Current status? Complex, to say the least by Joan Taylor, Jenny Binstock Like the proverbial blind men and the elephant, the Salton Sea means many things to many people: a critical stopover on the Pacific Flyway threatened with collapse; environmental justice communities faced with escalating health hazards; a potential multimillion dollar international canal; and even … Continue reading Salton Sea – the Saga Continues
The Desert Tortoise in California
A General Conservation Plan by Ray Bransfield The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) listed the Mojave desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (Act) in 1990 due to habitat loss and fragmentation, excessive predation, and disease. Since then, the Service has been working to protect desert tortoises and their habitat and to recovering the … Continue reading The Desert Tortoise in California
An Opportunity for Action
The California State 30x30 Initiative by Moises Cisneros I was recently invited to a potluck by my neighborhood association. I was provided with an existing list of items people had already committed to bringing; there was a wish list of items people hoped others would bring; and there was space for me to add what … Continue reading An Opportunity for Action
Can the Jacumba Wilderness Be Saved?
Conflicting Priorities on the Mexican Border by Craig Deutsche On February 8, 2019, environmental laws, regulations, and other legal requirements were waived in order to construct barriers and roads to "secure" the Mexican border.1 Approximately a year later (March, 2020 construction of the border wall was initiated in Southern California's Jacumba Wilderness. The environmental damage … Continue reading Can the Jacumba Wilderness Be Saved?
An Activist Responds
Where Do You Find Motivation to Be an Activist? by Patrick Donnelly Editor's note: This letter was one of the responses to the questions posed in the article by Birgitta Jansen. Because of its length, it is being printed separately. Thanks for writing and thinking of me. And I'm grateful for your continued dedication to … Continue reading An Activist Responds
The Small Tract Act 1938-1976
Shaping the San Bernardio's High Desert by Pat Flanagan How a federal response to veterans' needs for affordable land with clean air set a pattern for development that helps protect plant and animal biodiversity and carbon sequestration in the Mojave Desert. Winter has arrived and it's time to drive into the desert for some hiking, … Continue reading The Small Tract Act 1938-1976
Passion for the Environment
What Keeps Activists Engaged by Birgitta Jansen Many environmental activists share a deep caring about the land and the natural world. I cannot speak for everyone, but for the most part we seem to be a passionate bunch. But to care deeply or love a special place in the landscape, comes at a cost. I've … Continue reading Passion for the Environment
December 2022
In this issue • The Colorado River: Is it Simply a Water Problem? • The Desert Tortoise In California • Salton Sea: The Saga Continues • Passion For The Environment: What Keeps Activists Engaged • An Activist Responds • Life Beyond The Alarms: Finding My Place In Climate Chaos • Opportunity For Action: The California … Continue reading December 2022
Carbon Sequestration in our Desert Lands
CARBON SEQUESTRATION IN OUR DESERT LANDS Essential to California's 30X30 Initiative by Susy Boyd Background California's laudable efforts to conserve 30% of our state's lands and coastal waters by 2030 have not been lost on our desert region. In fact, a small but steadfast collection of environmental groups and scientists have been working over the … Continue reading Carbon Sequestration in our Desert Lands
When Is a Review Not a Review?
Greenlink Transmission Line Is Being Fast-Tracked by Shannon Salter Sometimes a word is repeated so diligently that it detaches from itself and becomes a dead thing. It represents a vague idea, or worse, an abstraction. The danger here lies in that the dead word takes the place of an individual's own thinking. It is a … Continue reading When Is a Review Not a Review?