New Monument (Nick’s backyard)

I mentioned Blythe. The Mesa will thrive again. I’d like to see it go a little further north at the east end. All the way to the airport.

North of I-10 and west of Blythe is the Palen-McCoy Wilderness. You can see the Blythe Airport in the right-center for reference.

There is a lot of BLM land remaining in the area. Most of it, the BLM and DOE are turning into solar farms. It’s turning into a Dead Sea of Solar Panels. Around Desert Center the solar companies have nearly emptied water table during construction. Many local indigenous peoples are p*ssed. Wildlife and desert fauna disappearing.

The mesa . . . Et tu Brute?

The Mesa. Affectionately known as Nichols Warm Springs. The hills west of the airport were my mom’s babysitter. She taught us about snakes and scorpions, then let us wander.  Patton’s base was my playground. My first job at 14 was working at the airport in exchange for flying lessons. I’ve flown all over that area. Hell was a few miles down the highway where they sold gas. My neighbor had a rock shop. A desert wanderer. He had been a horse thief. He stole horses in California and sold them to the Calvary in Arizona. Blackie. I think Collin Fletcher confused him with Chuckwalla Bill. He mentions a Blackie as a possible alias.  I was unaware of how much of the area is now designated wilderness. I didn’t really appreciate it until I left.

😇

Hell, California

The bumper stickers read “I’ve been to hell and back”. I’d get in trouble every time we drove through that area. They burned it down when I-10 was built.

contrary to what it totally looks like …

NO WAY is this last-minute-down-to-the-wire-done-without-public-comment a federal land grab.

no way. they don’t do that. go ahead, prove it for yourself, ask a first nation person.

CalWild is extremely pleased that the Biden administration has heeded the call of six Tribal nations, hundreds of local small businesses, elected officials, historical societies, veterans, clergy, and other diverse interests to designate the Chuckwalla National Monument.   After more than five years of work we are delighted to join these constituencies in thanking President Biden for protecting California’s desert public lands for us and for future generations to visit and enjoy.”- Linda Castro, CalWild Assistant Policy Director

thanks for that last post, Terran.  Truth.

Moab to Mojave…love it. wildlife needs these corridors, as we know. Especially in an environment like this and even more so given global warming.

I’m heartbroken over the fires in L.A.. I’m all too familiar with those wind conditions, both in my home here in Berkeley when a thousand or so homes went up in flames in similar conditions, and once when out backpacking on the eastern slope of the Sierra. I was lucky to get out. The winds make fire fighting a near impossibility.

and so preserved lands take on even greater importance going forward.

The sponsor…

Representative Dr. Raul Ruiz

Tribal Monuments

Of the people, for the people, by the people…

Audubon