A deal on conservation and renewable energy between the state of California and federal agencies that was eight years in the making is now a reality. U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell signed the record of decision finalizing the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan Wednesday in Palm Desert. Managing editor Tami Roleff says nearly 11 million acres of land and wide swaths of habitat will be protected while specific areas will be set aside for energy projects…
In recent years, investors would buy up random parcels of land for development of wind, solar, and geothermal energy. Dan Smuts, a senior director at the Wilderness Society, says that will all change now under the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan.
“We’re moving from a project-by-project-level proposal process that has led to scattershot development across the desert, towards a zoned approach where they identify least-conflict places at the start of the process. We call this smart from the start.”
The Obama Administrations has made it a priority to promote renewable energy on federal public lands. Helen O’Shea, of the Natural Resources Defense Council, said the projects will now be concentrated in certain areas.
“It’s encouraging developers to go there by streamlining the development process. So that if you go to one of these development focus areas, you will actually be able to move your project through permitting quicker. And when you can build quicker, it’s also cheaper.”
Frazier Haney, conservation director with the Mojave Desert Land Trust, said he was glad to see that the plan designated an additional 2.8 million acres of new national conservation land.
“The desert contains 28 percent of the state’s land mass but over 35 percent of its biodiversity. It’s a place of incredible beauty and it’s a place of tremendous variety both for human exploration but also for science.”
The Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan takes into account the entire desert landscape, emphasizing corridors to connect wildlife and protection of lands crucial to species’ ability to adapt to climate change.
Earlier this year, President Obama declared three new national monuments in the area: Mojave Trails, Sand to Snow, and Castle Mountains.
RENEWABLE ENERGY AND CONSERVATION PLAN FINALIZED AFTER 8 YEARS
