The Desert Renewal Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) will guide plans to develop renewal energy (solar and wind) in the California deserts. Federal, state, and county agencies are involved. The plan will cover both public and private land. Nothing final has been drafted yet. We have an opportunity to make a
difference in the process that will shape our future.
The DRECP
claims to:
·
Provide for the long-term
conservation and management of Covered Species within the Plan
Area,
·
Preserve, restore, and enhance
natural communities and ecosystems that support Covered
Species,
·
Streamline environmental review and
permitting for compatible renewable energy project, and
·
Identify appropriate areas or zones
within the Plan Area for the development of utility-scale renewable energy
projects.
But the plan
has some big gaps and needs to incorporate current scientific data; bio-studies,
and local economic issues. We
asked for a meeting in our area and were granted one. Officials from the California Energy Commission, Fish and Wildlife, the BLM, and San Bernardino County will be present to hear from us about life in the Mojave, the right way to develop renewal energy in our desert, and what we must preserve.
Information about the DRECP is available on the National Parks Conservation Association website; and on the California Desert Coalition website.
Also check out Renewable Energy Topics by Chris Clarke. You can read the DRECP at http://www.drecp.org/
Meeting details are below. Please come and be heard.
