President’s Message
I’ve written here before about solar energy development in the west, which I believe is CNPS’s great environmental challenge for this decade.
CNPS has been heavily involved in the fight to protect intact desert ecosystems, which are threatened by the “renewable energy gold rush”. I highly recommend reading the Coyote Crossing blog by Chris Clarke. His recent article “Desert Solar Is Not Renewable Energy” examines the irreversible impacts on desert aquifers, native plants, and vegetative communities. He also gives the dire statistics about the number of acres of our public lands that are slated for destruction, some on the “fast track”. Chris’s blog post can be found at http://faultline.org/index.php/site/item/not_renewable
Solar power is a part of our future, a crucial alternative energy source. But destroying irreplaceable desert habitats, wildlife and plants, much of which has not even been adequately studied so that we know what is lost, is not the best long--term solution for our health and lives. Alternatives to the alternatives must be sought and exploited. I hope you’ll take the time to familiarize yourself with this complex environmental issue.
Greg Suba, CNPS’s Conservation Director, is working hard on this fast--moving issue. From Greg’s recent update to the Chapter Council: “CNPS has been working with other conservation organizations to find solutions that will provide for increased renewable energy generation while preserving California’s native landscapes. Our message emphasizes the need to 1) site wind and solar projects on disturbed lands (private and public) through a regional desert conservation planning process, 2) develop more distributed (“rooftop”) and smaller--scale energy generation facilities, and 3) promote energy conservation measures. . . . There are nine solar, four wind, and one geothermal energy projects undergoing fast--tracked environmental review to begin construction and qualify for stimulus funds by the end of 2010. The CNPS State Conservation Program has intervened on the Ivanpah project, the farthest down the fast--track process. ” Keep up to date on our state conservation program and other state activities by visiting the website at cnps.org
Your membership helps support this and many other fights to save our native plants and our heritage. Thank you for your important support.
On June 17th, we held our annual Chapter Celebration. We had great food courtesy of Elizabeth Songster, Diane Wollenberg and Tessa Cone. Kathy Glendenning did an incredible job organizing our silent auction and raffle, which raised $2,000 for chapter grants, including school gardens and research grants. Many thanks to our business donors Roger’s Gardens, Tree of Life Nursery, Golden West College Native Garden, Acorn Naturalists, and artist Mark Kerckhoff, and our member and friend donors including Pegi Black, Jeff Upton, Fran Collato, Joan Hampton, Dennis Keagy, Bob Perry, Randy Musser, Beth Butterfield, Allison Rudalevige, Brad Jenkins, Nancy Heuler, Dan Songster, and Kathy Glendinning. (Please accept my apologies if you were inadvertently omitted from this list.) We are grateful to so many members and friends who attended our event and participated in the silent auction and raffle. It was a big success because of you!
—Laura Camp, Chapter President
