Johnson Valley, CA - West Fry wind energy generation facility project

[Max7]

Land Use Alert: Johnson Valley (Again?)
Posted June 12 2008 11:56 AM by Doug McColloch
Source: FOUR WHEELER Magazine On-Line



First, the military wanted to blow stuff up on it . .

Now, someone wants a chunk of Johnson Valley for a wind-generating station. From our friends at Muirnet today:

The Bureau of Land Management has scheduled public scoping meetings for the West Fry wind energy generation facility project, which proposes to install approximately 34 wind turbines and ancillary electric facilities on approximately 3,100 acres of public lands in the West Fry Mountains, within the Johnson Valley off-highway vehicle area northeast of Lucerne Valley, in San Bernardino County, California.

The BLM published a notice of intent (NOI) to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) and plan amendment for the project on May 23, 2008.

The project would be comprised of a main access road from the northwest off of Camp Rock Road, other internal access roads, up to 34 wind turbine generators, and ancillary facilities. Ancillary facilities include pad-mounted transformers, an underground electrical collection system and
underground communications lines, a new 230 kV electrical substation, a short 230 kV overhead transmission line from the new substation to a new switchyard where the project would interconnect to the existing Southern California Edison 230kV transmission line (Pisgah No.2), an operations and maintenance building, and two meteorological towers.

The NOI initiated a 45-day scoping period for the public to provide comments on issues to be addressed in the EIS. BLM will host two scoping meetings:

June 30, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m at Lucerne Valley Elementary School ,10788 Barstow Road, Lucerne Valley, CA

July 1, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at City of Barstow Council Chambers, 220 East Mountain View, Barstow, CA


Comments must be submitted in writing or via email by July 11 to: Bureau of Land Management, Barstow Field Office, 2601 Barstow Road, Barstow, CA 92311, cabaeis@ca.blm.gov

[Roger]

You can count on me being at the June 30th meeting. I will be sending comments to the BLM prior to the July 11th deadline.

Thanks for posting this Max

[sarah]

Thanks for the post. Does anyone know if our access groups (Cal4wheel, Blueribbon, etc) are tracking any of these things going on? Last I looked I didn't see squat.

[Materdaddy]

Thanks for the post. Does anyone know if our access groups (Cal4wheel, Blueribbon, etc) are tracking any of these things going on? Last I looked I didn't see squat.

We need to start.

[TDS SD]

Land use Issues

Here is a link to John Stewarts web site. He is CAL4WD Consaltant for Central and Southern Districts Land use issues. There are a few of the issues from this post on the first page. http://www.muirnet.net
George

[Roger]

Thanks for the post. Does anyone know if our access groups (Cal4wheel, Blueribbon, etc) are tracking any of these things going on? Last I looked I didn't see squat.

Sarah,

A guy named Harry contacted me awhile back from "friends of Johnson Valley". It is a coalition of a bunch of different groups with interest in JV. Because I live in LV, he wanted to recruit me.

Anyway, to make a boring tale short, I notified him of this latest land grab in the West Fry Mtns.

Roger

[Mitch]

Roger,

Please remind me about this meeting! I need to lend support and this hits very close to home for me. This area has so many historical sites, Mines etc.... Sarah, PM me if you have ideas, I have a lot of pic's of this area if you think that is of any help or interest. This is an area that I've explored alot and if you want to see the sites let me know. I've been to 7 or 8 mines, the great wooden arrastra, and several awesome old mining trails. This is another area that we can't afford to lose!

Mitch great88

[Roger]

Mitch,

I will,

Plan on taking off work a little early in order to make it on time. We'll probably want to get everyone together for a pre-meeting dinner/discussion. We could eat at one of the local places in LV.

Sarah, if you set up a calendar event, I think we can request a reminder?? Am I correct on that??

[sarah]

We definitely need to get a group together for these meetings, like usual.

Roger, you may create a calendar event by clicking on the calendar and then on the right, underneath "logout," click "Add new event." (It's easiest to do "Single All Day Event.") The roll call will automatically be enabled.

Of course, I can create the event if you want, but if you want to do it, you'll be able to edit it as well.

[hondatom]

Not that I am an expert on this stuff, but so. cal. edison steam rolled over us in Chino Hills with one of their so called proposals last year. attempts to stop them will be fruitless, especaily with so much effort from the public to go green these days. We would probably come out way ahead to try to work with them and perhaps get them to open up alternative land or a trail system within the proposed site. Stopping them, though it may be in our best intrest, would not be in the best intrest of the general public. We need all the wind energy we can get. mabey we can find an alternative where they get what they want while we get more of what we want. Just my opinion.

[Kodiak Spirit]

wind energy is a joke. it is not a green alternative, it is a red herring. Sure looks good to the public though, so long as you don't have to look at the windmills all the time. Wind energy is not a constant. it changes with the wind. The wind energy produced has to be constantly monitored and the gas or coal fired plants that the wind energy "replaces" have to stay online, running in standby, still hot... waiting for the wind power to drop so they can run up and maintain the grid. The cost of installation of these windmills, both in cash and land is far greater than the benifit. This really is a "follow the money" moment. Aside from that, Edison really doesn't put these things up, these are other private companys that do this work. Edison is being forced by public opinion and political pressure to affirm this windmill garbage.

If you don't get why windpower is a sham, try running your computer off of a hand powered generator, or a bike powered generator. When you don't have stable power your computer doesn't work and when you get tired you have to switch over to the wall plug, which was there all the time, waiting.

Remember, the public is not the catalist for the green power movement-it's the companies and politicians that are pushing these money making projects.

[Max7]

Re: FruitFULL

Not that I am an expert on this stuff, but so. cal. edison steam rolled over us in Chino Hills with one of their so called proposals last year. attempts to stop them will be fruitless, especaily with so much effort from the public to go green these days. We would probably come out way ahead to try to work with them and perhaps get them to open up alternative land or a trail system within the proposed site. Stopping them, though it may be in our best intrest, would not be in the best intrest of the general public. We need all the wind energy we can get. mabey we can find an alternative where they get what they want while we get more of what we want. Just my opinion.

An informed attempt to stop Edison has to occur. The public first needs to be informed. That means you have to do research work. You and your neighbors are the (public) government. It is your right and duty to contact via letter e-mail or phone your Mayor, Senators, Governor, Congress Man, County Supervisor, B.L.M. planners, California Energy Commission, and President of the United States after becoming informed, to oppose projects like the 125 proposed for (our) Mojave desert. Two of the above mentioned are powerful advocates of ours, and oppose wind power.

Wind power is the most inefficient alternative energy available. There are also other forms of energy like Nuclear (0) emissions, Natural gas and Clean Coal that exist and can be refined to be even cleaner. I am not a huge supporter of solar, it's marginally better than wind.

The High Desert Renewable Energy Campaign in response to several state statutes and federal policies, believes San Bernardino County's vast acreage of, what they call "Undeveloped land"- what I call BLM PUBLIC LAND- provides considerable opportunity for renewable energy. This is unacceptable land grabbing for private profit! Keep public land out of private hands!

Check out our other topics about this issue here:
http://www.myjeeprocks.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=10660

http://www.myjeeprocks.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=10981

Watch C-Span, listen to AM Radio, get away from TV news sometimes and take in the broad picture from ALL sides. Then make informed choices. I welcome you to an open dialogue on these issues.
Best, Max7

[hondatom]

No doubt this is an informed group. But just how do you think we would stop this fast moving steam roller called wind energy? Do you realy think for one second you could get the mojoriy of the public to bite on the nuke cookie. Even though it is the best answer to the problem, most people are afraid of it. and with all the free press given to windmills, the public masses think they are the green answer to all our needs. I am all for a nuke plant, but I don't think they are making that an option. and even if they were. how much land would they take away for that?

[Max7]

Not Hopeless

No doubt this is an informed group. But just how do you think we would stop this fast moving steam roller called wind energy? Do you realy think for one second you could get the mojoriy of the public to bite on the nuke cookie. Even though it is the best answer to the problem, most people are afraid of it. and with all the free press given to windmills, the public masses think they are the green answer to all our needs. I am all for a nuke plant, but I don't think they are making that an option. and even if they were. how much land would they take away for that?

It is not hopeless! Don't underestimate the public. You are a strong voice. If you have made your mind up on which side you are on then start writing and calling your Congressman (Jerry Lewis http://www.house.gov/jerrylewis/contact.html) he is our voice. I have always appreciated Sarah's signature:
"The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." Edmund Burke 1729-1797

Bush is putting the lift on the moratorium before Congress as we speak for off shore and Anwar drilling as well as promoting Nuclear power. So will McCain.(At least the off shore), Obama will first raise taxes then federalize everything from airlines to energy, then using eminent domain, take your property and build government controlled nuclear power plants.

The High Desert Renewable Energy Campaign is attracted to the Mojave desert because there is a lot wind and sun and what they call "Undeveloped Land". A nuclear power plant would not want to be built in the Mojave for any particularly valid reason. Most likely a power plant would be built elsewhere.

Our energy has become a National Security issue, we must make the best choice not the easiest. Let the free market work! Lift the restrictions. No government subsidized power!

The only real threat from nuclear power plants is the waste which needs to be addressed. There is technology in place to fire the spent rods into glass balls put them into cement caskets and bury them in sealed salt mines, or there is Yucca Mountain which was already used for nuclear testing and has been approved since the seventies. Yucca could use the same technology with the added benefits of already having a volcanic ceramic tuft crust to encase the waste.

Fact: France derives 70% of their energy from nuclear and safely disposes of their waste. If France can do it we certainly can...Right?

Best, Max7

[hondatom]

MAX, I like the way you think. You have obviously given this much thought. I agree with what you say, I just think a nuke plant is one of those political hot potato's that will go nowhere. Mabey i'll feel different after the november elections.