Posted on 03/25/2005 11:27:20 AM PST by NormsRevenge
LOS ANGELES - The federal government announced the nation's largest conservation plan for 9.5 million acres of desert in Southern California that would protect wildlife but make development easier in fast-growing regions.
The 30-year plan unveiled Thursday by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management seeks to balance an ancient landscape of rugged volcanic mountains, 11,000-year-old creosote bushes and more than 100 species, including the threatened desert tortoise and the Mohave ground squirrel, with developers' push for new homes and businesses.
More than 10 years in the making, the plan covers parts of the Mojave Desert, Joshua Tree National Forest and the Algodones Dunes, which is a popular destination for off-road enthusiasts. It also covers dozens of cities and communities in San Bernardino, Kern, Los Angeles and Inyo counties.
"Everybody out there in this tremendously large, 9-million-acre area will know which areas are targeted for conservation and which areas would be allowed for development," said Jan Bedrosian, spokeswoman for the BLM's California office, which began developing the plan a decade ago.
Conservation areas for the tortoise and squirrel would increase by an average of 28 percent, totaling 1.5 million acres, according to the plan. In addition, it establishes 14 new areas where only 1 percent of the land can be disturbed.
Off-roading would be restricted in some areas, including a 15-mile-long area on the northeastern edge of San Bernardino County.
The plan would ease building restrictions in some areas. In return, however, developers would pay fees to help manage the 1.5 million acres of wildlife. The fees are about $770 per acre.
The BLM plans to finalize the guidelines by May 1, after reviewing public comments and getting support from state and federal wildlife agencies.
Some environmental groups say the plan doesn't go far enough to protect desert wildlife.
Daniel Patterson, desert ecologist with the Center for Biological Diversity, said the plan allows cattle to remain in some grazing areas that are critical habitats for the tortoise.
"The plan's stated goal was to recover the desert tortoise and this plan won't do that," Patterson said, adding his organization would sue to block the plan.
A tree that is 11,000 yeqars old? ? ?
Sounds like time for the property rights legal foundations to get active over the 99% untouchable rule.
Where do they intend to get the water for these people? This sounds like a really stupid idea.
Oops, years, not 'yeqars'- look before posting, look before posting, look before posting look - -
As Sam Kenison once hilariously, and sadly, wrongly screamed:
"WE HAVE DESERTS!!! BUT WE DON'T LIVE THERE!! AAAAHH!! AHHH!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!"
Probably coastal desalination plants, which will allow for diversion of aqueduct water.
A tree that is 11,000 yeqars old? ?
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Impossible. More Darwinist claptrap.
They have no practical plan to get water, except to join in the mad competition of too many people chasing to little SouthWestern water.
Living can be pretty good in the desert...may not have a green lawn though!
What makes you say that? Why is it impossible? And why is it "Darwinist"?
If the rain keeps up they might investigate huts on stilts.
You have evidence of this? The science seems pretty certain. Creosote bushes keep growing, either outward or in one direction, while the older parts wither and die. Whether it's the same organism is, I suppose debatable. On the other hand, there are the Ancient Bristlecone pines, also in California, which are dated by their rings at close to 5000 years old.
Damn Envirowackos!!!
The Tortoise is doing fine!
They may have no plan, but they got a lot of water this year, so they feel cockey. (Maybe they plan on nuclear run desal plants.)
We are within 3" of setting an altime record for the wettest year EVER in the LA Basin....Then there is Camp Odie up above Pasadena that before the last rain, had collected 107" since the start of the rainy season....
I'm tired of being taxed to save deserts and swamps (here in Florida). For some reason, the libs think that God just can't get it right, and needs a large division of b-crats to keep track of His work.
Well, they had nice lawns in Lone Pine until Los Angeles swindled the residents out of their water--in perpetuity.
Southern California has created an artificial oasis at the cost of the water of others. NOW residents of Southern California travel to destroy those areas from which they stole the water--with their "recreation."
For the survival of the rest of the State of California, Southern California needs to be its own state. The rest of California needs to extract the tumor that is So. CA.
"Where do they intend to get the water for these people? This sounds like a really stupid idea."
That was my first thought as well. Hey! I know! My socialist Governor in Wisconsin could drain Lake Michigan for profit and pipe it on down there. Yeah. That's the ticket! *Rolleyes*
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