The Morongo Basin Municipal Advisory Council has been in existence for over two years. What does it do? Reporter Dan Stork repeats some accomplishments cited by its chairman…
During the Morongo Basin MAC’s July 13 meeting, Chairman Mark Lundquist cited several areas in which he believes the MAC has had an impact:
- The MAC resolution against the Bowman solar project in Landers was said to have influenced the County Supervisor’s decision to halt the project. (Richard Lutringer, who assumed the Landers seat on the MAC at the start of the meeting, was prominent in local efforts against the project.)
- The MAC resolution that criticized the Western Mojave Plan for road access produced by the Bureau of Land Management has caused the BLM to reconsider and slow down its process.
- Multiple meetings sponsored by the MAC with the developers of the planned 248-unit Altamira residential project in Joshua Tree has brought greater public scrutiny to that effort, including leading the Joshua Basin Water District to take notice of the potential impact, and to delay a will-serve decision for the project.
- Activist efforts that led to state-level bobcat protection measures were channeled through the MAC before going to Sacramento.
-
In the wake of pedestrian accidents in Joshua Tree, the MAC has prodded the County to take notice of the hazard, and to act with Caltrans to do something to remedy it.
