- Joined
- Apr 14, 2004
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Didn't really get a chance to fill y'all in on what I've been up to since I got back from TX. Other than a boatload of work [yes, Mark's Off Road is humming along quite well during this recession] I've been very, very active in the land use area.
Seems I"ve logged over 60 volunteer hours in over the last 7 weeks alone, starting with attending the monthly Friends of Jawbone meeting in April. At the meeting, I was informed that the huge solar energy project attempting to get approval for their project outside Ridgecrest had finally released their draft Environmental Impact Statement. Fast forward 5 days and the Recreation Officer for the Ridgecrest office handed me my own personal copy of the 1400 page document!
Fast forwards a couple of weeks and I've discovered that solar energy is not necessarily 'green' energy, as the plant will require 190,000 gallons of water A DAY and 1000 gallons of propane A DAY to make it run, along with 2000 acres of sol disturbance of ground known to contain the valley fever spores on land 3 miles from elementary schools and convalescent homes! Not to mention that the CEC [California Energy Commission] staff opposes this project because the land is PRIME habitat for the Desert Tortoise.
So somehow, I was appointed at the BLM's monthly Steering Committee meeting to draft a letter in opposition to the project.
I am also being considered for membership on the BLM's Steering Committee meeting, and will find out the results of that at their next meeting June 24th.
In the midst of all this, I managed to go on an extended camping trip again, this time it was 12 days in the East Mojave. I spent the 21-st thru the 25th in and around Red Rock Canyon, supporrting the Friends of Jawbone and Moose Anderson Days. 25th thru 28th had a windy time out in Saline Valley with my buddy Dusty 66. 28th we made our way over to the Minnietta Cabin for a couple of days, where I ended up helping hike building materials into the Argus Wilderness to help repair an old mining cabin. Then we headed over to Mesquite Canyon in Death Valley on the 30th to meet up with a college geology class' field trip for a couple of days. Made it back to L.A. on May 2nd, no worse for wear and tear.
Seems I"ve logged over 60 volunteer hours in over the last 7 weeks alone, starting with attending the monthly Friends of Jawbone meeting in April. At the meeting, I was informed that the huge solar energy project attempting to get approval for their project outside Ridgecrest had finally released their draft Environmental Impact Statement. Fast forward 5 days and the Recreation Officer for the Ridgecrest office handed me my own personal copy of the 1400 page document!
Fast forwards a couple of weeks and I've discovered that solar energy is not necessarily 'green' energy, as the plant will require 190,000 gallons of water A DAY and 1000 gallons of propane A DAY to make it run, along with 2000 acres of sol disturbance of ground known to contain the valley fever spores on land 3 miles from elementary schools and convalescent homes! Not to mention that the CEC [California Energy Commission] staff opposes this project because the land is PRIME habitat for the Desert Tortoise.
So somehow, I was appointed at the BLM's monthly Steering Committee meeting to draft a letter in opposition to the project.
I am also being considered for membership on the BLM's Steering Committee meeting, and will find out the results of that at their next meeting June 24th.
In the midst of all this, I managed to go on an extended camping trip again, this time it was 12 days in the East Mojave. I spent the 21-st thru the 25th in and around Red Rock Canyon, supporrting the Friends of Jawbone and Moose Anderson Days. 25th thru 28th had a windy time out in Saline Valley with my buddy Dusty 66. 28th we made our way over to the Minnietta Cabin for a couple of days, where I ended up helping hike building materials into the Argus Wilderness to help repair an old mining cabin. Then we headed over to Mesquite Canyon in Death Valley on the 30th to meet up with a college geology class' field trip for a couple of days. Made it back to L.A. on May 2nd, no worse for wear and tear.
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