Dear Morongo Basin Conservation Association Member:
The MBCA 2009 Annual Membership meeting is Saturday, January 17, 2009 at the Joshua Tree Community Center, 6171 Sunburst Ave., from 10:00 A.M. to noon. This is an exciting time to address conservation issues and concerns in the Morongo Basin and beyond.
The MBCA renovated website and blog have been informing visitors about MBCA's activities and providing information about issues affecting the Morongo Basin. Our website is an informational and educational instrument for networking the conservation concerns of the entire Morongo Basin.
The important conservation issues of 2008 include several proposals: Green Path North, the 29 Palms Marine Base Expansion, the Yucca Valley Wal-Mart SuperCenter, the 29 Palms NuWu Casino, the Joshua Tree Villas by Katz Development and a number of questionable housing developments in Yucca Valley.
Most notably, MBCA joined the Coalition for Environmental Integrity in Yucca Valley in their CEQA lawsuit opposing Yucca Valley's approval of a WalMart SuperCenter. MBCA collected signatures for the Yucca Valley citizens' petition to force the Town to hold a special election for the contested Wal-Mart approval. The petition failed by just 50 signatures.
MBCA joined several states' Attorney Generals, major environmental groups and others in a legal challenge to the ill-formed 2005 Energy Act that gives eminent domain and other overreaching powers to Big Energy and Federal bureaucracies. The lawsuit is pending in the Federal 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
MBCA sponsored conservation education for local schools and a water district and worked with several like-minded organizations including California Desert Coalition, Mojave Desert Land Trust, Community ORV Watch, Morongo Basin Open Space Group, Defenders of Wildlife and others. Several MBCA board members are officials within these organizations, creating strength through networking.
Two boardmembers are retiring: Esther Herbert, Secretary/Treasurer for sixteen years, will spend more time with her family; Harry Bowkley, Membership Coordinator, will seek projects in Information Technology. Esther and Harry will be missed.
January is the MBCA membership anniversary. If you received an MBCA Membership Card in your packet, your membership is current. If not, your membership is due for renewal and enclosed is a 2009 MBCA Membership Form. Also enclosed are the 2009 Directors Ballot and the 2009 Calendar of Events.
Watch for our e-mail announcement and agenda for the January 17, 2009 MBCA Annual Membership Meeting.
Sincerely,
David Fick, President
Morongo Basin Conservation Association
