicly proposed in Nevada.<br />
<br />
The status quo is not acceptable. Nevada's intact public lands are a treasure. They protect incredible biodiversity and offer us the ability to immerse ourselves in true wilderness. Anybody who has spent time on the East Coast of the United States, where urban development finds its way into nearly every open valley and where public lands are minimal, knows that these wildlands are special. We must protect these places in the southwest where we can drive for miles on a quiet dirt road and look out upon a landscape that keeps us humble to nature. It would be a horrible legacy to pass on if future generations find just another shopping center or industrial zone around every bend in the road.<br />
<br />
Next time you talk to your elected representatives, make sure they know that you value intact wildlands.<br />
<ul>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
Shaun G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15851941188361133949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311929704697522769.post-73992496446012772052018-08-02T17:58:00.000-07:002018-08-26T17:06:31.786-07:00Should Orange County Get Mojave Groundwater?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQpGsxrduVEo5chXNEiqqPjLRBcbWCdjaTzsh2TM43w8bruNTl05nN1yxvivuc9FG2URBF05kA0OU4yfliJrdIJp7o5DM_KSjhmdzutJvqFGM3OexokvcH__jV6pUJZnAf2gQpnflYNWqN/s1600/20170526-SVG_3996.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQpGsxrduVEo5chXNEiqqPjLRBcbWCdjaTzsh2TM43w8bruNTl05nN1yxvivuc9FG2URBF05kA0OU4yfliJrdIJp7o5DM_KSjhmdzutJvqFGM3OexokvcH__jV6pUJZnAf2gQpnflYNWqN/s320/20170526-SVG_3996.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Bonanza Spring in the Mojave </i></td></tr>
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<b>UPDATE - August 26th, 2018: </b> California State Senator Richard Roth just introducted SB120, a companion bill to AB1000, that would have the same effect: ensure proper environmental review of the Cadiz groundwater pumping scheme. Please call California State Senate leader Toni Atkins' office and ask her to make SB120 a priority. You can reach her office at <strong> </strong>(916) 651-4039. <br />
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The Cadiz company intends to pump 16 billion gallons of water a year for 50 years from the Mojave desert and sell it to a water district in Orange County. This plan would harm natural springs that dozens of species of wildlife depend upon for survival, according to a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15275922.2018.1448909?journalCode=uenf20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">peer-reviewed study</a>. The California legislature has one more opportunity to put an end to this terrible idea if it can pass <a href="https://a43.asmdc.org/press-releases/friedman-unveils-bill-protect-mojave-desert" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Assembly Bill 1000</a> (AB1000). The bill was introduced in Sacramento last year and would require additional scrutiny of plans by the company to export desert groundwater for profit. If you are a California resident, you can call the office of State Senator and Appropriations
Committee Chair Anthony Portantino at (916) 651-4025 and ask that he
release AB1000 for a vote. You can also call your <a href="http://www.legislature.ca.gov/your_legislator.html" target="_blank">State Assembly Member and State Senator </a>and tell them you support Assembly Bill 1000.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_LBRB_1KklFclYk9mvkzvIi8zIRTD4pB8y8_akcQmz3HDHak-cw4NjxXD0Kr0sJ2863Yj499KcxgHEAvPjJ2RK9taOP-eZTPFCzLMvSPmW-0KiForNFmSry_6fzsugJ8yk3Cxce9GZUF2/s1600/Cadiz+map.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_LBRB_1KklFclYk9mvkzvIi8zIRTD4pB8y8_akcQmz3HDHak-cw4NjxXD0Kr0sJ2863Yj499KcxgHEAvPjJ2RK9taOP-eZTPFCzLMvSPmW-0KiForNFmSry_6fzsugJ8yk3Cxce9GZUF2/s640/Cadiz+map.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This graphic by the National Parks Conservation Association sums it up. A for-profit company wants to sell water that lies beneath our national parks and monuments, and sell it to Orange County residents to water lawns and golf courses.</td></tr>
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Cadiz's absurd plan has benefited from <a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-cadiz-apollo-20180307-story.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">shady connections</a> with officials in the Department of Interior and through <a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-mh-the-cadiz-water-scheme-20151007-column.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">payments</a> it has made to elected officials. But pumping a desert aquifer is not a sustainable source of water, especially considering that cities in Orange County could invest more in water efficiency programs and lawn removal efforts to reduce its overall water waste.<br />
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If Cadiz begins pumping Mojave water, the consequences could be dire. Lowering the groundwater levels in the Mojave would result in natural springs drying up. These natural springs sometimes consist of nothing but a trickle of water above ground, but that is enough to sustain herds of desert bighorn sheep, migratory birds, coyotes, badgers and many other desert species. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcFiLJ_dBfoSmbyP1a7oFxKE6iJ8ewZMfFj1I79tGsm9H8_fenX2axFe7e5slownvBBvi0xVSYLwYPZtnLoso8g_PzKNItbZuu-zvsj26q4xvQoWMZdNJZVL1PYW5s2Qe51KbUcwoU8V0X/s1600/Cadiz+infographic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="517" data-original-width="1600" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcFiLJ_dBfoSmbyP1a7oFxKE6iJ8ewZMfFj1I79tGsm9H8_fenX2axFe7e5slownvBBvi0xVSYLwYPZtnLoso8g_PzKNItbZuu-zvsj26q4xvQoWMZdNJZVL1PYW5s2Qe51KbUcwoU8V0X/s640/Cadiz+infographic.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A graphic from the Mojave Desert Land Trust that shows how natural springs are affected by groundwater pumping. [Click on image to expand.]</td></tr>
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A two minute phone call to your <a href="http://www.legislature.ca.gov/your_legislator.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">state legislators</a> and State Senator Anthony Portantino's office ((916) 651-4025) could help protect our natural springs from needless waste.Shaun G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15851941188361133949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311929704697522769.post-14083385279995342822018-08-01T18:40:00.001-07:002018-08-01T19:18:44.495-07:00Wind Project Expected to Jeopardize Eagles, Mule Deer, BighornA preliminary study released by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) further underscores that the proposed Crescent Peak Wind project will spoil an outdoor gem in southern Nevada, threatening a golden eagle hot spot and impeding mule deer and bighorn sheep habitat. The Sweden-based wind company hopes to begin construction of this project on public lands by next year if it can secure BLM's approval.<br />
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<i><span style="color: #073763;"><b>Study Shows Turbines Would Jeopardize Golden Eagles</b></span></i><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd84e4zKh9u3sY0uf80UPbihCLUMbPN8Q8wIPZaRekxCUsfI0jpgsl3Zk6h1F9xgjddHX6iurUkuYUHTHaQW1evrxKKwGoxWM562rm-37molbXBXR_N-IQTDf9TTfS-SjMozG_uOJ1_il_/s1600/Golden+Eagle+USFWS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="732" data-original-width="1024" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd84e4zKh9u3sY0uf80UPbihCLUMbPN8Q8wIPZaRekxCUsfI0jpgsl3Zk6h1F9xgjddHX6iurUkuYUHTHaQW1evrxKKwGoxWM562rm-37molbXBXR_N-IQTDf9TTfS-SjMozG_uOJ1_il_/s400/Golden+Eagle+USFWS.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golden eagle. Photo by USFWS</td></tr>
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The <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/385246249/Avian-Report-Crescent-Peak-Wind-Nevada" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">study</a>, contracted by project developer <a href="https://www.eolusvind.com/business/market/the-united-states/?lang=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Eolus Wind</a>, erroneously downplays the potential impact on golden eagles. However, the data presented shows that golden eagles use the proposed project site extensively. According to the preliminary study, nearly 118 golden eagle nests were identified within ten miles of the proposed project. During the surveys golden eagles were spotted flying above the proposed project site 36 times. The data clearly establishes that golden eagles frequently use the area for forage, and fly at heights that would put them in direct harm of impact with any wind turbines installed on the site.<br />
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<iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.7729220222793488" data-auto-height="false" frameborder="0" height="760" id="doc_35471" scrolling="no" src="https://www.scribd.com/embeds/385246249/content?start_page=21&view_mode=scroll&access_key=key-MUA0SK6tlgSOXnuUwbZl&show_recommendations=true" title="Avian Report Crescent Peak Wind Nevada" width="570"></iframe>
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<i>Page 21 of the report above depicts the paths of golden eagles detected over the proposed project site during surveys. Yellow and orange lines are golden eagle flight paths, and the Xs mark locations of proposed wind turbines.</i> <br />
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The birds are protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, although wind developers have been <a href="https://www.windpowerengineering.com/projects/environmental/usfws-hopes-new-eagle-permit-rules-will-benefit-wind-energy/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">given a pass to kill</a> these majestic birds. The Crescent Peak area has been identified as hosting an above-average concentration of golden eagle nests based on separate Nevada Department of Wildlife survey. However, the Department of Interior has pressed full steam ahead on a process to approve the wind developer's plans to cover nearly <a href="http://www.mojavepreserve.org/news/2018/4/27/wind-project-threatens-mojave-wildlands" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">50 square miles</a> of public lands with giant wind turbines and wide access roads despite posing a clear threat to the golden eagles here.<br />
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<i><span style="color: #073763;"><b>Mule Deer and Bighorn Sheep Lose Habitat as Turbines Rise</b></span></i><br />
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Wildlife experts also fear that the Crescent Peak Wind project will negatively affect the forage and movement of mule deer and desert bighorn sheep. According to the recently released study, mule deer were detected on the site, and the BLM has identified portions of the project site as crucial desert bighorn sheep habitat. Desert bighorn are iconic denizens of the Mojave and mule deer are a big draw for hunters in this corner of Nevada and neighboring California.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTWh14YFNKD5521-xBlCfe6q4Dvp2y8gHThnYkRusB7ECwy4fXGIuAz9dI1NcAKKvzG1LAoOzDykJpdh2IIVKZfmN5AwTEHxdAMMuKJGI3L-WiBH2U5FirY0saOiJgUVHPIcf-lKfD0rwc/s1600/Mule+Deer+MNP.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTWh14YFNKD5521-xBlCfe6q4Dvp2y8gHThnYkRusB7ECwy4fXGIuAz9dI1NcAKKvzG1LAoOzDykJpdh2IIVKZfmN5AwTEHxdAMMuKJGI3L-WiBH2U5FirY0saOiJgUVHPIcf-lKfD0rwc/s400/Mule+Deer+MNP.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A game camera image of a mule deer in the Mojave National Preserve, which neighbors the proposed Crescent Peak Wind project site. Photo by NPS.</td></tr>
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Noisy and tall wind turbines are likely to spook mule deer and bighorn
sheep, potentially impeding movement of the animals between the New York
Mountains and the McCullough Range. The project could involve up to 220 wind turbines each towering over 400 feet high. And the developer would need to carve nearly 93 miles of wide access roads into the Joshua tree woodland, big enough for large trucks to haul massive turbine components to each turbine location.<br />
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According to multiple studies, mule deer and other large herbivores react poorly to energy development in their habitat. Mule deer have been known avoid habitat overtaken by natural gas well pads and other human disturbance (sources: <a href="http://wyocoopunit.org/projects/effects-of-human-disturbance-on-the-nutritional-ecology-of-mule-deer" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">1</a>, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.2193/2008-478" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">2</a>, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/gcb.13711" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">3</a>, <a href="https://www.eenews.net/stories/1059941286" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">4</a>), and a European study found that roe deer specifically avoided towering wind turbines (<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10661-017-6018-z" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">1</a>). Hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts can expect that the Crescent Peak Wind project will negatively impact mule deer and desert bighorn sheep populations in this region spanning the California and Nevada border.<br />
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Not only will wildlife lose habitat, but outdoor enthusiasts lose access to what is presently a beautiful corner of the Mojave Desert that offers spectacular opportunities for primitive and unconfined recreation. As the Mojave National Preserve Conservancy points out, the project would industrialize a vast swath of what is one of the<a href="http://www.mojavepreserve.org/news/2018/4/27/wind-project-threatens-mojave-wildlands" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> largest Joshua tree woodlands </a>in the world. There is simply no need to sacrifice these wildlands for wind energy when we can generate clean energy through solar on rooftops and over parking lots. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix9eyAdWSAuGx4gOFbeFuMRyeTRAa_oczbjtrhCBMEPYz8uxtFsmJiw6myiHimRTcibzQCwV41891EAya4MkkonuOGhUwUE7n3lKd1jaSaDrCVSUSgLEDTtt4XQ5f7EvqDtsUWv_JtBz__/s1600/Proposed%252BCrescent%252BPeak%252BWind%252BMap.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="910" data-original-width="1600" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix9eyAdWSAuGx4gOFbeFuMRyeTRAa_oczbjtrhCBMEPYz8uxtFsmJiw6myiHimRTcibzQCwV41891EAya4MkkonuOGhUwUE7n3lKd1jaSaDrCVSUSgLEDTtt4XQ5f7EvqDtsUWv_JtBz__/s640/Proposed%252BCrescent%252BPeak%252BWind%252BMap.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The map shows the location fo the proposed Crescent Peak Wind project site, west of Searchlight, Nevada, and east of Nipton and the Mojave National Preserve in California. [Click on image to expand]</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvz3ZMGoF7VzXBGG0MlK4g-nEQPnho59WcI8NsABqzm1EQ7nAnOSe_bOm0gQNtENsNqSgrJbEMqPRyoDD7gnx-g1xoiFlRxABxn_-HPVsEcrAqL7mzO6wSShBV1h9LFRrJivCcRmK4Zj2/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-08-01+at+9.22.04+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="892" data-original-width="1600" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvz3ZMGoF7VzXBGG0MlK4g-nEQPnho59WcI8NsABqzm1EQ7nAnOSe_bOm0gQNtENsNqSgrJbEMqPRyoDD7gnx-g1xoiFlRxABxn_-HPVsEcrAqL7mzO6wSShBV1h9LFRrJivCcRmK4Zj2/s640/Screen+Shot+2018-08-01+at+9.22.04+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/planAndProjectSite.do?methodName=dispatchToPatternPage&currentPageId=122106" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">BLM </a>photo of a portion of the Crescent Peak Wind project site in Nevada</td></tr>
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<br />Shaun G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15851941188361133949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311929704697522769.post-4355051963070761622018-06-14T18:38:00.000-07:002018-06-14T18:59:45.384-07:00Mojave Road Experience in JeopardyA quintessential rite of passage for Mojave explorers will no longer offer the same journey into unconfined and wild desert that generations of travelers have shared if a Sweden-based company gets its way. A document released by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) under a Freedom of Information Act request indicates that towering wind turbines of the proposed <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/planAndProjectSite.do?methodName=renderDefaultPlanOrProjectSite&projectId=81663&dctmId=0b0003e880f33161" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Crescent Peak Wind </a>project would be visible from a majority of the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/moja/planyourvisit/mojave-road.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mojave Road</a> in the eastern Mojave desert.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgak6bS1dfH8WmDtshOM8Ppwfg-X0Ms8QzJ_TkKY9amYQu3bj5k-qMEKNss-Sqy7QMOaNRxLw7uG_hSB__OoPyUrlIAdHwGh25hd81yebiCjhwT6cGst4IakwIbhD8UjX2AgAYmCB44gJNB/s1600/Mojave+Road+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgak6bS1dfH8WmDtshOM8Ppwfg-X0Ms8QzJ_TkKY9amYQu3bj5k-qMEKNss-Sqy7QMOaNRxLw7uG_hSB__OoPyUrlIAdHwGh25hd81yebiCjhwT6cGst4IakwIbhD8UjX2AgAYmCB44gJNB/s640/Mojave+Road+photo.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mojave Road can be seen in the distance as it snakes its way toward Marl Spring in the Mojave National Preserve. The meandering dirt road provides a wild escape for many to the back country of the desert. But it may no longer feel that way if the Crescent Peak Wind project is approved.</td></tr>
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The Mojave Road is a historic route traversed for centuries by Native Americans, European explorers and present-day adventurers. Much of the route crosses public lands and the natural character of the landscape provides travelers an experience not much different from that of generations past. Joshua trees and creosote bushes dominate the landscape for miles around, with little reminder of the industrial era. But that could change now that the BLM is reviewing an application by Sweden-based company <a href="https://www.eolusvind.com/en/business/market/the-united-states/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Eolus Vind </a>to develop the <a href="https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/local-nevada/searchlight-residents-blast-proposed-wind-turbine-project/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Crescent Peak Wind</a> project in southern Nevada. The project would involve as many as 220 wind turbines, each standing nearly twice as tall as the Statue of Liberty at 591 feet and topped with blinking red lights to warn aircraft at night.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP2Sag4wgReDYko2cmnI8ipSma6jAyffgEoWhv_LNY0870G5q89szfW59Dej8RrM68jlQbOMNOl7OiBc6LT0PQZ9XhOlrGinAEj8n9IVX8zx1PVK_37pHbd0mz1Qzde30_i_9dzM5iCQYa/s1600/Ocotillo-night-light1-crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="344" data-original-width="617" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP2Sag4wgReDYko2cmnI8ipSma6jAyffgEoWhv_LNY0870G5q89szfW59Dej8RrM68jlQbOMNOl7OiBc6LT0PQZ9XhOlrGinAEj8n9IVX8zx1PVK_37pHbd0mz1Qzde30_i_9dzM5iCQYa/s400/Ocotillo-night-light1-crop.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even at night, wind turbines disrupt the previously wild experience of the desert because of a requirement for red beacons to warn aircraft of a hazard. Photo by Basin and Range Watch shows wind turbines near Ocotillo, California.</td></tr>
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A draft map obtained from the BLM depicts how many of the turbines would be visible within a 40 kilometer radius of the wind project. The analysis is incomplete and does not evaluate visual impacts across the entire stretch of the Mojave Road, but extrapolating the data suggests that the Crescent Peak Wind project would be visible from the majority of the Mojave Road between Marl Spring and the Dead Mountains. That means some of the most remote and wild portions of this historic trail will no longer carry that distinction, day or night.<br />
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The red lines in the map below indicate my best estimate of the portions of the Mojave Road from which the Crescent Peak Wind turbines would be visible. As you can see, travelers along the route would likely be distracted by the turbines from most of the distance between the Nevada state line and Marl Spring in the center of the Mojave National Preserve. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtVHDZ6KcFhNuYhI6RyCf7zMF_eTDLojUNZVDWeoskL9CzXMQTWb5o-D3XvgsXLAhPlrSW4yHaExOWU15IuCdQwlpwT4gzV3kIgngpfRu8WDfwHDonZuL8BGfYkZe6kOnAwYPeQrbLw9jn/s1600/Mojave+Road+.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="935" data-original-width="1600" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtVHDZ6KcFhNuYhI6RyCf7zMF_eTDLojUNZVDWeoskL9CzXMQTWb5o-D3XvgsXLAhPlrSW4yHaExOWU15IuCdQwlpwT4gzV3kIgngpfRu8WDfwHDonZuL8BGfYkZe6kOnAwYPeQrbLw9jn/s640/Mojave+Road+.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Crescent Peak Wind project will likely be visible from portions of the Mojave Road marked in red in the map above.</td></tr>
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This assessment is based on the map released by the BLM under a FOIA request, and provided below. The color shading indicates the number of wind turbines visible at various points in the Mojave, up to 40 kilometers from the project. Based on this date, the wind project probably would be visible as far west as Cima Dome and the cinder cones in the Preserve. We should demand that the BLM require the Swedish company to extend this analysis beyond 40 kilometers since the turbines will likely be visible from much further away, especially on clear days or nights when the aircraft hazard lights are illuminated atop each turbine.<br />
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<iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="1.4137931034482758" data-auto-height="false" frameborder="0" height="406" id="doc_97407" scrolling="no" src="https://www.scribd.com/embeds/381830227/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&access_key=key-w1biZ9loNEbuk02VY6Tk&show_recommendations=true" title="Crescent Peak Visual Impacts - FOIA" width="650"></iframe>
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The impact of this wind project cannot be overstated. Crescent Peak Wind is expected to kill <a href="https://www.apnews.com/b8dd6050c702467e8be4b1272a3adc87" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">golden eagles</a> and <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bat-killings-by-wind-energy-turbines-continue/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">bats</a>, and industrialize the largest <a href="http://www.mojavedesertblog.com/2018/03/blm-seeks-public-input-on-wind-project.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Joshua tree forest</a> in the world. It will also interfere with desert bighorn sheep movements across mountain ranges. The desert is where many enjoy the freedom to roam without the reminder of industrial and urban sprawl, whether you are a desert tortoise or a human. The cost of this wind project is too great to accept. We can generate clean energy with solar panels on our rooftops and over parking lots. We do not need to sacrifice our Mojave heritage. <b>Contact your representative in <a href="https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Congress</a> and other elected officials and demand that they oppose the Crescent Peak Wind project in Nevada. You can also register your concern with the Nevada BLM <a href="https://www.blm.gov/contact/nevada" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">State Director</a> at 775-861-6400. </b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrR3YEC2Fx3qtsiLWLK9Cl-W71S6TUWACF-7vvu7OzLaz39jVU3duSd6IIz1WOtJkGsrosZHVJOds73CIb1TnDADpSoTrOM93jM-2RkpiBknnxuwN4DJbpkJM0OMYii8IvtMtMVQ0C9Uiy/s1600/20170528-SVG_5244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrR3YEC2Fx3qtsiLWLK9Cl-W71S6TUWACF-7vvu7OzLaz39jVU3duSd6IIz1WOtJkGsrosZHVJOds73CIb1TnDADpSoTrOM93jM-2RkpiBknnxuwN4DJbpkJM0OMYii8IvtMtMVQ0C9Uiy/s640/20170528-SVG_5244.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This photo was taken from within the proposed Crescent Peak Wind project site in Nevada, looking toward <a href="https://lasvegassun.com/news/1999/oct/05/sacred-spirit-mountain-listed-among-historic-place/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spirit Mountain</a>, considered sacred to 10 Native American tribes and located north of the Mojave Road.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCk4zS-t0C-HOb7F8_PPZodsxAhUZsO6K8JgJP8FP6GHon-dzL1z4Hj4rByTUgu9PZ9F_DsD9o4moNB1lIxWpPqDSJeLKQgCt55aGDCwkSMzq3we8_Yrx-dnC0ku0sF5Vze7o-_Wa-m6kd/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-06-14+at+9.57.26+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="1444" height="576" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCk4zS-t0C-HOb7F8_PPZodsxAhUZsO6K8JgJP8FP6GHon-dzL1z4Hj4rByTUgu9PZ9F_DsD9o4moNB1lIxWpPqDSJeLKQgCt55aGDCwkSMzq3we8_Yrx-dnC0ku0sF5Vze7o-_Wa-m6kd/s640/Screen+Shot+2018-06-14+at+9.57.26+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This map depicts the footprint of the Crescent Peak Wind project. Because many of the turbines would be situated atop the extent of the New York Mountains in Nevada, they would be visible from far away. Map from BLM <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/planAndProjectSite.do?methodName=dispatchToPatternPage&currentPageId=122106" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">scoping materials</a>.</td></tr>
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<br />Shaun G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15851941188361133949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311929704697522769.post-2522389101144855472018-04-14T17:33:00.000-07:002018-04-15T04:40:32.918-07:00The Curious Case of the Clapper Rail and the Solar Project<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyhT3izmMYMmh8qO7byWQ3fQ8_MYHaeih1AbDulEpXvKU3UznHPiACdMJ9Wy85lh-TonrNlqjPkSY82I3EnBaIGELmmiIhhq3JDiRxlV_DetIn31Z4BfArSVhgjusowpgwi07wsgQmfH5f/s1600/01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="469" data-original-width="700" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyhT3izmMYMmh8qO7byWQ3fQ8_MYHaeih1AbDulEpXvKU3UznHPiACdMJ9Wy85lh-TonrNlqjPkSY82I3EnBaIGELmmiIhhq3JDiRxlV_DetIn31Z4BfArSVhgjusowpgwi07wsgQmfH5f/s320/01.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Yuma Ridgway's Rail. Also known as the Yuma Clapper Rail</b><br />
Photo by Courtney Conway, USGS</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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The Department of Interior abruptly changed its assessment regarding the threat posed to the endangered Yuma Ridgway's rail (also called the <i>Yuma Clapper rail</i>) by industrial-scale solar projects, clearing the way for First Solar to build the <a href="http://www.basinandrangewatch.org/Amargosa-SunshineValley.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sunshine Valley Solar </a>project next to one of the bird's few remaining strongholds. In 2014, Interior initially described the potential for the endangered birds to die at the Sunshine Valley Solar project as "likely." The more recent <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/376372146/FWS-Memo-Yuma-Clapper-Rail" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Interior memo</a>, obtained by Basin & Range Watch, now describes the threat as "unquantifiably low." Interior's recent memo does not explain why it downgraded the threat even after two of the endangered birds were found dead at large-scale solar projects in the desert southwest in recent years. <br />
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<span style="color: #073763;"><b>Fewer Than 1,000 Birds Remaining</b></span><br />
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The reclusive <a href="https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp0/profile/speciesProfile?spcode=B00P" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Yuma Ridgway's ail</a> is known to nest and forage in marshes along the Colorado River, the Salton Sea, and at Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. Its historic range likely receded as a result of the construction of dams along the Colorado River and use of the river's water for irrigation that reduced marsh habitat downstream. <br />
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The Yuma Ridgway's rail faces the continued threat of habitat loss from natural and human causes, and the recovery efforts to-date have struggled to show strong improvement in the bird's population. The threat posed by large-scale solar projects built near the bird's habitat is relatively new. The birds may mistake large solar projects with bodies of water because, from a distance, the vast swaths of dark-colored solar panels mimic the unbroken and partially reflective surface of a lake. For that reason, First Solar's plans to build its Sunshine Valley Solar project on over a square mile of desert wildlands next to Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge shows strong disregard for sustainability.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5QtP5t3RFC8irIZbsSpwPFB2lBhbGcLA_vDAKS5rRzRYXgYkQAxmIhqajk28tlgbDB3xfoWyxGTbAqhyrW-ey-vuU_w6RgEl9iC5adMi0LTbYMinqbR3s6ssqX7r5afYEwH-vUelPSAhm/s1600/CopperMtn-lakeeffect.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="327" data-original-width="700" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5QtP5t3RFC8irIZbsSpwPFB2lBhbGcLA_vDAKS5rRzRYXgYkQAxmIhqajk28tlgbDB3xfoWyxGTbAqhyrW-ey-vuU_w6RgEl9iC5adMi0LTbYMinqbR3s6ssqX7r5afYEwH-vUelPSAhm/s400/CopperMtn-lakeeffect.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "lake effect" is evident in this photo of a solar project in Nevada. It almost appears to be a body of water, and this phenomenon may be the reason why so many water birds end up dead at solar projects. Photo by <a href="http://www.basinandrangewatch.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Basin and Range Watch</a>. </td></tr>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><b>First Solar Has Bad Track Record with the Endangered Rails</b></span><br />
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We lack a full understanding of how many endangered birds die at solar facilities because the projects are not searched on a regular basis and scavengers often consume or carry away bird carcasses. However, the two confirmed cases of Yuma rails dying at solar facilities both occurred at First Solar projects built in California. <br />
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The first confirmed death occurred at First Solar's <a href="https://www.kcet.org/redefine/endangered-bird-found-dead-at-desert-solar-power-facility" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Desert Sunlight</a> project, located next to Joshua Tree National Park and nearly 35 miles away from the bird's nearest riparian habitat at the Salton Sea. The fact that the bird ended up dead so far from an actual body of water further suggests that the bird confused the site for a body of water and flew off-course. The second death occurred at First Solar's <a href="https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2014/08/22/solar-plant-agencies-lawsuit/14426871/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Solar Gen 2</a> project not far from the Rail's habitat in the Salton Sea. Because large solar fields are not searched on a regular basis and scavengers often consume or carry away bird carcasses, the total number of rails killed at solar projects is unknown.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEiRwA1c6RUJFJ3tUlRK4cIpoFzkuLruJJDvvsUxnJ_C3Qh3IzFR7GE32a8iHmD4dUYMQAdfiYZTamZW88tGJSMbB4vuy1ewz7HBrVnpnBdWgQGvtLSw3yUpqWstclT5FfREyPnkE2kexi/s1600/Avian-solar-Yuma-Clapper-Rail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="484" data-original-width="627" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEiRwA1c6RUJFJ3tUlRK4cIpoFzkuLruJJDvvsUxnJ_C3Qh3IzFR7GE32a8iHmD4dUYMQAdfiYZTamZW88tGJSMbB4vuy1ewz7HBrVnpnBdWgQGvtLSw3yUpqWstclT5FfREyPnkE2kexi/s400/Avian-solar-Yuma-Clapper-Rail.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A photo of an endangered Yuma Ridgway's rail found dead at the Desert Sunlight Solar project in California. </td></tr>
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The company's decision to propose a solar project next to Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge underscores its lack of concern for wildlife. Ash Meadows' spring-fed ponds provide habitat for over 275 species of resident and migratory birds. Many of these species could end up colliding with First Solar's field of solar panels, mistaking it for one of the natural ponds.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #073763;">Unexplained Reversal Suggests Political Tampering</span></b><br />
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The Department of Interior's lack of scientific explanation for dismissing its previous concern for the fate of endangered birds suggests potential political interference in agency decision-making at the behest of big industry. This would not come as a surprise, since Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke has proposed budget cuts to the Fish and Wildlife Service and has sought to weaken the Endangered Species Act. <br />
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The reversal is nonetheless disturbing because First Solar's Sunshine Valley Solar project would be built so close to Ash Meadows. Dismissing the threat posed by the project to the endangered Rail - after two confirmed deaths at similar solar projects - calls into question Interior's threshold for declaring industrial-scale development a potential threat to protected species.<br />
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In 2014, Interior wrote that large-scale solar projects "present a new source of mortality for Yuma clapper rails," and that the Sunshine Valley Solar project in particular was of concern because "occupied marsh habitat for Yuma clapper rails exists approximately eight miles southeast of the proposed project at Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge." The 2014 letter states that because of the Sunshine Valley Solar project's "proximity . . . to this occupied habitat; the anticipated 25-year life of the project; and the likelihood of dispersing Yuma clapper rails due to limited habitat availability at the Refuge,” that "incidental taking of a Yuma clapper rail is likely."<br />
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In the more recent memo Interior offers no explanation for reversing the 2014 assessment. According to the new memo, "[a]lthough the Sunshine Valley Solar PV facility would be built near occupied Yuma Ridgway's rail habitat at Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, we nevertheless consider the risk of mortality of Yuma Ridgway's rail posed by the project to be unquantifiably low and therefore discountable."<br />
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This abrupt, unexplained reversal is uncharacteristic of the professionals at the Fish and Wildlife Service - which falls under the Department of Interior. Usually, such a shift in opinion would be accompanied by a robust analysis of the threat and what factors changed to support such a shift. It seems highly likely that political appointees in Interior are pressuring Fish and Wildlife Service professionals to weaken protections for even our most endangered species.<br />
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See below for the full copy of the <b>2018</b> memo:<br />
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<p style=" margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block;"> <a title="View 2018 Memo - Yuma Clapper Rail on Scribd" href="https://www.scribd.com/document/376372146/2018-Memo-Yuma-Clapper-Rail#from_embed" style="text-decoration: underline;" >2018 Memo - Yuma Clapper Rail</a> by <a title="View SaveTheDesert's profile on Scribd" href="https://www.scribd.com/user/32298073/SaveTheDesert#from_embed" style="text-decoration: underline;" >SaveTheDesert</a> on Scribd</p><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" title="2018 Memo - Yuma Clapper Rail" src="https://www.scribd.com/embeds/376372146/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&access_key=key-GDPBIJgwSAhsy6aeZAXc&show_recommendations=false" data-auto-height="false" data-aspect-ratio="0.7642069550466497" scrolling="no" id="doc_8421" width="540" height="720" frameborder="0"></iframe>
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And below is the Department of Interior letter from <b>2014</b> laying out detailed concerns with the Sunshine Valley Solar project:<br />
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<p style=" margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block;"> <a title="View 2014 Memo - Yuma Clapper Rail on Scribd" href="https://www.scribd.com/document/376397558/2014-Memo-Yuma-Clapper-Rail#from_embed" style="text-decoration: underline;" >2014 Memo - Yuma Clapper Rail</a> by <a title="View SaveTheDesert's profile on Scribd" href="https://www.scribd.com/user/32298073/SaveTheDesert#from_embed" style="text-decoration: underline;" >SaveTheDesert</a> on Scribd</p><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" title="2014 Memo - Yuma Clapper Rail" src="https://www.scribd.com/embeds/376397558/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&access_key=key-EORUKTCQzUbtc3d8jkhh&show_recommendations=false" data-auto-height="false" data-aspect-ratio="0.7727272727272727" scrolling="no" id="doc_91591" width="540" height="720" frameborder="0"></iframe>
Shaun G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15851941188361133949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311929704697522769.post-85074864063947091222018-03-16T17:12:00.000-07:002018-03-16T17:12:37.217-07:00BLM Seeks Public Input on Wind Project That Would Jeopardize Joshua Tree WoodlandThe Bureau of Land Management is <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/planAndProjectSite.do?methodName=renderDefaultPlanOrProjectSite&projectId=81663#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">seeking public input</a> on a Sweden-based company's plans to replace several thousand acres of public lands in southern Nevada with towering wind turbines and dozens of miles of wide access roads. The <a href="http://www.mojavedesertblog.com/2016/04/wind-project-to-be-crammed-in-amidst.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Crescent Peak Wind</a> project would involve as many as<a href="https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/local-nevada/blm-to-review-massive-wind-farm-planned-near-searchlight/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> 220 </a>wind turbines each standing 410 feet tall. Public comments can be e-mailed to blm_nv_sndo_crescentpeak@blm.gov by June 13.<br />
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I have hiked and camped on the wildlands that would be industrialized by this project. The area hosts a beautiful Joshua tree woodland that is rich with wildlife. The photos below were all taken within the proposed footprint of the Crescent Peak Wind project. The BLM should deny the permit for this wind project, and instead <a href="http://www.basinandrangewatch.org/Castle-Pk-wind.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">protect</a> this area for its amazing biodiversity and opportunities for primitive recreation. <br />
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<br />Shaun G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15851941188361133949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311929704697522769.post-18648588143564706612018-03-13T06:20:00.002-07:002018-03-14T16:39:47.417-07:00Las Vegas Sprawl Plan Would Undermine Wildlands, RecreationLocal officials in Las Vegas have are looking to expand the metropolitan area's urban sprawl much deeper into desert wildlands, encroaching on two National Conservation Areas and bolstering plans for an ill-conceived major airport south of the city that would send air traffic over the Mojave National Preserve.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKfeLI7jC6tD2v2YB1dPTFdrG-LV5BTa_smDpazaSF5y7ZOYX8JucG-HDTy63QT-9o3El0E3MIdgq4_isg7ScDAZd1aRM5UDsjZ-5da5qKHBPWpcOOZBJIkPkuRhc7ESZEImU8aYQBVdbK/s1600/untitled-79-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1600" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKfeLI7jC6tD2v2YB1dPTFdrG-LV5BTa_smDpazaSF5y7ZOYX8JucG-HDTy63QT-9o3El0E3MIdgq4_isg7ScDAZd1aRM5UDsjZ-5da5qKHBPWpcOOZBJIkPkuRhc7ESZEImU8aYQBVdbK/s320/untitled-79-5.jpg" width="320" /></a>The <a href="https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/clark-county-seeks-federal-bill-as-it-looks-to-open-more-public-lands-for-development" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nevada Independent</a> reported that Clark County - home of Las Vegas - wants Congress to consider legislation that would hand over nearly 62 square miles of public lands to the County for future urban development. The effect of continued urban sprawl would span across much more than just the 62 square miles of land bulldozed for more roads, housing, strip malls and warehouses. For one, urban encroachment would reach the doorstep - or begin to surround - prized recreation areas. Hiking in Sloan Canyon or parts of Red Rock Canyon will be less desirable if the sights and sounds of human develop begin to intrude on areas that currently offer a natural escape from these elements. And any urban development has what is known as an "edge effect," undermining the natural and wild characteristics of surrounding open lands. We can expect increased introduction of invasive plant species, less wildlife diversity, illegal dumping of trash, etc. <br />
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<i><b><br /></b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>The map below is part of the draft Clark County proposal obtained by the Nevada Independent. The areas in black are the public lands currently targeted for "disposal," or acquisition by the County. Areas in red were made available to the County in the 1998 Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act (SNPLMA).</b></i></div>
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<iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.7729220222793488" data-auto-height="false" frameborder="0" height="853" id="doc_39692" scrolling="no" src="https://www.scribd.com/embeds/373429471/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&access_key=key-gtz3wcSxB5FJ5hlOqMU7&show_recommendations=true" title="Clark County Public Land Resolution" width="640"></iframe>
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<br />
The Google map below highlights the approximate locations of proposed sprawl from the Clark County document for easier navigation. Click on the red icons for more information.<br />
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<iframe height="480" src="https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/embed?mid=1V6PPwKk7cQ32b_3_Mcio1wv5nhhhiDuh" width="640"></iframe>
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<br />
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This would be the second major loss of public lands to sprawl in the Las
Vegas region since the last public lands "disposal" bill passed
Congress in 1998, and would also occur around the same time that the Air
Force is requesting to close down hundreds of square miles of <a href="http://www.mojavedesertblog.com/2017/11/will-military-take-over-desert-national.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">public land</a> north of Las Vegas. As you can see in the map above, Clark County still has not even developed the parcels of land afforded to it by the 1998 SNPLMA (shown in red), yet it already plans to imperil more wildlands.<br />
<span style="color: #073763;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #073763;"><b>Sprawl Anchored by a New Airport</b></span><br />
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The largest chunk of public lands targeted by Clark County appears to be a vast swath of desert wildlands extending south of Las Vegas. For at least two decades officials have <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/1998/jun/23/news/mn-62696" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">expressed interest</a> in extending urban sprawl closer to the stateline, anchored by a proposal for a second major airport to be built near Primm and called the Ivanpah Airport. Local officials anticipate that McCarran Airport will eventually fail to accommodate the demand for air transportation to the metropolitan area, and assume that some travelers wont mind flying into an airport over 30 miles south of the Las Vegas Strip.<br />
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The County proposal uncovered by the Nevada Independent would make unspecified adjustments to public lands
to "decrease potential conflicts with necessary infrastructure for a
future supplemental airport," referring to the Ivanpah Airport proposal. Congress granted the County access to the land it needs for the proposed "Ivanpah Airport" site in <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2000/jul/14/news/mn-52998" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">2000</a>,
but most of the open desert between the proposed airport location and
Las Vegas belongs to the public - for now. <br />
<br />
Building the Ivanpah Airport and
opening up nearby lands to commercial developers are County goals that reinforce one another. The County can make a stronger case for a second airport if they can expand sprawl southward, and they can encourage more development on those southern lands if an airport is built that would appeal to commercial and industrial real estate developers.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7CvU5T-zUzDehk7cC7HxQ52hjG3g6RLD-nXzl0HqhZ7ZJT-pecDorGmy3LsNtFT0j5Y4uckLLnNrdh-H_L_CmTiVcsGMx5TqC8lt8u69T4JFkgDR7er5yOdkqsGlkDmrkCqmwsuKrNshP/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-03-09+at+8.29.54+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1205" data-original-width="1600" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7CvU5T-zUzDehk7cC7HxQ52hjG3g6RLD-nXzl0HqhZ7ZJT-pecDorGmy3LsNtFT0j5Y4uckLLnNrdh-H_L_CmTiVcsGMx5TqC8lt8u69T4JFkgDR7er5yOdkqsGlkDmrkCqmwsuKrNshP/s640/Screen+Shot+2018-03-09+at+8.29.54+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A slide in the Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee presentation from 2015 highlights plans for the "Ivanpah Airport" just north of Primm, Nevada. Envisioned as a second major airport for Las Vegas, but located over 30 miles from the Las Vegas Strip.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><b>Wild Escapes in Sloan Canyon, Hidden Valley in Jeopardy</b></span><br />
<b> </b> <br />
Building the Ivanpah Airport and opening up nearby lands to commercial developers would erode the natural qualities of popular recreation areas that currently serve as gateways to the outdoors. Aircraft taking off or landing at the Ivanpah Airport would fly low over Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area (NCA) and even the nearby Mojave National Preserve in California.<br />
<br />
This southern swath of land targeted by the County includes large tracts of land immediately west of the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area (NCA) and the North McCullough Wilderness Area. The proposal would develop much of the <a href="http://www.birdandhike.com/Hike/Sloan/Trailheads-Sloan/TH-HiddenValley/_TH-HiddenV.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hidden Valley </a>area at the southwestern edge of the Sloan Canyon NCA. These intact desert wildlands are a perfect place for primitive recreation, and the location of a trailhead that hikers use to access the southern portion of Sloan Canyon.<br />
<br />
The County proposal would also expand development along the eastern and northeastern border of the Sloan Canyon NCA, including near the Quo Vadis Trailhead and Railroad Pass.<br />
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<span style="color: #073763;"><b>Creeping Closer to Red Rock Canyon </b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju_YVVxiaLma8LaOmJkKcHo31cwKvd4HbLGeTx9P8sQgXYANqA1c6vCtYeMnfFDiwqxBHJO3lcTZbEgndIpXyius5v57gyWI6WNp9tuH1aApvUOO4Ln3mqEkGX1c9k0JYdspG29XAoNkGQ/s1600/Red+Rock+Canyon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1059" data-original-width="1600" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju_YVVxiaLma8LaOmJkKcHo31cwKvd4HbLGeTx9P8sQgXYANqA1c6vCtYeMnfFDiwqxBHJO3lcTZbEgndIpXyius5v57gyWI6WNp9tuH1aApvUOO4Ln3mqEkGX1c9k0JYdspG29XAoNkGQ/s320/Red+Rock+Canyon.JPG" width="320" /></a>Las Vegas residents battling a proposed housing development on the doorstep of Red Rock Canyon NCA would have yet another headache to deal with. The Clark County proposal includes plans for development on a significant swath of public land immediately north of Blue Diamond Road and west of South Fort Apache Road. The proposal would also add development along the northeastern portion of the National Conservation Area, including near Kyle Canyon Road. <br />
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Adding insult to injury, Clark County also wants permission to further increase entrance fees to the 13-mile Red Rock Canyon scenic drive and divert some of the money to County coffers. The County says it would go to offset emergency response costs. Never mind that most of the Red Rock Canyon NCA visitors are Clark County residents that pay local taxes, and the rest are tourists who likely pay "room taxes" and other sales taxes. <br />
<span style="color: #073763;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #073763;"><b>Sprawl Ignores Sustainability Issues and Solutions</b></span><br />
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In addition to the significant loss of additional wildlife habitat and outdoor recreation space, more urban sprawl in the Las Vegas region would stress an already dwindling water supply and add to traffic woes. More frequent and prolonged drought has taken a toll on Las Vegas' primary water supply - Lake Mead. The water level at Lake Mead is so low that <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2016-08-16/feds-see-shortage-in-2018-lake-mead-water-to-arizona-nevada" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">officials decided</a> that they could not deliver the full amount of rationed water to Nevada and Arizona in 2018. Las Vegas wants to tap the groundwater supplies of communities up north, building <a href="https://lasvegassun.com/news/2017/aug/24/judge-sends-las-vegas-water-pipeline-plan-back-to/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">a pipeline</a> that will cost billions of dollars. But even if that ill-conceived pipeline is built, it would be yet another temporary fix to a long-term water scarcity problem.<br />
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Clark County's proposal to expand further into our desert wildlands appears to be ignoring smarter urban planning focused on "infill," or taking advantage of vacant or undeveloped lands within the <i>existing</i> boundaries of the metropolitan area, improving mass transit options and creating a more walkable city. There are plenty of undeveloped parcels of land within Clark County's "beltway," and older developments could be improved with a focus on making neighborhoods more livable. The answer should not always be to bulldoze more desert habitat and privatize our public lands.<br />
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<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="325" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5qGSIqsFa_Y?rel=0" width="640"></iframe>Shaun G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15851941188361133949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311929704697522769.post-68099305479710323352018-02-01T16:58:00.001-08:002018-02-01T17:04:43.731-08:00Trump Planning to Hand Over Desert Wildlands to IndustryThe Trump Administration is expected to initiate an administrative process <a href="https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2018/02/01/trump-could-open-california-desert-more-solar-and-wind-farms-mining-off-roading/1087021001/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this week</a> likely intended to undo protections for public lands in the California desert and allow more large-scale renewable energy projects and mining. A <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/370545085/Draft-Federal-Register-Notice-DRECP-Amendment" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">notice of intent</a> filed by the Department of Interior indicates that its plans to weaken the <a href="http://www.drecp.org/" target="_blank">Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan</a> (DRECP) are driven by unspecified "public concerns," but particularly states that Interior wants to review limitations that the DRECP places on large-scale renewable energy projects, including wind, solar and geothermal. The DRECP was finalized in 2016 after a lengthy public comment and review process that involved extensive consultation between the Department of Interior and State of California.<br />
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<span style="color: #073763;"><b>Undermining our Desert Backcountry</b></span><br />
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The DRECP was initially implemented in response to significant public concern sparked by industry proposals for renewable energy projects that would have destroyed vast swaths of desert wildlands and impeded outdoor recreation. A number of projects have already been approved and built on public lands, with extensive consequences for wildlife. Utility-scale solar and wind projects not only harm wildlife habitat; they also industrialize our desert backcountry that so many people visit seeking a natural, undeveloped landscape for camping, hiking, 4x4 touring, night sky viewing, etc.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR4FPGShUWk4NPL2YXwk_LIBjhhHVB-MFY25ufiAakkp2-Iqm6_nQ1_HaV5DAlR4A_D5HFlTc7KLfFY_VK-E5SYIaV3xGMWjCmVR7Opslv1NPlO3hkn_Pi9uSgi7P0WXxyIQS4ZuXJT7iU/s1600/Ivanpah-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR4FPGShUWk4NPL2YXwk_LIBjhhHVB-MFY25ufiAakkp2-Iqm6_nQ1_HaV5DAlR4A_D5HFlTc7KLfFY_VK-E5SYIaV3xGMWjCmVR7Opslv1NPlO3hkn_Pi9uSgi7P0WXxyIQS4ZuXJT7iU/s400/Ivanpah-6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Large mirrors at the Ivanpah Solar power project sprawl across nearly 5.6 square miles of previously intact desert wildlands. The project is notorious for displacing or killing dozens of threatened <a href="http://www.mojavedesertblog.com/2011/04/revised-biological-assessment-of.html" target="_blank">desert tortoises</a>, <a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-solar-bird-deaths-20160831-snap-story.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">burning birds</a>, and using <a href="http://www.mojavedesertblog.com/2014/06/brightsource-underperforming-adds.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">natural gas</a>. </td></tr>
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The renewable energy industry has long complained about the DRECP, even though the plan still leaves nearly 1,250 square miles of public lands open to utility-scale renewable energy development. The Trump administration's announcement implies that more land may be needed to meet California' demand for renewable energy, and specifically cites California's renewable energy production goals.. But the Trump administration appears blind to the fact that renewable energy development has thrived with the DRECP in place. Smart developers have built massive solar projects on already-disturbed lands in California, and the state has deployed over 6,200 megawatts of rooftop solar.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>If you don't remember what our desert lands faced during the rush of renewable energy projects, here is a map from 2008 published by the Bureau of Land Management. All of the red and yellow polygons represent proposed solar and wind projects. And that was just the opening salvo.</b></i></div>
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<div style="display: block; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto;">
<a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/284120255/Solar-and-Wind-Projects-2008#from_embed" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Solar and Wind Projects - 2008 on Scribd">Solar and Wind Projects - 2008</a> by <a href="https://www.scribd.com/user/32298073/SaveTheDesert#from_embed" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View SaveTheDesert's profile on Scribd">SaveTheDesert</a> on Scribd</div>
<iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.7729220222793488" data-auto-height="false" frameborder="0" height="853" id="doc_92391" scrolling="no" src="https://www.scribd.com/embeds/284120255/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&access_key=key-wAiQixXwzXRjrvsHmsES&show_recommendations=false" title="Solar and Wind Projects - 2008" width="640"></iframe>
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The administration's notice of intent also mentions plans to allow expanded mining. We know that the mining industry has been lobbying Congress and the White House to roll back protections for our desert public lands. Two separate Canadian companies are planning new or expanded gold mines in the California desert - one in <a href="http://www.mojavedesertblog.com/2017/11/proposed-gold-mine-threatens-remote.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Conglomerate Mesa</a> and the other in the Castle Mountains area.<br />
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Although the Trump administration doesn't mention the project specifically, we should also expect to see changes to conservation designations that would make it easier for <a href="http://www.mojavedesertblog.com/2017/04/the-absurdity-of-cadiz-water-export.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cadiz </a>or similar companies to drain desert aquifers and sell the water to cities.<br />
<span style="color: #073763;"><b><br />ACEC's Likely Most Vulnerable</b></span><br />
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Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs) in the California desert probably will be the most vulnerable to elimination or weakening by the Trump administration. These designations mostly limit the amount of land within the ACEC that can be destroyed for industrial-scale energy and mining projects, but still allow most recreation activities and off-highway vehicle travel on open routes. The administration's notice of intent specifically solicits public comments on ACEC designations.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdj0PA-kIVtX7Wj8g_HYtiQHPRo6ITZwGoqeNozmJtuutNQboKZsBHDcircUQeMtIrDLd4-7TeUJyWlKMJL1BFivgc83fnLD0LGRzPDwwBSW4AIm_GotSD1kzKMMPPR04AHgrA3PTtyOKu/s1600/untitled-152-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1600" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdj0PA-kIVtX7Wj8g_HYtiQHPRo6ITZwGoqeNozmJtuutNQboKZsBHDcircUQeMtIrDLd4-7TeUJyWlKMJL1BFivgc83fnLD0LGRzPDwwBSW4AIm_GotSD1kzKMMPPR04AHgrA3PTtyOKu/s320/untitled-152-5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The National Conservation Lands (NCL) designated by the DRECP may also be targeted by the review, although the Trump administration may legal objections to any changes made to NCL boundaries. The Department of Interior designated those National Conservation Lands as directed by Congress in the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009. Congress directed Interior to permanently protect the National Conservation Lands for their "outstanding cultural, ecological, and scientific values." The Trump administration may face additional legal hurdles if it plans to target those designations, although Trump has shown little respect for <a href="http://www.mojavedesertblog.com/2017/08/documents-show-destructive-industry.html" target="_blank">legal precedent</a>.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #073763;">Move Likely to Run Afoul of Desert Explorers</span></b><br />
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Thousands of desert residents and visitors commented on the original DRECP, and the vast majority expressed the desire that more, and not less, public lands should be protected from industrial-scale renewable energy and other destructive development. Exploring and enjoying our desert wildlands would not be the same if every valley or ridgeline were covered in fields of solar panels or towering wind turbines.<br />
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Once again the public will have to demand - this time from a new administration - that our desert wildlands should be left intact. And once again we will have to explain that we can generate clean energy without jeopardizing the incredible natural treasures we enjoy in the California desert. Instead of bulldozing the desert, let's deploy clean energy on <a href="http://www.mojavedesertblog.com/2017/05/can-we-transition-to-renewable-energy.html" target="_blank">already-disturbed lands</a>, on rooftops, and over parking lots. <b>Stay tuned for opportunities to submit comments to the Department of Interior opposing its attempts to industrialize our desert wildlands.</b><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0tXR8UXAYjnKVFi-w5cAiTR1GEK328NZ4h2svSGqQ8nvU7RPEROJjqN0Tc7C-fJGl9tzkCo-lVCqqWqHRGwPmHiH3Pv3IoXEolBasPYRHIzrnjSZbeaZ1vF04IoLMJ3gR3XCHt0WbSVl_/s1600/green+solar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="345" data-original-width="500" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0tXR8UXAYjnKVFi-w5cAiTR1GEK328NZ4h2svSGqQ8nvU7RPEROJjqN0Tc7C-fJGl9tzkCo-lVCqqWqHRGwPmHiH3Pv3IoXEolBasPYRHIzrnjSZbeaZ1vF04IoLMJ3gR3XCHt0WbSVl_/s400/green+solar.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where renewable energy belongs.</td></tr>
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<br />Shaun G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15851941188361133949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311929704697522769.post-49191090563621106612017-12-17T17:21:00.000-08:002017-12-17T17:21:19.320-08:00Air Force Proposal to Close Public Lands Lacks JustificationThe Air Force this month released the draft <a href="http://www.nttrleis.com/documents.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">environmental impact statement</a> (EIS) for its proposal to take control of hundreds of square miles of public lands to expand training activities at its Nellis Test and Training Range (NTTR) in Nevada, although the report does not adequately explain why alternatives that require less impacts on public lands were abandoned. The proposal would shut down a significant portion of the Desert National Wildlife Refuge, remove protections from key wildlife habitat, and call for building 115 miles of new fence that would block wildlife movement. The document portrays these steps as the only viable path forward to accommodate expanded training and testing scenarios, but leaves significant gaps in its review of alternatives.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJpafzhRT3cWx6FRKfnk9GABw58EB0zEHxD51krOlAnqh7imLwdIsRGdB3h-RIagIpwK8hzdhXZV67uP7It3VIBsncBHe1nwR567cbzgEdtCqki8Yrn5-PoNx_NhnOeaWhAU8hib72rdi4/s1600/DNWR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1306" data-original-width="1600" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJpafzhRT3cWx6FRKfnk9GABw58EB0zEHxD51krOlAnqh7imLwdIsRGdB3h-RIagIpwK8hzdhXZV67uP7It3VIBsncBHe1nwR567cbzgEdtCqki8Yrn5-PoNx_NhnOeaWhAU8hib72rdi4/s400/DNWR.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A golden eagle faces off with a bighorn sheep at a watering hole in the Desert National Wildlife Refuge. Photo: USFWS</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><b>Three Primary Activities: Emitters, Bombing, and Irregular Warfare</b></span><br />
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To understand why the Air Force needs more land - and to identify alternatives to shutting down portions of the Desert National Wildlife Refuge - we can take a look at the purpose and need statement in the recently released EIS. The underlying problem the Air Force faces is a traffic jam. The Nellis Test and Training Range is operated by the Air Force, but it
is a very popular place for the entire Department of Defense to prepare
personnel for combat and also develop new weapons. Although the NTTR already
spans 4,608 square miles, the Air Force believes it needs access to more land to increase the number of testing and training missions. That boils down to <i><b>three activities</b></i> that the Air Force says require it to expand control over a vast swath of the wildlife refuge and shut down public access to desert wildlands:<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxDiFE7q4BYpmISVrvGjS5OdfKhAI0X3svWiN8LD2evcFPYo2v4D-OO7t7-xBcmo0Iu0D3U5isLnUjgWKIZJAY4mHeBqEWgqFBpDZbbalrWkmEEYErfAeAkydrwyCl5IwnYPfSYSHjt6F/s1600/130129-F-HH943-085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="780" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxDiFE7q4BYpmISVrvGjS5OdfKhAI0X3svWiN8LD2evcFPYo2v4D-OO7t7-xBcmo0Iu0D3U5isLnUjgWKIZJAY4mHeBqEWgqFBpDZbbalrWkmEEYErfAeAkydrwyCl5IwnYPfSYSHjt6F/s320/130129-F-HH943-085.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An example of threat emitter. The need for these is vanishing<br />
with newer generation aircraft. </td></tr>
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<b>Emitters: </b> In order to train aircrews, the Air Force needs to simulate ground-based threats, like surface-to-air missiles. This can be accomplished by mobile platforms that emit signals. The signals are picked up by the aircraft and interpreted as a threat, and give the aircrew an opportunity to take defensive actions. In order to deploy these emitters on the ground, the Air Force wants "ready access" to more roads in the wildlife refuge. Nowhere in the document does the Air Force analyze the potential to use on board threat simulators that are being built into newer generation aircraft and require no ground disturbance.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc7adSC_lno2vgoVsCG7ShvKWkx-yhl1QuALVRBqrEdje1CZWMbzQG3bimI-bsYBwAO3ykaOoZDgvaWUhUP4_rQ1lP_p4G6ZP9lrXGAH6tmoFz5bX60-UpF84jBFIIP1RVfYBR4ZUk0OTj/s1600/140429-F-AT963-403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="624" data-original-width="780" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc7adSC_lno2vgoVsCG7ShvKWkx-yhl1QuALVRBqrEdje1CZWMbzQG3bimI-bsYBwAO3ykaOoZDgvaWUhUP4_rQ1lP_p4G6ZP9lrXGAH6tmoFz5bX60-UpF84jBFIIP1RVfYBR4ZUk0OTj/s320/140429-F-AT963-403.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Newer generation aircraft, like this F-35, will strike ground<br />
ground targets from higher altitudes. Photo: USAF</td></tr>
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<b>Bombing: </b>The Air Force's proposal would not expand impact areas - swaths of land where live munitions are used - although it may exercise the option to do so in the future. However, the Air Force states that newer generation aircraft will launch munitions from higher altitudes against the targets in the existing impact areas. This means that the safety zone around impact areas will need to be increased just in case a bomb or missile goes astray. The Air Force proposal focuses on an impact area closest to open public lands, but does not adequately explain why it could not use any of the other impact areas across the NTTR that are further from open public lands and would not require closing down additional lands.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuXK9-ogOiYb8w0GgUBM6futFMXP57x5qg8PxUMzgT3UynmNa1dnsWrTE2UHoW-bJSxuttoYAhXr9i_uVYQ3QlFjLZSnPsKGiw56XfIrSJBGzag_91avV3OHYscEESJsUHffZ_elJlkxoL/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-11-16+at+8.30.08+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="624" data-original-width="1600" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuXK9-ogOiYb8w0GgUBM6futFMXP57x5qg8PxUMzgT3UynmNa1dnsWrTE2UHoW-bJSxuttoYAhXr9i_uVYQ3QlFjLZSnPsKGiw56XfIrSJBGzag_91avV3OHYscEESJsUHffZ_elJlkxoL/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-11-16+at+8.30.08+AM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A screenshot from a YouTube video shows the mock city at NTTR.</td></tr>
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<b>Irregular Warfare: </b> Within the impact zone closest to the open public lands is a mock city. It consists of standard metal shipping containers stacked and arranged to simulate buildings and military facilities among a network of dirt roads. The Air Force does not use these buildings for bombing practice. Instead, they provide a place for ground forces to train in irregular warfare - stealthy missions performed by small teams to go after specific targets. The Air Force's proposal explains that it needs expanded access to wildlife refuge lands so that it can land aircraft on a to-be-constructed dirt airstrip, and disembark these small teams of special forces who will hike several miles to the mock city for training scenarios. However, the Air Force acknowledges that it could accommodate this airstrip in existing NTTR lands. The Air Force also does not explain why it could not make use of lands in the northern portion of NTTR to support such irregular warfare training.<br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Does the Proposal Justify Closing the Wildlife Refuge for These Activities?</b></span><br />
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I don't think so. Let's take this step by step.<br />
<i><b><br /></b></i>
<i><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">General Patton Meets the Information Age:</span> </b></i> The Air Force can always make the case that access to more land and more air space will give it an opportunity to provide its personnel with more realistic training. General Patton made this case as he prepared US troops for World War II. Patton's troops and tanks utilized nearly <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_Training_Center" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">18,000</a> square miles of the desert to prepare US personnel for battle against the Nazis in North Africa. That was in 1942.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTFT5wtgC8EskmFhbSKVVJWZ27vkPt6UfiO1MMrnqsbA4VkuqztP52ruVqdpdcfuxPlA6KORn5g1h2ahHmRxoITOim0w7bTSLvMNUJmktuSVQig1rw4QSeWgFq381A5AEsBJfB5nsmrpU8/s1600/20_rear-view-showcasing-officers-speaker-and-ma-at-manuever-critique-held-in-ca-9-16-1942-held-5-miles-from-needles-usarmyphoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="580" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTFT5wtgC8EskmFhbSKVVJWZ27vkPt6UfiO1MMrnqsbA4VkuqztP52ruVqdpdcfuxPlA6KORn5g1h2ahHmRxoITOim0w7bTSLvMNUJmktuSVQig1rw4QSeWgFq381A5AEsBJfB5nsmrpU8/s400/20_rear-view-showcasing-officers-speaker-and-ma-at-manuever-critique-held-in-ca-9-16-1942-held-5-miles-from-needles-usarmyphoto.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">General Patton's troops train in the Mojave Desert during World War II. Photo from the General Patton Memorial Museum.</td></tr>
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What the Air Force needs is not a vast landscape for ground troops to battle over, but for pilots roaming the air space above to detect and react to threats as they approach a target on the ground. The Air Force's own proposal states that it does not need more ground targets or impact areas. They need places to deploy threat emitters. But newer generation aircraft actually come with computers that aid training scenarios. The aircraft computer can be programmed to simulate a vast array of ground-based and aerial threats to which the pilot can react. So the Air Force can either spend millions of dollars purchasing, deploying and maintaining physical threat emitters on the ground, or it can program an aircraft's computer to deliver the same experience to the pilot without a need for any physical assets on the ground at all.<br />
<br />
It's known as "live, virtual, constructive" training, but it's not
mentioned anywhere in the Air Force's proposal as an alternative to
shutting down public lands. It's almost like the popular phone app "Pokemon Go," but a lot more sophisticated. The F-35 - one of the Air Force's newest aircraft - has this capability built in and we taxpayers are collectively spending billions of dollars to buy it for our aircrews. The F-22 - another advanced fighter that trains at NTTR - is receiving the capability, and older aircraft can be modified to carry this capability. (For more on this alternative, see <a href="https://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/news/features/2016/160518-mst-the-future-of-training-blends-real-and-virtual-worlds.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://www.nlr.org/news/f-35-embedded-training-system-shipped-to-lockheed-martin/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjcsau69frXAhVD1CYKHVdaDJUQFghFMAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dtic.mil%2Fget-tr-doc%2Fpdf%3FAD%3DADA501271&usg=AOvVaw28UpY57DuB9WAdfTWyI_ag" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> [PDF], and <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=6&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjcsau69frXAhVD1CYKHVdaDJUQFghLMAU&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rand.org%2Fcontent%2Fdam%2Frand%2Fpubs%2Ftechnical_reports%2F2011%2FRAND_TR874.pdf&usg=AOvVaw2mO3zW7N3_nzj-NZ0Cy8ZD" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> [PDF].) <br />
<br />
Even though the Air Force proposal does not discuss the "live, virtual, constructive" alternative, let's assume there is at least some valid reason for the Air Force to station physical threat emitters on the ground. The Air Force says that it needs a one mile buffer around the emitters, which are mobile. The Air Force says it also prefers to move these emitters around to provide aircrew with dynamic training opportunities (we all know that if a teacher doesn't change an exam's questions once in a while you have a problem). But the Air Force proposal does not identify specific roads and sites for threat emitters. It just says it wants access to hundreds of square miles of land for an activity that should only impact a handful of acres of land. The Air Force should identify priority roads and sites for threat emitters and reduce the impact on public land access. Since emitters do not have to be permanent, fixed facilities, the impact on public lands should not be permanent either. Combined with our taxpayer-funded gift of super-advanced aircraft that can simulate their own threat environment, it seems reasonable for us to expect some more precision in the Air Force's proposal.<br />
<span style="color: #073763;"><b><br /></b></span>
<i><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>"Shift Cold"- Bombing Runs Without Closing Public Access</b></span></i>: When an aircraft is about to drop a laser guided bomb on a military facility and a civilian appears to enter the target zone, the crew can "shift cold." That means move the laser designator to an area nearby so that the bomb falling toward the initial target changes course and detonates further from the civilian. The Air Force does not want to harm civilians during its training scenarios. But we want the Air Force to "shift cold" so that its efforts to enhance training do not harm the public's access to the Desert National Wildlife Refuge. Ensuring public safety is one reason the Air Force is advocating for the closure of a large portion og the wildlife refuge. There is a designated impact area in the NTTR that is adjacent to open wildlife refuge lands. At the moment, the Air Force probably mostly uses that impact area to train <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E46NeRQ3d7w" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">low-flying attack jets</a>. The jets are dropping their bombs from very low altitudes, so even if a bomb or rocket goes astray, it wont make it over the mountains and endanger the public.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCDpf7DUpdjJZN9rXu466HwtnaLhK6OTalWzJSVNh0k9O9x1v6vRmVVLgX8uD-7ZnihH-d0yLuW0ux6Np6IBvdsoIhnGiNKHd_otBtEn1-XhWobyeyWDPwDWRBgYz9nw9SsQFuwbHuoga8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-11-16+at+1.19.59+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="828" data-original-width="1364" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCDpf7DUpdjJZN9rXu466HwtnaLhK6OTalWzJSVNh0k9O9x1v6vRmVVLgX8uD-7ZnihH-d0yLuW0ux6Np6IBvdsoIhnGiNKHd_otBtEn1-XhWobyeyWDPwDWRBgYz9nw9SsQFuwbHuoga8/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-11-16+at+1.19.59+PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A target is destroyed in Range 62A in the NTTR. The mountains in the background separate this impact area from the open public lands beyond.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
But the Air Force is slowly replacing those low-flying attack jets that first flew in 1972 (old, but sturdy!) with more advanced aircraft like the F-35. The F-35 flies higher and faster, but has advanced sensors that still allow it to target small enemy vehicles below. Imagine that you are driving your Jeep on Alamo Road in the Desert National Wildlife Refuge. Far overhead is an F-35 flying toward the impact area in the NTTR, just a dozen or so miles to the west of you. This impact area is known as Range 62A. The F-35 drops a laser guided bomb against Range 62A. In most instances that bomb will hit the target in that portion of NTTR that is closed to the public. But there could be a worst case scenario where something goes wrong and the bomb falls directly onto the wildlife refuge lands where you are enjoying your well-deserved weekend drive on backcountry desert roads. This is one of the reasons the Air Force gives for wanting to close Alamo Road.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqiaq-pO5PtSaQjoPyJUpMQaf46xMhCL13jhv06hm5SJ22sKA1iuSIfIlQ0z3Rur1xfO8aqAMZXYTu-CvDcpxKXvtJIXHLB82Wvr5nnaN2olJKH46_7dPW1PWTQVxs7pHXVKbXhQCCpn61/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-12-17+at+3.00.18+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1215" data-original-width="1600" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqiaq-pO5PtSaQjoPyJUpMQaf46xMhCL13jhv06hm5SJ22sKA1iuSIfIlQ0z3Rur1xfO8aqAMZXYTu-CvDcpxKXvtJIXHLB82Wvr5nnaN2olJKH46_7dPW1PWTQVxs7pHXVKbXhQCCpn61/s640/Screen+Shot+2017-12-17+at+3.00.18+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whether or not the Alamo Road area of the Desert National Wildlife Refuge (in the green shaded area on the right, labeled "Alamo Expansion") is closed to the public may hinge on whether the Air Force wants to close public lands or focus its training efforts on an impact area closer to the Nevada National Security Site (outlined in purple and already closed to the public). </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
But the Range 62A impact area right next to the wildlife refuge is not the only impact area in the NTTR. It is one of many. In fact, there is another impact area further to the west known as Range 64A. The Air Force proposal says that it cannot use this range because of unspecified conflicts with the National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) facilities in a vast area known as the Nevada National Security Site. Herein lies the problem with the Air Force proposal. The NNSA facility is further from Range 64A than Alamo Road is to Range 62A. In fact, the NNSA facilities appear to be beyond the weapon safety footprint for Range 64A. So the rationale for eliminating use of Range 64A as an alternative to closing more public lands is unclear. Based on the information provided in the proposal, the Air Force favors closing hundreds of square miles of public lands so that it can use Range 62A instead of accepting a probably marginal cost for using Range 64A. Maybe an aircraft could not approach a target in Range 64A from directly over the NNSA facility, so the approach would be limited to 340 degrees instead of 360 degrees. Can the Air Force live with a 340 degrees approach for this specific impact area in exchange for us being allowed continued access to our public lands?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqqkaO8Ek9xNpG8QAtHBvQedPw8sXekVT4un6KH4sGUbU9sE9VvsOiVVQ2rBMSi9oLBegexxM3xDTcpj0SSv-TSoOXt9M7xGUfwb9jMEjkJzNKpwW2Ku5wcbChW599ZWS9rAWYkgpbVoxl/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-12-17+at+2.54.07+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1118" data-original-width="1510" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqqkaO8Ek9xNpG8QAtHBvQedPw8sXekVT4un6KH4sGUbU9sE9VvsOiVVQ2rBMSi9oLBegexxM3xDTcpj0SSv-TSoOXt9M7xGUfwb9jMEjkJzNKpwW2Ku5wcbChW599ZWS9rAWYkgpbVoxl/s640/Screen+Shot+2017-12-17+at+2.54.07+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The horizontal black lines labeled "Range 62A" and "Range 64A" depict
the same distance from existing designated impact areas in NTTR. Range 62A is
much closer to the Desert National Wildlife Refuge (Alamo Road) than
Range 64A is to the NNSA facility, which is to the west of the blue and
black border and green shaded area. The safety footprint for Range 64A would be within NTTR's existing area, although the approach may be limited to slightly less than 360 degrees.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b><br /></b></span>
<i><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Shipping Containers and Dirt Airstrips are Cheap:</b></span></i> Accommodating the Air Force's irregular warfare training requirements should not necessitate the closure of wildlife refuge lands. The mock city that the Air Force built near the open public lands is made up of shipping containers, as I described above, and surrounded on most sides by sufficient terrain already closed to the public and capable of hosting a dirt airstrip from which special forces can approach the mock city. In fact, the Air Force's proposal already identifies two other potential landing points for the special forces within the existing NTTR boundary. Accommodating these new landing points may require changes to how those lands are managed, but it would not require the same closures for an insertion point in lands currently open to the public. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqgV0TngpT3i1QM7pO2z7ahQtbux3aqPwsRpoSmPVA-p2F4vxulsFJL329gEkWTVAOVX3JYWgj1xTJanYd5CE1S_f1zQsIsf_O2cdmUB8cq9I3ipPDyG9_EI7KqJi4WEF2j06PmdmBq2cC/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-12-17+at+3.12.01+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1194" data-original-width="1600" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqgV0TngpT3i1QM7pO2z7ahQtbux3aqPwsRpoSmPVA-p2F4vxulsFJL329gEkWTVAOVX3JYWgj1xTJanYd5CE1S_f1zQsIsf_O2cdmUB8cq9I3ipPDyG9_EI7KqJi4WEF2j06PmdmBq2cC/s640/Screen+Shot+2017-12-17+at+3.12.01+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Air Force's own proposal shows that it could accommodate irregular warfare insertion points (the upside down red triangles) within the existing NTTR boundaries (yellow border) without closing public lands. Two of the three options are within existing NTTR lands.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Let's say hypothetically that the Air Force suddenly decides that its two insertion points within NTTR are no longer viable. That it <i>must</i> construct a dirt airstrip near Alamo Road so that special forces can hike over a dozen miles to the mock city it built near Range 62A. This area, after all, is close to its unmanned aerial systems (i.e. drones) base at Creech Air Force Base, a small airstrip near Indian Springs along US Route 95 (yes, there are multiple airfields surrounding the vast NTTR). And pairing drones with special forces operations is now a part of its warfare doctrine. Cant we build a mock city on some other stretch of the NTTR or another training range at relatively minimal cost? Yes. The Air Force's NTTR contains another "shipping container" city in the North Range that happens to be near an area that the Air Force plans to use for drone training in Range 77. And relocating or modifying these irregular warfare training areas is not prohibitive. Each shipping container may cost $1,500 to $5,000 each (well within the Department of Defense's budget rounding error). The Air Force could modify the shipping container cities in northern portion of the NTTR in a cost effective manner and accommodate irregular warfare training there without closing public lands in the wildlife refuge. <br />
<br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Leave the Refuge Alone</b></span><br />
<br />
There are ways to accommodate the Air Force's training needs without shutting down public access to more of the wildlife refuge. The Air Force's proposal does not adequately explore these avenues. The NTTR already encompasses 4,608 square miles. And the military already controls more than <a href="http://www.mojavedesertblog.com/2016/10/does-military-really-need-more-desert.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">21,000 </a>square miles of land in the southwestern US. There is indeed some wiggle room in the Air Force's proposal, even if the text does not illuminate the alternatives.<br />
<br />
I don't think this is an either/or scenario. We can give the best training and equipment to a lieutenant flying thirty thousand feet overhead in an F-35 without having to tell our children about places in the US that we used to have the freedom to explore before their time. Let's make this work. <br />
<br />
The public may submit comments on the Air Force's proposal until March 8, 2018. Follow <a href="http://www.nttrleis.com/comment.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this link</a> to the NTTR expansion comment site.Shaun G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15851941188361133949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311929704697522769.post-85222101121728729312017-12-05T18:09:00.002-08:002017-12-05T18:09:27.818-08:00An Attack On One Is An Attack On AllPresident Trump this week <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/12/04/567803476/trump-dramatically-shrinks-2-utah-national-monuments" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">significantly reduced</a> Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments in Utah, a move likely intended to benefit oil, gas and coal mining companies. If Trump's unprecedented attack is left unchallenged, it not only opens these beautiful wildlands in Utah to potential drilling and mining, it puts every single acre of America's national monuments at risk. The Antiquities Act allows the President to establish national monuments that protect natural and historical wonders. But undoing or modifying a national monument takes an act of Congress.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLVK0sEsgLWCRUdsqJiHViazecCggwVDogASZYYSfMzGFlMmItq7IvfusNpCRo7UoZSbeVcqgOx4-LU7xldQTIp-ZEh_J05aWTBwA5UsBRtV5heiUsQRa_-mpnypgCquMt9t_wGVeLqwzH/s1600/Valley+of+the+Gods+from+North+2+-+Tim+Peterson+LightHawk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLVK0sEsgLWCRUdsqJiHViazecCggwVDogASZYYSfMzGFlMmItq7IvfusNpCRo7UoZSbeVcqgOx4-LU7xldQTIp-ZEh_J05aWTBwA5UsBRtV5heiUsQRa_-mpnypgCquMt9t_wGVeLqwzH/s640/Valley+of+the+Gods+from+North+2+-+Tim+Peterson+LightHawk.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Valley of the Gods will no longer be protected after Trump cut Bears Ears National Monument. Photo by Tim Peterson, LightHawk.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Through his attack on Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, Trump is ignoring the law and establishing a precedent that anybody in the Oval office can erase our natural and cultural heritage and hand it to private interests. If Trump can do this to Bears Ears, then he or any of his successors can undo Mojave Trails, Giant Sequoia, Muir Woods, Vermillion Cliffs, or any other national monument that we cherish.<br />
<br />
In fact, we know Trump plans to <a href="http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-national-monuments-20171205-story.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">roll back protection</a>s from more national monuments. Today, Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke <a href="http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-national-monuments-20171205-story.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">announced</a> that Gold Butte National Monument is also on the chopping block. National monuments protect places and artifacts for all of us to enjoy and learn from, and we have an obligation to protect these treasures for future generations. We need to fight to keep it that way. Call your <a href="https://contactingcongress.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">representatives</a> in Congress and tell them to defend our national monuments. Support groups that are challenging Trump in court. And mark your calendar for Election Day - November 6, 2018.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3311tkE9agqHxY2kUHvnRP6PG2PGLQssC9afBo8rJdBtESLiTfnQU1Gmqr3wK0YMIpP9FWyQ6YBZsgO_QEpu6buI5kkWLLoSqDDpg1UzrtgPcuES334Hf4vzL4uQiE3Vetn-CeJ38TqEN/s1600/20170525-SVG_3852-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1600" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3311tkE9agqHxY2kUHvnRP6PG2PGLQssC9afBo8rJdBtESLiTfnQU1Gmqr3wK0YMIpP9FWyQ6YBZsgO_QEpu6buI5kkWLLoSqDDpg1UzrtgPcuES334Hf4vzL4uQiE3Vetn-CeJ38TqEN/s640/20170525-SVG_3852-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">President Trump now plans to remove protections from Gold Butte National Monument in Nevada. These desert wildlands belong to the public. Not to corporate interests.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Shaun G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15851941188361133949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311929704697522769.post-20552134908684557032017-11-29T17:03:00.001-08:002017-11-29T17:03:50.524-08:00Proposed Gold Mine Threatens Remote Wildlands, Tests Conservation DesignationCanadian firm SSR Mining plans to drill samples in the <a href="https://friendsoftheinyo.org/news/conglomerate-mesa/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Conglomerate Mesa</a> area just east of Owens Lake in the Inyo Mountains, and eventually open a giant gold mine there. The lands that the company wants to destroy are not just popular among outdoors enthusiasts, they have also been designated by the Bureau of Land Management as part of the National Conservation Lands (NCL) system. How the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) handles the mine proposal could test the purpose and durability of the NCL designation that we were told would protect our desert wildlands from industrial-scale destruction.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRR-0Sqso5FxXA-XY7H0OdfIAclEda5P2cRyacCgVumAXqH1rMc739mk5i_6szV25LX0uqUaOqW7BTWZr8LdJha84wd_SWecUeQMQFHMRyOPiZngwX3wHrFWe9ZDZXpH0spELNvlR5OE1z/s1600/Conglomerate+Mesa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1581" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRR-0Sqso5FxXA-XY7H0OdfIAclEda5P2cRyacCgVumAXqH1rMc739mk5i_6szV25LX0uqUaOqW7BTWZr8LdJha84wd_SWecUeQMQFHMRyOPiZngwX3wHrFWe9ZDZXpH0spELNvlR5OE1z/s400/Conglomerate+Mesa.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An aerial photo of Conglomerate Mesa looking west. Sierra Nevada Range in the distance.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The BLM just received public comments on a <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/projectSummary.do?methodName=renderDefaultProjectSummary&projectId=91166" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">draft environmental assessment</a> for the Perdito exploratory drilling project. If the company drills for samples and deems the area lucrative, it could build miles of new roads, bring in heavy equipment to excavate a large strip mine, and use a toxic cyanide leaching process to extract gold. That plan would drastically alter the rugged backcountry that <a href="https://medium.com/blmwild/the-secret-california-desert-conglomerate-mesa-fda3b8dd0f03" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">hikers, campers and hunters</a> access through a couple of primitive dirt roads that dead end in a wild, remote landscape.<br />
<br />
Such destruction would seem to be inconsistent with law and policy that governs how these public lands are supposed to be managed. Congress in<a href="https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-111publ11/html/PLAW-111publ11.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> 2009</a> directed the BLM to identify areas of the California desert to be managed for "conservation purposes" under the newly-established NCL system. The BLM followed through on this law in 2016 when it finalized the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan, which designated Conglomerate Mesa and many other areas of the California desert as part of the NCL system.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The BLM map below shows the location of the proposed exploratory drilling (known as the Perdito Exploration Project) and gold mine. The yellow zones are part of the National Conservationa Lands system, and the green are Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs).</i></div>
<br />
<iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.7729220222793488" data-auto-height="false" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_71522" scrolling="no" src="https://www.scribd.com/embeds/365901287/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&access_key=key-z14RCai2X0d8wnuiuud9&show_recommendations=true" title="Perdito Exploration Project" width="100%"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #073763;"><b>Opportunities for Mitigation are Questionable</b></span><br />
The BLM placed a cap on the amount of disturbance allowed in various NCL lands in the California desert. For Conglomerate Mesa, no more than 1% of land in the region can be disturbed or destroyed beyond existing, authorized facilities and roads. The disturbance cap in the Conglomerate Mesa area has already been exceeded, which means that any company allowed to cause additional disturbance would have to spend significant sums of money to restore or protect lands at a 3:1 ratio elsewhere in the same area. If SSR Mining ultimately digs a 640 acre pit here, for example, they would need to buy or restore 1,920 acres somewhere in the same region (the Basin and Range subarea, to be specific). The BLM's logic is that by allowing some additional disturbance to
occur, the required compensatory mitigation at a 3:1 ratio would bring
the overall amount of disturbance down. <br />
<br />
Finding lands to restore or purchase and set aside for conservation may be difficult when we start talking about hundreds or thousands of acres. First, the mining company would have to find lands that fall within a NCL designation in the Basin and Range subarea of the California desert, essentially extending to the Panamint and Owens Valleys. <i>According to the DRECP, if SSR Mining cannot find mitigation lands in that area, they cannot move forward with the project.</i> And the 640 acre gold mine example above was just a hypothetical to help illustrate the mitigation requirements. SSR Mining probably would want a <i>much</i>
bigger mine. The company's Marigold Mine in Nevada disturbed over 7,000
acres. If SSR Mining dug a 7,000 acre mine in Conglomerate Mesa, it
would need to restore or acquire 21,000 acres in the Panamint or Owens
Valleys. That simply is not feasible. And if the mitigation is not feasible, then the project cannot be permitted, according to the DRECP.<br />
<br />
A portion of SSR Mining's exploratory drilling will fall within the Conglomerate Mesa ACEC, a 1,730 acre swath of land that SSR Mining believes may hold a density of gold worth mining. The company would also have to compensate for any disturbance in the ACEC at a 3:1 ratio. The problem is that for disturbance that occurs within the ACEC, the compensatory mitigation must take place <i>within the boundary of the Conglomerate Mesa ACEC</i>, according to the DRECP. Why the mining company even bothers to drill exploratory holes in the ACEC is unclear. It is difficult to believe that any significant amount of lands can be acquired or restored within the relatively small Conglomerate Mesa ACEC to satisfy the mitigation requirement. There are no private lands to purchase there, and the its relatively pristine condition means little opportunity exists for restoration.<br />
<br />
The BLM's environmental assessment did not identify specific restoration or land conservation opportunities in the region that SSR Mining could pursue to satisfy requirements. It may be feasible for the company to find enough land to compensate for its relatively low footprint, temporary drilling activities. But destroying hundreds of acres for a strip mine operation probably would be a much different story. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfsTEoX7hA1KCMwdniKEldjHdMDNi_L5Y1RdGbxH4lvtiAZOIBBcl4hZuCyR41-ajo0vmGgQnAhctPFwqSmNv6zYPbfctXlmi_3-1zD-FiCaqdNZAN2LA4o4J1eTavdVTRqJU7JGqYMkFJ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-11-29+at+7.23.46+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1422" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfsTEoX7hA1KCMwdniKEldjHdMDNi_L5Y1RdGbxH4lvtiAZOIBBcl4hZuCyR41-ajo0vmGgQnAhctPFwqSmNv6zYPbfctXlmi_3-1zD-FiCaqdNZAN2LA4o4J1eTavdVTRqJU7JGqYMkFJ/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-11-29+at+7.23.46+PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>An image including in an SSR Mining investor presentation shows the areas where it plans to explore the potential for a gold mine. A fully operational strip mine would probably involve significant disturbance beyond just the areas outlined in yellow.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="color: #073763;"><b>Visual Resource Requirements A Major Hurdle?</b></span><br />
The particular public lands around Conglomerate Mesa were also identified for their scenic value, meaning that the BLM is required to "retain the existing character of the landscape" and not allow development that could "attract the attention of a casual observer" (as a strip mine almost certainly would).<br />
<br />
Although the BLM believes it can permit the exploratory drilling phase - involving helicopters carrying drilling equipment to specific spots, or carving limited dirt roads to bring in temporary drilling rigs - the question remains whether the BLM or SSR Mining believe that a full strip mine could be permitted in Conglomerate Mesa. Even a modest-sized strip mine would significantly contrast with the natural character and landforms that currently exist in the area.<br />
<br />
A massive gold mine simply does not belong in Conglomerate Mesa. This area is a part of the National Conservation Lands system for a reason. The land's natural state, thriving ecosystem, and opportunities for outdoor recreation are of national significance. If a company can come along and blast, dig, and cyanide-leach the land away for an industrial gold mine, then what is the point of the National Conservation Lands system? Shaun G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15851941188361133949noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311929704697522769.post-35618780745133254152017-11-16T07:42:00.002-08:002017-11-16T10:22:22.090-08:00Will the Military Take Over the Desert National Wildlife Refuge?The Department of Defense (DOD) is poised to release details next month regarding its proposal to take over a significant portion of the Desert National Wildlife Refuge (DNWR), close public lands, and incorporate them into the <a href="http://www.nttrleis.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nellis Test and Training Range</a>. A review of documents made public so far, however, suggests DOD may be inflating its need to close public lands and assume control of the wildlife refuge. The Nellis Test and Training Range already spans 4,608 square miles, and within those vast lands there probably are opportunities to accommodate DOD's training needs without significantly eroding public access or wildlife protection. The options that DOD has proposed so far, however, seem to ignore innovative management approaches and technological solutions that can limit the impact on our public lands.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #073763;"><b>Lay of the Land:</b></span><br />
<ul>
<li><b>4,608 Square Miles</b>: Total area of the current Nellis Test and Training Range.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>3,292 Square Miles</b>: Portion of the Nellis Test and Training
Range where the military has full control over where and how it conducts its training exercises. The area includes extensive road networks, mock airfields and simulated urban areas where it can deploy live munitions from air and ground forces. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>1,316 Square Miles</b>: Portion of the Nellis Test and Training
Range that overlaps with the Desert National Wildlife Refuge. All of these lands are closed to the public, although they are jointly managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service and DOD. The military can only bomb or disturb a limited portion
of these wildlife refuge lands. In its proposal, DOD will ask to take direct control over these lands and roll back protections so that it can carry out more ground-disturbing
activities. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>354 Square Miles: </b>Amount of <i>additional</i> wildlife refuge lands that the military wants to close to the public so that it can expand training activities nearby.</li>
</ul>
<span style="color: #073763;"><b>Are the Military's Demands Reasonable?</b></span><br />
<br />
The DOD wants to 1.) take lead jurisdiction and expand ground-disturbing activities on wildlife refuge lands that are currently managed jointly with the Fish and Wildlife Service, and 2.) close public access to additional wildlife refuge lands that currently offer popular recreation opportunities. At the Nellis Test and Training Range, ground disturbing activities can involve target impact areas (where the military can fire live ammunition against vehicles, and mock cities and airfields), installation of threat emitters (equipment designed to simulate threats against aircraft to make the training more realistic), and roads connecting these facilities to allow for training of ground forces or access for maintenance crews.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_C2kw9Hb4dIwhq7HhiFyU-HORinKSbjakcL8ULNKWGD1vZ_j6nilLyNMW_05Kbx7HpazzfDlNF687YKVWcnGwzf3Ue6tljR_nPkdoLdxTcePnBxHqbpkNDzEoNBoo_i67n1-MW9R3rfz/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-11-16+at+1.19.59+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="828" data-original-width="1364" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_C2kw9Hb4dIwhq7HhiFyU-HORinKSbjakcL8ULNKWGD1vZ_j6nilLyNMW_05Kbx7HpazzfDlNF687YKVWcnGwzf3Ue6tljR_nPkdoLdxTcePnBxHqbpkNDzEoNBoo_i67n1-MW9R3rfz/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-11-16+at+1.19.59+PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Live munitions strike a target at the Nellis Test and Training Range.</i><br />
<i>This screenshot shows a target impact area on lands</i><br />
<i>currently managed jointly by DOD and the </i><br />
<i>Fish and Wildlife Service. DOD wants to take </i><br />
<i>more control over these lands so that it can </i><br />
<i>expand destructive activities.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There
is no doubt that modern military equipment and tactics require DOD to
revise its training scenarios. But does the DOD need access to more
land to accomplish these scenarios? The Nellis Test and Training Range already
encompasses <a href="http://www.nttrleis.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">4,608 square miles</a> of land, and it is part of nearly <a href="http://www.mojavedesertblog.com/2016/10/does-military-really-need-more-desert.html" rel="" target="_blank">21,000 square miles</a> of DOD combat training and testing areas throughout the southwestern United States. The
portion of the existing Nellis Test and Training Range that overlaps
with DNWR encompasses 1,316 square miles. On these overlapping
lands, the Fish and Wildlife Service maintains lead jurisdiction, and
DOD is allowed to drop munitions and drive vehicles on a portion
of those overlapping lands. Even though DOD has full control of the remaining 3,292 square miles of
the Nellis Test and Training Range, it claims that it needs to be able to do more on wildlife refuge lands. To do that, it wants primary jurisdiction over these wildlife refuge lands.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWm_4Fr9lEpP5tTId6WSE-D8_Akgqv4Q9aEvVvYzINd8zn_0dKsRAxkQ_L80LR51FHPZtf4APYZ0d0oXVLNZdNcGokkzbqFwIbiqjcZklI8VK7Ck0YIoOrLBj0IQUZGziEpqd-JfDvyaE/s1600/130129-F-HH943-085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="780" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWm_4Fr9lEpP5tTId6WSE-D8_Akgqv4Q9aEvVvYzINd8zn_0dKsRAxkQ_L80LR51FHPZtf4APYZ0d0oXVLNZdNcGokkzbqFwIbiqjcZklI8VK7Ck0YIoOrLBj0IQUZGziEpqd-JfDvyaE/s320/130129-F-HH943-085.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>An example of a threat emitter. The equipment sends</i><br />
<i>electronic signals that simulate a surface to air missile</i><br />
<i>or other threats against aircraft in a training scenario.</i><br />
<i>Photo by US Air Force.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
DOD's proposal to take control of wildlife refuge lands that are currently jointly managed is worrisome because DOD would be able to significantly expand habitat destruction to build mock urban areas or airfields, build maintenance yards, expand target impact areas, and construct new roads to connect new infrastructure. DOD calls this aspect of the proposal "ready access." An Air Force <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/364140775/The-Nevada-Test-and-Training-Range-NTTR-and-Proposed-Wilderness-Areas-Issues-Affecting-the-NTTR-s-Land-Withdrawal-Renewal" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">study</a> in 2016 indicated that military crews responsible for setting up targets deep in the Nellis Test and Training Range complained about having to drive long distances to do their work. The report stated that if DOD took control over the wildlife refuge they could build more roads that would shorten their commute. The report also suggests that DOD could build new targets and "threat emitters" - facilities that simulate threats to aircraft during training exercises - if DOD is able to roll back protections for wildlife refuge lands.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHjyCZ2R-hDOeLYP_QWwuA0O9LMgXvl99FZkfrupIpKUuRlKQBdsOXlCjTC93STtXdlLSv9vnO7JNLRcOtd1mitEqGlYq2SFND1RuZE7tgZ67Rg0m95g_TBtHcD5AroL0bpsyUya-RpeP7/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-11-11+at+12.44.19+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1238" data-original-width="1600" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHjyCZ2R-hDOeLYP_QWwuA0O9LMgXvl99FZkfrupIpKUuRlKQBdsOXlCjTC93STtXdlLSv9vnO7JNLRcOtd1mitEqGlYq2SFND1RuZE7tgZ67Rg0m95g_TBtHcD5AroL0bpsyUya-RpeP7/s640/Screen+Shot+2017-11-11+at+12.44.19+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>This screenshot from a DOD document shows only the southern portion of the Nellis Test and Training Range where there is overlap with the Desert National Wildlife Refuge. Where the training range and wildlife refuge overlap (green area outlined in brown), the DOD can bomb the target impact areas (white areas outlined in red), and the rest of the land is mostly protected from ground disturbing activities. The public has no access to the jointly managed areas. But the public does have access to the rest of the Desert National Wildlife Refuge (green area outlined in orange), including backcountry vehicle touring, hiking and camping.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
DOD is attempting to assuage public concerns by stating that it would still have to follow some environmental laws if it took primary jurisdiction of the wildlife refuge lands. But the law would still permit DOD to build more targets, create more impact areas, and build roads and other structures. <br />
The Air Force has built mock cities and airfields in other parts of the Nellis Test and Training Range that cumulatively add up to significant destruction of desert wildlands.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv3cwWFT1uGD8VuZK7jBS1JAfPDqQjLwfDo6G6iytzUI_IbpaouSK00p_sr5ugJcKjG-YDowizf-W8uf8yQwXM_-q1byNUJX3K1d7p_TacqIU6I2Nh8IG3SnTFSm-VUAH-cJQwgHrB3QQ5/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-11-16+at+8.30.08+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="624" data-original-width="1600" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv3cwWFT1uGD8VuZK7jBS1JAfPDqQjLwfDo6G6iytzUI_IbpaouSK00p_sr5ugJcKjG-YDowizf-W8uf8yQwXM_-q1byNUJX3K1d7p_TacqIU6I2Nh8IG3SnTFSm-VUAH-cJQwgHrB3QQ5/s640/Screen+Shot+2017-11-16+at+8.30.08+AM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A screenshot from an Air Force video shows structures composed of stacked shipping containers to simulate an urban environment for training scenarios. This mock city is located on lands managed jointly by DOD and the Fish and Wildlife Service. DOD wants to assume lead control over thousands of acres of surrounding lands so that it can expand ground disturbing activities well beyond these structures and designated target impact areas.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
A better solution would be for DOD and the Fish and Wildlife Service to maintain joint management of the lands, and have DOD identify specific changes that it needs to accomplish its evolving training scenarios. For example, the environmental impact statement could identify specific roads or threat emitter sites that need to be built, rather than proposing sweeping changes in jurisdiction or public land protections. <br />
<br />
DOD should also examine the extent to which it could use already-available lands in the Nellis Test and Training Range to accomplish its mission, or invest in <b>virtual threats </b>that reduce the need to build new roads and structures on the range. According to an Air Force spokesperson <a href="http://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArchive/Pages/2016/April%202016/Ranges-and-Readiness.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">interviewed</a> by Air Force magazine:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"We are also studying the technology required to create synthetic threats in the live environment." Air Force spokesman Capt. Mark Graff said. “If successful, this capability would allow more relevant and realistic training with a reduced need for ground infrastructure."</blockquote>
DOD's proposals so far have not discussed innovative alternatives that can minimize its need to destroy more public lands. If the draft environmental assessment expected next month lacks such details and alternatives, then the public should demand them. <br />
<br />
<span style="color: #073763;"><b>Permanent Closure of DNWR Lands Probably Unnecessary</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #073763;"><b> </b></span> <br />
The DOD's proposal to shut down public access to another 354 square miles within the wildlife refuge, including the popular Alamo Road, is also troubling because the military appears to be ignoring more flexible options that can balance public access and safety. Alamo Road provides access to multiple camping and hiking spots in the DNWR. DOD states that the lands encompassing Alamo Road are adjacent to Range 62A - one of many target impact areas in the Nellis range. Up until now, military aircraft approach the target impact areas in Range 62A from directions and altitudes that minimize risk to people that may be camping or hiking in adjacent refuge lands. But now the military wants its aircraft to approach the targets in Range 62A from multiple directions and drop weapons from higher altitudes, therefore putting the adjacent public lands at greater risk. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDPJIBd74bIjGaDTPQsugnDyab_lJAp5hAFzcMSKw7snmFKx6O8bpLkVeyZykFprjfM7G6PM0TSWkVy6Qhg7wwpTSOMEFtjH67Cuv0ejhCZRNfXeDPAR2gEd7ylA0BTruB9gFor59DNA5z/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-11-11+at+12.22.30+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="970" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDPJIBd74bIjGaDTPQsugnDyab_lJAp5hAFzcMSKw7snmFKx6O8bpLkVeyZykFprjfM7G6PM0TSWkVy6Qhg7wwpTSOMEFtjH67Cuv0ejhCZRNfXeDPAR2gEd7ylA0BTruB9gFor59DNA5z/s640/Screen+Shot+2017-11-11+at+12.22.30+PM.png" width="483" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A screenshot of DOD documents explains why new military training scenarios at Range 62A will put the public in adjacent lands at greater risk. Notice that target impact areas to the west (Range 64) could probably accommodate these high altitude weapon drops without posing a risk to the public in the open portions of DNWR.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
However, the DOD could simply impose <i>temporary</i> access restrictions during the times of year that it needs to conduct such exercises. DOD imposes similar <i>temporary</i> restrictions at <a href="http://www.29palms.marines.mil/Staff/G5-Government-and-External-Affairs/Johnson-Valley/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twentynine Palms Marine Corps Air and Ground Combat Center</a> and the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/whsa/planyourvisit/monument-closures.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">White Sands Missile Range</a>. At Twentynine Palms, the USMC temporarily closes a portion of Johnson Valley to the public during training exercises each year. And at White Sands, the famous White Sand National Monument will be temporarily closed for short periods to accommodate the overflight of missiles tested on the military range. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTI5t3_ytnwmxA5EUL0iNt8fwnmwW1ftavmhHaMt1sHxjytaMIShufuNOhUfLF7Yp_4dECFUX8PwrY5w5T3I-_Quo5-vkCGQetBSLvKuf-wEyU_AW3XJtgS_jfWZ5QXdTu3WJcQFk0HVb5/s1600/c.-Photo3_forweb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="864" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTI5t3_ytnwmxA5EUL0iNt8fwnmwW1ftavmhHaMt1sHxjytaMIShufuNOhUfLF7Yp_4dECFUX8PwrY5w5T3I-_Quo5-vkCGQetBSLvKuf-wEyU_AW3XJtgS_jfWZ5QXdTu3WJcQFk0HVb5/s320/c.-Photo3_forweb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo of public lands in the DNWR along Alamo Road.<br />Photo by <a href="http://www.basinandrangewatch.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Basin and Range Watch</a>.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And if DOD does not think that temporary access restrictions will suffice, then the burden should shift back to DOD to answer the question - what value does bombing the target in Range 62A add that cannot be accomplished in any of the other target impact areas across the thousands of square miles of DOD training ranges? A quick glance at the DOD graphic above indicates that target impact areas only a dozen miles west of Range 62A would give DOD the ability to safely deploy munitions without having to close public lands. There is nothing unique about Range 62A's geography that cannot be replicated in other portions of the Nellis range, or at any of the other military training ranges in California, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, and Idaho.<br />
<br />
The military is proposing sweeping changes for how our public lands are managed, and whether or not we can even access them. While the Nellis Test and Training Range serves a vital mission preparing the military for combat, DOD should ensure that its future plans for the range and wildlife refuge show more flexibility, innovation and precision. DOD should not expect us to readily hand over hundreds of square miles of additional public lands when it has not yet explained why the nearly <a href="http://www.mojavedesertblog.com/2016/10/does-military-really-need-more-desert.html" target="_blank">21,000</a> square miles of existing training ranges in the southwestern United States are insufficient. <br />
<br />
<br />Shaun G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15851941188361133949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311929704697522769.post-33965640188070660892017-10-26T18:26:00.001-07:002017-10-27T03:59:08.400-07:00Proposed Solar Project Could Run Into Trouble with the MilitarySolar Reserve’s proposal to build at least eight more solar power towers immediately north of Tonopah, Nevada probably will face an uphill battle, but not for the reasons you expect. A review of documents submitted by the company to the Department of Interior regarding its proposed <a href="http://www.basinandrangewatch.org/CrescentDune.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sandstone Solar project</a> suggests poor attention has been paid so far to the threat the project may pose to military aviation. The project would cover nearly 25 square miles with thousands of giant mirrors to reflect the sun's light. Glint and glare emanating from the project could temporarily impair the vision of aircrew transiting a low-level military flight corridor next to the project, based on a study conducted by Sandia National Laboratories.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP7FEP6dulZ2VzujZotWMaKuayIRDwignrgTFyZYIWVAHkmpqclqLwfePlzIgswzHDHHE7FMo1scp3rMZ-ujwwYKAX6FYOz5yqnFih7FlZoHRGH6G7zHX_VQ7_t0qIo3rF08731YfO3OP_/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-10-26+at+7.56.05+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="948" data-original-width="1436" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP7FEP6dulZ2VzujZotWMaKuayIRDwignrgTFyZYIWVAHkmpqclqLwfePlzIgswzHDHHE7FMo1scp3rMZ-ujwwYKAX6FYOz5yqnFih7FlZoHRGH6G7zHX_VQ7_t0qIo3rF08731YfO3OP_/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-10-26+at+7.56.05+PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An artistic rendering of the proposed Sandstone Solar project. Image from documents provided by the Department of Interior</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
According to the Sandia <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876610215004567?via%3Dihub" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">study</a>, the glint and glare emanating from mirrors associated with solar
power tower projects can cause temporary after images (temporary vision impairment) for people within six miles of the project. This impact radius would affect nearly the entire width of the military flight corridor, and could potentially disrupt military training operation. Solar Reserve was allowed to build its Crescent Dunes project in the same area, but that project consists of a single power tower and mirror field a small fraction of the size of the proposed Sandstone Solar project. Adding 25 square miles of mirrors along the military flight corridor probably would increase the risk to aviators and disrupt flight training operations.<br />
<br />
Instructions issued by the Department of Defense in 2015 [<a href="http://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodi/416557p.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">PDF</a>] direct military officials to specifically evaluate the impact of glint and glare of solar energy projects. These instructions were issued after the Crescent Dunes solar project was approved and constructed, and after studies began to indicate that solar power tower projects could temporarily impair the vision of air crew traveling near such projects.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiQMRYkdHGJ9mODWtJhiE_9hQPXDjFnLPFxcOMmT3E-uKdvTpxtu6h49Q1sCXbOvv_4KVT5SlaXtE4uj13uJ28TmO7yYl3BxdDaqpM_SmMpoRHr8muB30gkneBtKuwkzldYyx6jPhwsvII/s1600/Sandstone+Solar.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1076" data-original-width="1488" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiQMRYkdHGJ9mODWtJhiE_9hQPXDjFnLPFxcOMmT3E-uKdvTpxtu6h49Q1sCXbOvv_4KVT5SlaXtE4uj13uJ28TmO7yYl3BxdDaqpM_SmMpoRHr8muB30gkneBtKuwkzldYyx6jPhwsvII/s640/Sandstone+Solar.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The aviation chart above shows the relative location of the military flight corridor to the proposed Sandstone Solar project and the existing Crescent Dunes solar project.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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It will be up to the military to decide if this project poses a risk to its operations, but the law is on the military’s side if it decides that the project poses an unacceptable risk. Any potential hazard to aviation <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/49/44718" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">must be reported</a> to the Department of Transportation, according to law relating to air commerce and national security. The Department of Transportation then must consult with the <a href="https://www.acq.osd.mil/dodsc/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Department of Defense Siting Clearinghouse</a> to determine whether the potential hazard can be mitigated. If the Department of Defense determines that the Sandstone Solar project <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/32/211.6" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">endangers safety or impairs its training activities</a>, the decision could result in the project not receiving approval to proceed on public lands.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB5ZYJlt0hpvWM7lk_tdo_P7gpN0rxtlRm5Ch05bSlm1sVAqWPijZVBxw-N182FoeW92AUVSYN1ioXwyHMiWkw-Xt_Cp0kR5twb0q7pgCBLRVfqThA0QGe3i4a0jKGqn3B1NDECOcYEeum/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-10-26+at+8.43.54+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="686" data-original-width="984" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB5ZYJlt0hpvWM7lk_tdo_P7gpN0rxtlRm5Ch05bSlm1sVAqWPijZVBxw-N182FoeW92AUVSYN1ioXwyHMiWkw-Xt_Cp0kR5twb0q7pgCBLRVfqThA0QGe3i4a0jKGqn3B1NDECOcYEeum/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-10-26+at+8.43.54+PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An image from the Sandia National Laboratories <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876610215004567?via%3Dihub" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">study </a>showing examples of glint and glare from the Ivanpah Solar power project in California. Note that images do not have the same impact on vision as real life exposure to the glint and glare.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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According to documents submitted by Solar Reserve to the Department of Interior - and obtained by <a href="http://www.basinandrangewatch.org/CrescentDune.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Basin and Range Watch</a> through a FOIA request - the company claims to have had several meetings with unspecified officials at Nellis Air Force Base. It is not clear from the documents whether or not Nellis Air Force Base has elevated review of this project to the Department of Defense Siting Clearinghouse. Although Nellis Air Force Base's operations could be impacted by the project, the flight corridor that would be affected probably is used by other branches of the Armed Services, including the Navy. The project is sandwiched between the Navy's Fallon Range Training Complex to the north, and the Nellis Test and Trainign Range to the south. <br />
<br />
Ultimately, Solar Reserve's proposed Sandstone Solar project underscores a persistent problem among many industries seeking to exploit public lands in the desert southwest. They view open desert wildlands as a blank canvas for their projects, experiments and infrastructure. What they fail to realize is that they are looking at a patchwork of other uses and sensitive resources. From endangered wildlife, over-drafted groundwater resources, recreation areas and military test and training ranges. The desert is not empty and building large industrial projects there cannot be done without running into conflict with other resources or uses. The Department of Defense is a major resident of our desert wildlands. We know this from the expansion of their bases that impact <a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-marine-tortoises-20170427-story.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">wildlife </a>and <a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-desert-marines-20140509-story.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">recreation</a> areas. Apparently Solar Reserve is still in denial.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB2rra7oaKtZERzKLJ4IHWXLZWGVa8zJ9xr9zPJncaCAIeXYv6XYNbygkkYSHK_ZjQMaoTItMF98ke8TPpeB2LqGTpUKyE1LA5xbhGIpKk9E-huIK5VxzFFgSv6vpBFSKbfAKAarbKesLG/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-10-26+at+9.13.16+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1104" data-original-width="1288" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB2rra7oaKtZERzKLJ4IHWXLZWGVa8zJ9xr9zPJncaCAIeXYv6XYNbygkkYSHK_ZjQMaoTItMF98ke8TPpeB2LqGTpUKyE1LA5xbhGIpKk9E-huIK5VxzFFgSv6vpBFSKbfAKAarbKesLG/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-10-26+at+9.13.16+PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A screenshot of a map showing low-level military flight areas in the southwest. The map is available on the Department of Defense Siting Clearinghouse <a href="https://www.acq.osd.mil/dodsc/about/maps.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">page</a>. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />Shaun G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15851941188361133949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311929704697522769.post-90959444201631553942017-10-24T16:50:00.001-07:002017-10-24T16:50:50.942-07:00Trump Administration Plans to Charge $70 to Enter National ParksThe Trump administration plans to <a href="https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1207/10-24-2017-fee-changes-proposal.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">raise entrance fees</a> at many of our prized national parks to $70 during peak season. If this policy is implemented, public lands that should be affordable for all of us to enjoy will become a luxury for the rich. <br />
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According to the proposal, entrances fees at the following parks will be increased to $70 during peak season:<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0uSC7g6NPwcXI6Np6WwV-Cm5MaG49FE7NDZ-vMIeVJaXSynh-Fp-uhXQC_EwoAlfK2bxxblPTFM6vvzUH1m6NeHMxrazqJyMzZMitTR4j1nABmgOGLnh7oCdCrKJUOPEAjVmvpzVOb3-L/s1600/DSCN8028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0uSC7g6NPwcXI6Np6WwV-Cm5MaG49FE7NDZ-vMIeVJaXSynh-Fp-uhXQC_EwoAlfK2bxxblPTFM6vvzUH1m6NeHMxrazqJyMzZMitTR4j1nABmgOGLnh7oCdCrKJUOPEAjVmvpzVOb3-L/s400/DSCN8028.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grand Canyon National Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li>Acadia National Park </li>
<li>Arches National Park</li>
<li>Bryce Canyon National Park</li>
<li>Canyonlands National Park</li>
<li>Glacier National Park</li>
<li>Grand Canyon National Park</li>
<li>Grand Teton National Park</li>
<li>Joshua Tree National Park </li>
<li>Mount Ranier National Park </li>
<li>Olympic National Park</li>
<li>Rocky Mountain National Park </li>
<li>Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park</li>
<li>Shenandoah National Park </li>
<li>Yellowstone National Park</li>
<li>Yosemite National Park</li>
<li>Zion National Park</li>
</ul>
The Trump administration claims the fee is necessary to pay for a maintenance backlog at our national parks, but the administration could instead ask Congress to increase the budget for the National Park Service. As of today, the National Park Service budget only accounts for <a href="http://www.mojavepreserve.org/news/2017/7/9/slashing-funding-and-privatizing-our-parks" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">a <i>fraction of one percent</i> </a>of our total national budget. Paying for the current maintenance backlog by increasing the NPS budget would be as simple as closing tax loopholes for off shore corporations or the equivalent of buying a few fighter jets. But raising the fee to $70 for anybody wishing to visit Yosemite or Joshua Tree National Parks sends a signal to the American public that only those that are well off deserve to enjoy the splendor of our natural treasures. That is simply not fair and not what this country had in mind when it established our first national parks.<br />
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<br />Shaun G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15851941188361133949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5311929704697522769.post-61867076437662104462017-10-08T17:47:00.001-07:002017-10-08T17:47:46.171-07:00Habitat Restoration or Destruction? Pinyon-Juniper Removal Under ScrutinyAre pinyon pines and Utah juniper invasive species? The Department of Interior is enthusiastically proposing to cut down large swaths of pinyon-juniper woodland across the Great Basin Desert, although conservation group <a href="http://www.basinandrangewatch.org/Pinyon-Juniper.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Basin and Range Watch</a> is raising doubts about the scientific basis for such projects. The ostensible purpose of removing the pinyon-juniper is to help the greater sage grouse and reduce fire risk, although it appears more likely that the deforestation is to benefit private livestock grazing operations. Interior's claims that the projects are intended to support the sage grouse were further undermined after Interior opened up important grouse habitat elsewhere to <a href="https://medium.com/westwise/trump-admin-leases-imperiled-bird-habitat-to-oil-and-gas-companies-for-pennies-on-the-dollar-17ecf5e3f78c" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">oil and gas drilling</a> earlier this year, even though <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/ES13-00278.1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">experts </a>say protecting remaining habitat is the most important step we can take toward saving it from decline. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGUu9IuvNdWeajJQmvOhd3fM-cXFLTj-qe-5cVqK7-ENAQrUgu3C9WylE1ntEa4hoKmv1bBSqXnhuA2IMXwUAFv7bYxPHTQrdba2UHz08XAbZKWCT1lozIit8ONaSAw3hAE7JwOtYBPc04/s1600/08_Greater_Sage-Grouse%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="406" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGUu9IuvNdWeajJQmvOhd3fM-cXFLTj-qe-5cVqK7-ENAQrUgu3C9WylE1ntEa4hoKmv1bBSqXnhuA2IMXwUAFv7bYxPHTQrdba2UHz08XAbZKWCT1lozIit8ONaSAw3hAE7JwOtYBPc04/s320/08_Greater_Sage-Grouse%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greater Sage Grouse. Photo from Interior website.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Restoring historic sage grouse habitat to the native shrub and grasslands that the species needs to succesfully forage and breed is not easy and can require <a href="http://var/folders/0z/02l5f6cj3zx5p1w3z_cmc5d00000gn/T/com.apple.Preview/com.apple.Preview.PasteboardItems/Arkle_et_al-2014-Ecosphere%20(dragged).pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">at least 20 years</a> of effort to ensure the right mix of plant life takes root. This is why experts say protecting remaining intact habitat from destruction is the most effective way to help recover the species. But in some cases Interior is introducing non-native plants in areas deforested of pinyon-juniper.<br />
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Restoring sage grouse habitat should also take into account whether the land ever historically supported sage grouse . Interior's plans to remove pinyon-juniper woodland in portions of Nevada will target areas that may not have ever supported sage grouse. If the pinyon-juniper removal plans target areas that may not have previously supported grouse, and are not immediately followed up with the intensive habitat recovery process needed to get the land up to sage grouse standards, then what is the real purpose of some of these projects?<br />
<span style="color: #073763;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #073763;"><b>Case Study: Egan and Johnson Valleys, Great Basin Desert, Nevada</b></span><br />
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Interior this year <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/planAndProjectSite.do?methodName=renderDefaultPlanOrProjectSite&projectId=35903&dctmId=0b0003e880471372" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">solicited</a> public comments on a plan to remove pinyon and juniper from nearly <b>57 square miles</b> of the Egan and Johnson Valleys north of Ely, Nevada. In this part of Nevada, sage brush, pinyon pines and Utah juniper fill the landscape in a mosaic
interrupted only by small towns and farms. In an environmental
assessment published for this <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/planAndProjectSite.do?methodName=renderDefaultPlanOrProjectSite&projectId=35903&dctmId=0b0003e880471372" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"restoration" project</a>, the BLM asserts
that pinyon pines and Utah juniper are increasing in density and
encroaching on lands that once provided sage grouse habitat. Greater
sage grouse normally breed and nest in habitat dominated by sage and
grasses. But pinyon-juniper stands have always been a part of the
region's mix of plant cover.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib45B5QqUyAoKJ4UyhH51jgOasuQKoRVgp-bHsMMnH3c1vSgnMHAXFJz9cFoulcWbfKrIpf50zWvnob4I20Mw-7or6fBhff0essFPdESb4ccTcBAoLoJkAR37iR_hXO62QH23J7IMT4Hck/s1600/Egan-before.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib45B5QqUyAoKJ4UyhH51jgOasuQKoRVgp-bHsMMnH3c1vSgnMHAXFJz9cFoulcWbfKrIpf50zWvnob4I20Mw-7or6fBhff0essFPdESb4ccTcBAoLoJkAR37iR_hXO62QH23J7IMT4Hck/s640/Egan-before.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pinyon-juniper woodland in the North Egan Mountains, Nevada. Photo by Basin and Range Watch.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9r8HrDcTw5DDFSodE-sF-Ni7DgwaMs_fu57lJBCpg_7nTctNHJca-mm2Co4Vy01TJ9-XFPrp-0OvjJnUkjIFGSz_IRGDl60Ok274yDUNjvBkO3mJiMtFZpM3dXPNAoEIDU4JcHN50RE2Q/s1600/Egan-map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="516" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9r8HrDcTw5DDFSodE-sF-Ni7DgwaMs_fu57lJBCpg_7nTctNHJca-mm2Co4Vy01TJ9-XFPrp-0OvjJnUkjIFGSz_IRGDl60Ok274yDUNjvBkO3mJiMtFZpM3dXPNAoEIDU4JcHN50RE2Q/s400/Egan-map.jpg" width="292" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Areas targeted for pinyon-juniper removal.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Interior's environmental assessment does not make the case that stands of pinyon-juniper targeted for removal replaced grouse habitat. Without this evidence, this could just be a habitat conversion project, not a restorationg project. In fact, one study questions whether changes in the density of pinyon-juniper habitat is the process of this vegetation mix reclaiming areas lost to deforestation during Nevada's mining boom during the 19th century. Budding settlements took down pinyon-juniper for smelting, home heating and cooking, generating steam in mining machinery, fence posts, etc. (The Historical Stability of Nevada's Pinyon-Juniper Forests, <i>Phytologia</i>, December 2011)<br />
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Interior says that the project in Egan and Johnson Valley is to benefit sage grouse, but it plans to allow continued sheep and cattle grazing in the area. Cattle grazing can result in the loss of plants needed by sage grouse, and has been known to <a href="http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.2111/07-141.1?journalCode=rama" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">aid</a> pinyon-juniper encroachment in other regions. If the intent of the Interior project is to restore sage grouse habitat, then why would Interior re-introduce a threat to the grouse and a potential cause of pinyon-juniper encroachment? Interior's environmental assessment admits that it will improve "rangeland" conditions for domestic sheep and cattle grazing.<br />
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Interior also claims that the removal of pinyon-juniper will reduce the risk of wildland fire, but this seems to be a throwaway excuse. The targeted stands of pinyon-juniper are far from populated areas.<br />
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Furthermore, a review of historical imagery in some of the areas targeted for removal of pinyon-juniper shows very little change in the overall mosaic of vegetation cover over the past 15 years. If pinyon-juniper is encroaching on sage grouse habitat, its is doing so very slowly. And if the rate of change is so slow, it seems that other human-caused factors are more significant contributors to the decline of sage grouse habitat and should be addressed before we deforest pinyon-juniper woodland.<br />
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You can see below two images from Google Earth of Unit 3 (one from 1999, and the other from 2015), where Interior proposes to use the "Ely Chain" to remove pinyon-juniper.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi36t9-LjC_w2-aWGYhmKeMwfwE2_2MldhF_JROTJVpUeeTb7FUDlTL7UDXykZVYvFCpIxaaueC2Sz2hye63wi3s59bQSIrz1pYijkU4nT5AKdZViUw99F_0afanV8wv6c-wjeoTClCYvl9/s1600/Unit+3+1999.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1182" data-original-width="1600" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi36t9-LjC_w2-aWGYhmKeMwfwE2_2MldhF_JROTJVpUeeTb7FUDlTL7UDXykZVYvFCpIxaaueC2Sz2hye63wi3s59bQSIrz1pYijkU4nT5AKdZViUw99F_0afanV8wv6c-wjeoTClCYvl9/s640/Unit+3+1999.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Google Earth image of Unit 3 from 1999.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7iREa1PO1P3wusYeN9z8FwvHQBrYXyQS027Ahl1IpdbGYWFXNOAesIEUCxdmIKiqrzpM5Sr_tszphxkfqxccbINOeKXvFQgVsaeF5WeNaziNK2b45G_24qoTZnmvYFpAH6WRY_GJSQI2/s1600/Unit+3+2015.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1177" data-original-width="1600" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7iREa1PO1P3wusYeN9z8FwvHQBrYXyQS027Ahl1IpdbGYWFXNOAesIEUCxdmIKiqrzpM5Sr_tszphxkfqxccbINOeKXvFQgVsaeF5WeNaziNK2b45G_24qoTZnmvYFpAH6WRY_GJSQI2/s640/Unit+3+2015.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Google Earth image of Unit 3 from 2015. Other than having color imagery, any change in the overall mosaic of pinyon-juniper and sagebrush habitat is minimal.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #073763;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><b> </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #073763;"><b>Methods of Removal and Restoration Further Sow Doubt</b></span><br />
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If you planned to restore habitat for sage grouse would you disturb the soils, use heavy machinery to drag chains across the land, and then plant non-native grasses? That will not bring sage grouse back, but it is what Interior plans to do in the Egan and Johnson Valleys, according to its environmental assessment.<br /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR6eLsjsYvJcQ9-N605PNEvs__JuHQj2DuYrvNL4Zg3bnHgLlSzoZYWT1aknre3CoXkezQG7NhApnsgPS8HDZ0uhY0smsiAtTIkFy1hVXAxBM83JiIbqvyziLdaiH6fCqoUEB4Bw1dHLQs/s1600/Elychain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="255" data-original-width="603" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR6eLsjsYvJcQ9-N605PNEvs__JuHQj2DuYrvNL4Zg3bnHgLlSzoZYWT1aknre3CoXkezQG7NhApnsgPS8HDZ0uhY0smsiAtTIkFy1hVXAxBM83JiIbqvyziLdaiH6fCqoUEB4Bw1dHLQs/s640/Elychain.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you drag this chain across 15 square miles of intact pinyon-juniper woodland, do you suddenly create sage grouse habitat? No. But you may get some cheap cattle grazing lands.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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According to the environmental assessment for the Egan and Johnson Valleys project, over 15 square miles would be "chained," which involves one or more bulldozers dragging a heavy chain to rip down stands of multiple pinyon and juniper. This process would be extremely destructive to existing wildlife and the soils that Interior supposedly hopes will eventually sustain grouse habitat. Another several square miles would require heavy machinery to cut down pinyon and juniper, leading to additional erosion of soil quality.<br />
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Once Interior rips down the pinyon pines and juniper trees that it claims are encroaching on grouse habitat, it proposes to introduce non-native plants. According to the environmental assessment, Interior will use non-native seeds in much of the area to grow grasses. Non-native seeds are unlikely to support quality sage grouse habitat. But they probably will support sheep and cattle grazing. The environmental assessment does not seem to propose anywhere near the intensive management regime required to truly restore sage grouse habitat, just as it does not even provide evidence that grouse ever used the lands in question. But we do know from the environmental assessment that two species will benefit from the project - domestic sheep and cattle.<br />
<br />
Let's be clear. Plant species' ranges are always changing, and human
actions can accelerate the introduction of non-native species or throw
off a region's mix of plant life. Getting rid of truly invasive plant
species is a valid approach in many cases of wildlife habitat
restoration. But a clear case has not been made that
pinyon pines and juniper trees in the Egan and Johnson Valleys are threatening sage grouse
habitat. If pinyon-juniper encroachment on key grouse habitat is identified, addressing the problem should be done so with careful study and long-term restoration in mind. Fixes require a scalpel, not a
sledgehammer. Pinyon-juniper habitat is <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/ES13-00081.1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">declining</a> in other parts of the US. And although it may not provide habitat for sage grouse, it is still a vibrant ecosystem.Shaun G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15851941188361133949noreply@blogger.com0