For the Morongo Basin, a move to sustainable tourism offers a “win, win, win” scenario—good for our environment, good for local businesses and workers, and good for tourists. Join the Morongo Basin Conservation Association this Saturday for an eye-opening look at the topic and to celebrate its 50th year of local conservation activism. Reporter Mike Lipsitz is here with your invitation…
Is it possible for millions of tourists to traipse through Joshua Tree National Park and not destroy it? Park Superintendent David Smith and National Parks Conservation Association’s Chris Clarke, will look at the odds during a free program from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Saturday, January 25, at the Yucca Valley Community Center on the highway in Yucca Valley. It’s all part of the Morongo Basin Conservation Association’s annual gathering and unveiling of the non-profit’s 50th anniversary commemorative book. The Sustainable Tourism presentation, a light vegetarian lunch, and a full-color, first edition copy of the stunning new book, “Celebrating the Past – Envisioning the Future,” are all free to every attendee at Saturday’s program. More information is at MBConservation.org.
MBCA’s local partners and stakeholders, the Mojave Desert Land Trust, The Wildlands Conservancy, the California Desert Coalition, the California Native Plant Society and others will be on hand as the Conservation Association marks 50 years of conservation activism.
“Tourism is clearly a primary economic driver of our local economy,” said Morongo Basin Conservation Association President, Steve Bardwell. “What’s less clear is how best to create a system that is rewarding for local commerce, labor, and the hundreds of thousands of visitors here, while keeping the impact of that traffic on the natural environment at a sustainable level.”
The annual meeting caps a year of activism and events that saw Morongo Basin’s longest-running grass roots organization celebrate its 50th year. MBCA advocates for a healthy desert environment that nurtures the region’s rural character, cultural wealth, and economic well-being. Often working behind the scenes, the volunteer-run, non-profit organization is noted for a number of important victories that have contributed significantly to the preservation of much of the natural beauty that abounds in Morongo Basin.
