|
| |
LUCERNE VALLEY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION (LVEDA)
Re: Solar Energy Development Programmatic EIS – June 17, 2008 - Barstow, Ca.
From: Chuck Bell, Sec.
P. O. Box 193
Lucerne Valley, CA 92356 760 964 3118
Date: June 17, 2008
LVEDA’s Mission Statement:
Provide a forum for discussion and action on important community issues –
promote infrastructure improvements – work with County and developers to promote
development that is both “economic” and compatible with our rural lifestyle,
environment and resource availability.
Granted, we have wind and sun which should be shared with our countrymen. But we
also have the Mojave Desert which is a treasure unto itself - which cannot be
consumed for the benefit of the over-populated urban mess in the coastal basin.
We already provide that megalopolis with limestone, cement, aggregate (with its
incessant truck traffic), recreation (particularly the resource-consumptive and
largest OHV open areas in the world), power line/pipeline corridors, tremendous
amounts of acreage for expanding military bases (critical for our nation's
defense), public open space, immense areas set-aside for habitat protection,
etc. etc. This Programmatic analysis should include a quantitative assessment of
the megawatts of solar power that could potentially be generated within the
urban areas of demand (ie: roof top and parking lot systems) prior to any
further commitment of public land resources to the subsidy of urban areas. It
should also take into account the nation-wide options for nuclear plants at
locations with sufficient water sources.
This process must include an in-depth survey of Calif. Desert plans and maps –
identifying the limited areas available and suitable for solar plants - listing
and quantifying the amount of acreage/sq. miles and alignments dedicated to all
the land-uses that we already provide s. Calif. - to fully understand why we
need a "Solar Energy Siting Element" to our current BLM and County Plans. If
this endeavor does that – then it’s well worthwhile.
BLM should not displace private sector opportunities – with the cheaper use of
gov. land competing w/solar plant options on private land (ie: fallowed
agricultural land in s. Cal. counties that cannot otherwise be developed due to
water shortages) - allowing landowners to make the best use of their properties.
We also have to deal with the dilemma "where do we mitigate the impacts of all
these proposed projects?"
Excerpt: March 28, 08 newsletter from San Bernardino County (First District)
Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt:
"These projects have the potential to change the face of our precious desert
forever, at a time when it is already under intense pressure from urban growth,
habitat protection, expansion of military bases and other issues. We need to
take a step back and look at the desert as a whole, to decide where these
projects belong and where they don't belong."
|
