P.O.
Box 3635, San Diego, CA 92163-1635
Phone: (619) 342-5524 Website: www.dpcinc.org
Summer 2008 Editor: Larry Hogue
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
Emerging Threats to Our Desert Lands
In a column some months back, I confidently asserted that
poorly regulated Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) use was
public enemy number one, the chief threat to the integrity
and beauty of our beloved desert lands. In the months
since my earlier assessment, one I have held for years, I
have now come slowly to realize that a new, ominous
danger confronts lovers of the southwestern deserts. Not
that OHV abuse has suddenly declined, mind you, but a
sudden new gold rush is upon us, one that cloaks itself
cleverly in a green disguise. It goes by the harmless name
of – renewable energy. “Save Fossil Fuels! Reduce
Greenhouse Gases! Prevent Pollution! Lower Your Energy
Bills! Utilize the ‘Inexhaustible’ Power of the Sun!”
Sounds great, doesn’t it? Maybe it’s too good to be true?
Readers of El Paisano have read a good deal over the
last year or so about DPC’s active engagement fighting
against the Sunrise Powerlink project (see our website),
including substantial financial support for the grassroots
campaign in San Diego and Imperial counties to kill this
huge proposal. This despite the fact of Sempra Energy’s
claims that the project will transport significant “green”
power from a major proposed solar energy installation and
likely geothermal sources of energy as well.
Those of our members who live outside of these two
counties may not know all the specifics, but therein lies
the devil. The contention that the Sunrise Powerlink will
carry large quantities of clean, renewable energy is largely
a lie, built on unproven technologies, supposition and
implausible “facts.” More importantly, this proposed
monster is only the vanguard of a far larger emerging
threat.
As the largest land manager in the deserts of
California and Nevada, the federal Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) oversees a vast expanse of public
1
Number 201
land, land that in many cases is the last remaining base for
preserving dwindling areas of wildness plus just plain old
open space. And it is that open space which is the target of
the newest California gold rush. It is no exaggeration to
say that the BLM California Desert District has been
inundated with requests to lease public land for renewable
energy projects, from solar collectors and wind turbines
covering large expanses to geothermal plants intended to
tap the energy of super hot subterranean water.
While suggestive of an innovative and easy way out of
our (largely self-inflicted) energy mess in this country,
much more lies below the surface of this juggernaut than
mere geologically heated water. First of all, many
companies with unproven records of performance have
rushed to cash in on the solar, wind and geothermal energy
boom, some with no histories in the energy business at all
or with dubious technology. This is especially true in the
solar realm. So far, many proposals are heedless when it
comes to siting on lands with other established values.
Inadequate, poorly vetted propositions in the early stage
do not bode well for the future in other aspects. And who
will speak up for protection of particularly sensitive lands?
Not the BLM, based on history and experience.
On top of other uncertainties, none of the renewable
energy options come without an environmental cost in
addition to often taking up large expanses of ever more
precious open space, wilderness and wildlife domain.
Wind farms require huge networks of construction and
maintenance roads which compact and denude soil,
turning the vital microbiotic crust to dust, while providing
easy access for exotic weeds and renegade off-roaders, let
alone threatening birds. Solar collectors and converters
contain significant amounts of toxic materials and they too
require large tracts of land. Geothermal plants pull up
heated water from far below the earth’s surface that
(continued on page 7)
 Audubon’s Imperial Valley
Landowner Stewardship Program
By Al Kalin, Audubon California's
Landowner Stewardship Coordinator for Imperial Valley
Students from Brawley Union High School’s Environmental Science Class work at
planting trees on the Morgan East property, part of Audubon’s Landowner Stewardship border, Audubon restorationists are working
Program in the Imperial Valley. Photo by Nancy V. Kellogg.
Audubon California’s highly successful Landowner Stew-
ardship Program has recently expanded to Imperial Valley
where habitat restoration projects are currently being
implemented on five different sites totaling over 750 acres.
Designed for farmers and ranchers, the program’s goal
is to work with land owners to conserve and restore
wildlife habitat while remaining compatible with the
existing agricultural operations on the farmer’s fields.
Not only is Imperial Valley’s 500,000 acres of
irrigated farm land one of the most intensely farmed areas
in the nation, it is also considered one of the most
important bird areas in the United States. Over 400 species
of birds have been recorded in the area. In many instances,
the majority of the worldwide population of several
species, such as the eared grebe, depends on the Imperial
Valley during their yearly migration. The burrowing owl, a
state species of concern and year-round resident of
Imperial Valley, accounts for 70% of California’s entire
population.
The Landowner Stewardship Program, with help from
the Imperial County Farm Bureau, began operations in the
Imperial Valley in 2005. The local Farm Bureau’s award
winning Silt Total Maximum Daily Load Voluntary
Compliance Program, which educates farmers on how to
reduce nutrient rich silt leaving their farm fields and
entering the Salton Sea, is a perfect venue to reach all the
farmers in the Imperial Valley during their Total Maximum the background, soon to be replaced with natives.
Daily Load annual drainshed meetings and find new
cooperators for the Landowner Stewardship Program.
The Imperial Valley Landowner Stewardship Program
is currently working to restore 80 acres of critical wetlands
adjacent to the Salton Sea and Sonny Bono
Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge. Recent
water transfers from the Imperial Valley to
urban areas in California are putting the
Salton Sea at risk, so it is important that
wetland projects next to the Salton Sea are
maintained for maximum year-round habitat.
On three riverine habitat projects invasive
tamarisk have been removed and native trees
and shrubs, including a high population of
willow and native mesquite trees, are being
planted to enhance the area around the farm-
er’s fields. One of the projects will also
include over three acres of native saltgrass
when the project is completed.
Near Mount Signal at the Southwestern
corner of Imperial Valley, next to the Mexican
to increase native habitat on a 650-acre
ranch which borders the desert. Plans are
being developed for 11 acres of hedgerow plantings,
including native trees and shrubs.
These are exciting times for Audubon’s Landowner
Stewardship Program in the Imperial Valley and the
number of farmers wanting to participate in the program is
increasing every week. To contribute to the program or for
more information see http://ca.audubon.org/lsp or call Al
Kalin at (760) 455-1399.
Robert Thomas/Mt. Signal Property – Wheat, sudangrass, and milo are
visible in foreground, with the non-native athel (Tamarix aphylla) trees in
Photo by Al Kalin
2
 CONSERVATION CORNER
By Terry Weiner
Conservation & Imperial County Projects Coordinator
Greetings, DPC members, friends and assorted desert
lovers. I hope this finds you well and having enjoyed a
sweet springtime season in the desert and in your own
backyards. The Mojave and Colorado deserts saw quite a
wonderful bloom in spring 2008. In very early February in
Shoshone California, south of Death Valley National Park,
the pink and purple cup-like blossoms of the desert five
spots were already in profuse bloom in the pastel-colored
mud hills. The high desert of our Mojave National
Preserve in the Ivanpah Mts. at 5,000 ft. was ablaze as late
as the first week-
end in May with
the newly opened
flaming coral blos-
soms of the claret
cup cactus. The
ground between
the cacti was
sprinkled with the
periwinkle blue of
phacelias and
mustard-yellow
gold fields. The
roads of the Pre-
serve were lined
with tall peach-
colored blossoms
of the desert mal- Fresh ORV tracks mar a pristine dune system in the Mojave Preserve, where riding an
low. The Algodones ORV is illegal.
Dunes sprouted flowers like mad during February and
March, ending with a good crop of the rare and odd-
looking partly-parasitic plant called “Sand food”
(Pholisma sonorae), a plant which fascinates me so much
that I did a term paper on it for a UCSD Ecology class not
long ago. The Desert Botanical Garden’s website
(www.dbg.org) has more interesting information about this
plant, which is threatened by off-road vehicle use at the
Algodones Dunes.
This botanical excursion has been leading to the issue
that is perennially on my mind and on my work plate: off-
road vehicles in the desert. Have we made progress in 35
years in protecting the desert from off-road vehicle (ORV)
impacts? In the early 1970s, recognizing the proliferation
of ORVs and conflicts with other types of recreation on
public lands, California State Parks established the Off-
Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division (OHMVRD)
in order to develop a program and tools for managing
ORVs on public lands across the state. (See sidebar for the
3
distinction between OHVs and ORVs.) The OHV Program
is funded mainly from diversion of a percentage of our
California fuel tax dollars ($55 million for 2008), portions
of which are earmarked mainly for establishing and
operating legal ORV riding areas, for law enforcement and
for restoration of ORV damage to public and private land.
Without the California OHV Program, there would be no
organized management and monitoring of the damage
from this impactful form of recreation. Nevertheless, the
popularity of ORVs continues to grow with an increasing
variety of types of vehicles, many of which are larger,
farther ranging and more destructive.
This past weekend, I was camped next to pristine
dunes within the
Mojave Preserve,
where only street-
legal vehicles are
allowed. Out of the
blissful silence
came the growl of
engines from ap-
proaching non-
street-legal four-
wheel ORVs.
Before I reached the
dunes on foot,
seven men on
ORVs had driven
up and down the
sides of the sand
dunes, previously
Photo by JD Morehouse marked only by
tiny tracks of lizards and rodents. They made deep “donut”
gouges and ran over dunes plants. After flagging them
down and explaining that they were riding illegally, they
did retreat from the dunes but drove cross-country across
the desert to a dirt road where they were still riding
illegally. California OHV regulations require registration
stickers (green stickers) on ORVs. Only one of the seven
ORVs was bearing one.
The Desert Protective Council is taking an active role
in the Alliance for Responsible Recreation, a coalition of
property owners, citizens groups and conservation
organizations working on strategies for crafting and
gaining support for tighter regulations and more stringent
fines for trespass and damage to public and private lands.
In Arizona, for instance, 55,000 acres of the Sonoran
Desert National Monument have just been closed to off-
roading for up to two years, and the penalty for motorized
trespass is a fine of up to $1,000 and up to one year in jail.
(continued on next page)
 ORVs vs OHVs
Confused about the difference between OHVs and
ORVs? An Off-Highway Vehicle is any vehicle, often
street-legal, that is used off of paved roads, on a jeep
road, for instance. A stock SUV can be considered an
OHV, and many hikers, birders, and other non-motorized
recreationists drive off-highway to access trailheads. As a
category, “off-highway vehicle” is meaningless, since it
captures so many vehicle types and uses. An Off-Road
Vehicle is any vehicle that is designed to, or primarily
used to, go beyond jeep routes and established trails.
ORVs are used legally at “open play” vehicle areas such
as Imperial (Algodones) Sand Dunes and Ocotillo Wells
State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA). The category
includes two- or four-wheeled cycles, sand rails, and
souped up trucks and SUVs used for “rock-crawling” and
“hill-climbing.” While the more generic term OHV is used
in California’s recreational motor vehicle program, the
program mainly represents ORV users. And while the
OHV portion of the gas tax is calculated based on the
number of drivers who go off of a paved road, most of
these funds are used to benefit off-roaders, not the larger
class of off-highway vehicle drivers. (The situation
became even more skewed toward off-roaders in the last
legislative session, a problem the Alliance for
Responsible Recreation is working on.)
(Conservation Corner, continued)
We hope similar penalties will be instituted for motorized
trespass in wilderness areas, state parks and other pre-
serves within California where motorized access is already
illegal, and for motorized trespass on private land. The
coalition is also working on a campaign to raise the aware-
ness of the general public, the media, and our local, state
and national representatives about the wide-ranging envi-
ronmental consequences of motorized recreation. If you
are a member of a property owners group concerned about
ORV abuse in your area, please email me. Your group may
want to consider joining the DPC as a member of our
expanding Alliance for Responsible Recreation.
Early this year, we received a wonderful tool to help
with our goal of building public support for land managers
and other decision-makers to stop off-road vehicle abuse
in the form of a coffee-table book, published by Wildlands
CPR out of Missoula, Montana. Thrillcraft: The Environ-
mental Consequences of Motorized Recreation, edited by
George Wuerthener, contains alarming photographs and
insightful essays and is a powerful medium for conveying
the graphic abuse that ORVs inflict on land, watersheds,
air quality and wildlife habitat. DPC received 70 copies of
Thrillcraft that we are distributing free of charge to
4
decision makers, land managers, libraries and others who
may be able to use this book to influence the public’s
perception of what types of ORV use is unacceptable. If
you would like to receive a copy of Thrillcraft for the
purpose of taking it to your local or state representatives,
your local planning commission or Board of Supervisors,
please email me and send a check for $5.00 to cover the
cost of mailing, and I will send you a copy. Meanwhile,
you can look at reviews of Thrillcraft on Amazon.com.
Have a good, safe summer and as always, I would
love to hear from you by phone, letter or e-mail on any
desert-related topic or concern. I also invite you to read
about the new ban on ORVs in the Sonoran Desert Nation-
al Monument at our new DesertBlog, www.desertblog.net.
Please do feel free to take the time to post a comment. We
would love to hear your thoughts.
Terry Weiner
terryweiner@sbcglobal.net
SUNRISE POWERLINK UPDATE
by Larry Hogue
The May 12 California Public Utilities Commission
hearings in Borrego Springs were a great success for oppo-
nents of the Sunrise Powerlink and proponents of Smart
Energy Solutions for San Diego. 400 people packed the
afternoon hearing, and the evening hearing saw nearly
300. Roughly 80% of the speakers were against all routes
of the Sunrise Powerlink, and a showing of hands revealed
about the same ratio for the entire audience. More than
150 people spoke. The “pro” speakers consisted mainly of
business groups and chambers of commerce. All of them
spoke from the same playbook created by San Diego’s
movers and shakers at a meeting in 2004, where renewable
energy was chosen as the best way to “sell” the public on
the Sunrise Powerlink.
In contrast, opponents had many good, insightful argu-
ments against the Powerlink and in favor of a distributed,
low-carbon energy system for San Diego, many of which
they developed on their own. Four out of five commission-
ers attended the hearing, which is rare for the CPUC. They
seemed to really appreciate hearing from passionate,
involved citizens.
What’s next: While the commission did seem to be
listening to the people, they’re under heavy political
pressure, mainly from Governor Schwarzenegger, to
approve some version of the Sunrise Powerlink. Clearly,
we face an uphill battle in protecting the deserts and other
landscapes we love, but recent history holds out some
hope. The ill-fated Valley-Rainbow transmission project
(think of it as Sunrise Powerlink 1.0) was voted down by
the CPUC in 2003 because the facts showed it to be
 unnecessary, and be- can even sign up to have posts e-mailed to you, avoiding
cause communities the annoying task of frequently checking lists of favorite
were persistent and websites, only to find that nothing new has been posted.
united in their oppo- So far, we’ve averaged about three posts a week, but with
sition. The Toll Road summer coming up we’re beginning to hit some dry spells.
project proposed to We hope you’ll read the blog, and give us your feedback.
run through San
Onofre State Beach DESERT NOTES
(also supported by Brief news items from around the deserts…
the Governor) saw a A new wilderness bill could protect the White
heavy blow with the Mountains and the Amargosa River, as well as areas in the
recent Coastal Com- Sierra Nevada and San Gabriel Mountains. Co-sponsored
mission decision. by Sen. Barbara Boxer and Rep. Buck McKeon (R-CA
When people come 25th), the Eastern Sierra and Northern San Gabriel Wild
together to do sim- Heritage Act would provide wilderness designation for the
ple, effective ac- White Mountains, America’s largest and highest desert
tions, these types mountain range, containing the second largest unprotected
DPC’s Terry Weiner testifies at the
Sunrise Powerlink hearings. of victories are pos- roadless area in the lower 48 states. Death Valley’s
Photo by Diana Lindsay. sible. That’s why it is Amargosa River would gain Wild and Scenic River Status.
more important than McKeon, a Republican, is getting slammed by motorized
ever to keep the pressure on leading up to the CPUC access groups, so a call or e-mail of support couldn’t hurt:
decision in the fall. (202) 225-1956; http://mckeon.house.gov/contact.shtml ...
What you can do: Help keep the pressure on by As a result of a 2005 lawsuit by Bluewater Network,
calling the Governor’s office at 916-445-2841. Ask him National Parks & Conservation Association and Wildlands
to oppose the Sunrise Powerlink, because smarter energy CPR, the National Park Service is instituting a new pilot
alternatives are available! program to better protect ten national parks from off-road
But even if the CPUC approves the Powerlink in the vehicle abuse. Death Valley and Joshua Tree are included
fall, that’s just Round 1 of a long battle. Our campaign is in the program, which will feature beefed up enforcement
well set up for Round 2, which will move to the courts. As and education programs to stop off-roading where it is not
one knowledgeable source told us, the politics may favor allowed, and to better manage it in the places where it is
the Sunrise Powerlink, but the technical elements of the allowed. According to Wildlands CPR, “While off-road
case are against it. The facts of the case should make some vehicles aren’t allowed in many national parks at all,
very persuasive arguments should it be necessary to bring ecological damage and recreational conflict are on the rise
the project before an impartial judge. We’ll keep you from illegal use. With the recently announced settlement,
informed of developments as they happen on our blog (see park administrators have finally acknowledged the
next article for more info). severity of the problem and pledged to take new action to
protect park resources from off-road vehicle damage.” The
DPC’s New DesertBlog organization says this program, if successful, could serve
Since the last issue of El Paisano, we have started a new as a model for other lands managed by NPS. As the photo
online information source, DesertBlog. You can view it on of the dunes on page 3 shows, the Mojave Preserve could
our website, and also at www.desertblog.net. Topics range certainly benefit from such a program.
from desert conservation issues such as the Sunrise Power-
link (which we covered heavily leading up to the May 12 Mojave Desert Communities Threatened
hearing); natural and cultural events in the desert, such as by Toxic Sludge, Lax Air Quality Standards
wildflower blooms and rock concerts; book reviews; and by Pat Flanagan
mullings on the aesthetics of the desert landscape. Larry The small town of Hinkley, upwind of Barstow, could host
Hogue has done a lot of the writing so far, but look for an open air toxic sludge composting facility, if Nursery
posts in the future from desert author Chris Clarke, past Products LLC and two members of the San Bernardino
DPC board member Jim Ricker, and DPC’s own Terry County Board of Supervisors get their way. Sludge is the
Weiner. If you sign in to post comments, you can join the “finished” solids of wastewater treatment, containing
discussion on any of the topics presented on the blog. You household wastes; all sewer, drain, street and agricultural
5
runoff; and industrial and medical wastes. These wastes
include heavy metals, medicines, antibiotics, pesticides,
pathogens, viruses and 516 chemicals that have been
identified (but only 20% tested for.)
This proposed Hinkley facility covers half a square
mile and will take in a truck full of sludge every seven and
a half minutes, or 400,000 tons a year. The sludge will be
piled 12 feet high, 30 feet wide and 1000 feet long. There
is nothing to protect the ground, nothing to stop the gases
released, and nothing to stop the dangerous dust from
blowing. The location for this facility has the 4th highest
average wind speed in California (10.9 mph). The winds
consistently blow from the west, easily covering the eight
miles to Hinkley School, then the two more miles to
Lenwood School, and the ten miles to Barstow.
Hinkley and Barstow are not the only communities in
San Bernardino County threatened by toxic sludge. The
Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District (MDA-
QMD) is exploring writing a rule which could block
uncovered toxic sludge processing facilities within its
boundaries--or not. The rule could be written to allow
uncovered facilities, opening the way for toxic sludge
facilities anywhere in San Bernardino County with
sufficient open space.
If the uncovered facilities are permitted, MDAQMD
would be the only air quality basin in California to permit
open air toxic sludge facilities; the health and safety of the
citizens would be risked for tax dollars. Dennis Hans-
berger and Brad Mitzelfelt, the San Bernardino County
Supervisors for the 1st and 3rd Districts (Morongo Basin)
respectively, are eager for the Hinkley facility and pushing
for the weak rule. Others, including the Mayor of Twenty-
nine Palms, Elaine Bernal, want the strong rule. A weak
rule would set a precedent for similar facilities bringing
toxic sludge to Lucerne Valley, Landers and other county
lands with lots of space -- and few citizens with even less
money to complain.
Two groups, HelpHinkley.Org and the Center for Bio-
logical Diversity (CBD), sued the County of San Bernar-
dino in State Superior Court on five Environmental Quali-
ty Act (CEQA) issues. In April, the court decided in favor
of HelpHinkley and CBD for three of the five causes of
action – there was no dispute that the facility would emit
volatile organic compounds and would “contribute to a
significant cumulative impact on air quality.”
The Hinkley toxic sludge facility is on hold for now,
but the rule on whether to allow uncovered toxic sludge
facilities to operate within the MDAQMD is currently
under deliberation. Third District Supervisor Hansberger is
running for re-election on the strength of his concern for
air quality in the South Coast District which he helped
6
form; would that he had equal concern for the air quality
east of the mountains.
Now is the crucial time for concerned citizens to
contact members of the MDAQMD and request a strong
rule that protects the air we breathe. No basin should
sacrifice the health and safety of its citizens. Air quality is
only as good as the lungs that breathe it.
Send emails to gboardclk@mdaqmd.ca.gov (Clerk of
the Governing Board) and ask that your comments be
distributed to all board members.
IMPERIAL COUNTY PROJECTS
by Terry Weiner
Imperial County Projects Coordinator
DPC is proud to announce a major new project in Imperial
County. We have contracted with Pat Flanagan, long-time
naturalist-educator, to design a desert ecology curricu-
lum for 4th and 5th grades with materials and activities,
including field trips, oriented around the wealth of natural
and cultural features of Imperial County. Pat will be work-
ing closely with Elizabeth Molina De La Torre, Director of
the Imperial Valley Science Project in El Centro and with
her lead science teachers.
The initial goal of this project is to produce “environ-
mentally literate” 4th-5th grade students. When students
learn to perceive, appreciate and understand the life pro-
cesses and interactions of plants and animals in the natural
environment around them, they become capable of taking
appropriate action to help protect and improve the health
of natural systems and thus can be nurtured into bona fide
desert protectors. Imperial County is rich in a variety of
ecosystems including the ecosystems of the Salton Sea, the
vast Algodones Dunes, the microphyll woodlands east of
the dunes, the riparian areas along the Colorado River.
Culturally speaking, Native American sacred sites are
scattered throughout the County, including 2,000 year-old
world-class ground drawings called geoglyphs. Imperial
County is also geologically rich, with much varied evi-
dence, in rock and layers of fossils, of the time when the
entire area was under water and of various periods of
volcanic upheavals. The curriculum specific to the Colo-
rado Desert will be designed around field trips to these
unique places in the county.
Pat will be working this summer with Imperial County
teachers to integrate the new desert ecology materials into
the science curriculum and lesson plans that teachers have
already developed for each grade level. Students will have
classroom studies as well as field studies and also oppor-
tunities to participate in service activities with value to the
communities. Another part of our desert education plan is
to contact local, state and federal elected officials about
this new program and ask how they might like to partici-
pate. The Imperial Valley is replete with government
agencies charged with protection of this biologically rich
area: the BLM, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, CA. Fish
and Game, I. V. Water Authority, the Regional Air Quality
Control Board. They will be contacted for materials to
supplement the curriculum and will be given the oppor-
tunity to interact with the students through classroom pre-
sentations, area clean-ups, invasive plant removal, and
water and air quality measurements.
Another very important partner will be the Imperial
Valley College Desert Museum, which will be an anchor
of education and interpretation on the western side of
Imperial County in Ocotillo.
DPC is very excited about the long-term potential of
the new Desert Education Program. Imperial County,
along with many other California counties, currently has
no locally based natural history program in the schools.
We hope that this will become a model for other school
systems and that school by school, we can assist in
introducing students to the wonders of nature and Native
American history right in their own back yards.
(President’s column, continued)
usually contains large doses of alkali salts, heavy metals
and other polluting substances.
In the months and years ahead, as pressure for new
energy sources builds relentlessly, let us lovers of deserts
not be sucked into an unthinking, pell-mell rush to tear up
land that can never feasibly be restored to its full vigor.
Unspoiled desert land is a finite resource in short supply as
well. We must not forget that fact!
Perhaps we can discuss this complex question further
around the bend in that lovely desert canyon.
Nick Ervin, President
Save the Dates!
DPC’s 54th Annual Meeting is October 25 & 26
The place is yet to be decided, but we’ll meet
somewhere in Imperial County.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Howard Wilshire
Co-Author of The American West at Risk,
published this month by Oxford University Press
(see the current Ed Bulletin for an excerpt)
As usual, we’ll have door prizes, a short hike
exploring nearby desert areas, and you can make
nominations for the board election. Join us!
7
DESERT PROTECTIVE COUNCIL – WHO WE ARE
Nick Ervin, President
Geoffrey Smith, Vice President/Secretary
Larry Klaasen, Treasurer
Martha Bertles, Fifth Officer
Terry Weiner, Imperial Projects & Conservation Coordinator
Shirley Harshenin, Webmistress – www.nutheadproductions.com
Larry Hogue, Communications Consultant
KEEP YOUR MEMBERSHIP IN DPC CURRENT
Membership in the Desert Protective Council is based on a
January 1 to December 31 term of membership. If you are
a life member you do not need to renew. However, we are
always receptive to gifts to keep our projects going. Many
of our members, life and regular, are most generous, and
your donations help ensure that DPC remains a strong
voice for conservation in all of our deserts.
Much of our current activity is based on projects in
Imperial County, as required by the settlement of the
Mesquite Mine lawsuit. Since we engage in many other
projects and issues outside of Imperial County, we keep
nonrestricted donations in a separate account for use on
more general desert issues.
DESERT PROTECTIVE COUNCIL NEW AND
RENEWAL MEMBERSHIP FORM
Enclosed is my remittance of $_______
[ ]New Membership [ ]Gift Membership [ ] Renewal
Name_________________________________________
Address_______________________________________
City, State, Zip________________________________
Phone_________________________________________
Email_________________________________________
Please make checks payable to: DPC
Mail to P.O. Box 3635, San Diego, CA 92163-1635
Dues and all donations are tax-deductible.
MEMBERSHIP LEVELS (please check)
[ ] Life $300.00 one time
[ ] Sustaining Membership $50.00 annually
[ ] Regular Membership $25.00 annually
[ ] Joint Membership $35.00 annually
[ ] Senior/Student/Retired $15.00 annually
[ ] Additional Gift of $_________
Have you remembered DPC in your estate planning?
Help us save paper! If you would like to receive this
newsletter electronically, rather than in the mail, please
send an e-mail message stating “subscribe electronically”
to: terryweiner@sbcglobal.net. EP 201
 P.O. BOX 3635
SAN DIEGO, CA 92163-1635

Enjoy this complimentary copy

of El Paisano, and consider
INSIDE THIS ISSUE joining today!
Imperial Valley Stewardship Program.......... page 2
Conservation Corner ..................................... page 3
Sunrise Powerlink Update ............................ page 4
Desert Notes.................................................. page 5
Mojave Toxic Sludge.................................... page 5
New Education Programs ............................. page 6

FAVORITE DESERT PLACES: THE MOJAVE NATIONAL PRESERVE

Photo by JD Morehouse
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