Save Lake Tamarisk & Our Endangered Desert Tortoise Habitat

Please help save the Desert Oasis Community of Lake Tamarisk and the surrounding public lands that are highly valued Endangered Desert Tortoise Habitat.

We are privileged to live in a natural desert environment, surrounded by essential habitats for the Endangered Desert Tortoises, Ironwood Trees, and numerous Special-Status Species including the Loggerhead Shrike, Burro Deer, Desert Kit Fox, American Badger, Burrowing Owl and 95% of all migratory passerine birds (perching birds) totally dependent on the Desert Dry Wash Woodlands (Microphyll Woodlands) for their survival, along with the Special-Status flowering Desert Unicorn Plant. A great many additional species of plants and animals also make their home in our wild desert surroundings. We are committed to protecting these animal and plant communities, as well as the health of our human community.

Intersect Power is now in the permitting process to develop a 4,000 acre Utility Scale Solar Project on these lands. This Solar Project would severely damage the Health, Safety, and General Welfare of the Desert Oasis Community of Lake Tamarisk while destroying the highly valued habitats for the Endangered Desert Tortoise and other wildlife species, in addition to destroying the identity of our community as an Oasis in a Natural Desert Environment.

We hired an environmental protection law firm, Angel Law, to help us protect public lands within one mile from the borders of the desert oasis community of Lake Tamarisk.

In response to the Easley Solar Project, presented by Intersect Power, we have developed the Respect Lake Tamarisk Alternative, with the help of our law firm. This alternative has now been adopted as a feasible alternative in the Partially Recirculated Draft EIR and is now identified as the Further Reduced Footprint Alternative and has been designated the Environmentally Superior Alternative since the habitats within this 1-Mile Setback Zone are highly valued for the Endangered Desert Tortoise and other protected Special-Status wildlife species and the protected Unicorn Plant.

We need to ensure that those responsible for permitting of this solar project, along with any others in the future, take into consideration endangered wildlife, and adhere to previously designated habitats for the wildlife, such as Desert Dry Wash Woodlands (Microphyll Woodlands) and Desert Pavements.

The legal team of Angel Law has exposed the CEQA inadequacies of the Easley Solar Draft Environmental Impact Report. In response to these inadequacies, Aspen Environmental Group has included our Respect Lake Tamarisk Alternative into the Recirculated Draft EIR.

We need help funding further legal expenses to preserve these public lands surrounding the Desert Oasis Community of Lake Tamarisk for long-term preservation of highly valued habitat for a multitude of species, including the Endangered Desert Tortoise.

Your support is essential. Any funds you can donate will be greatly appreciated and spent only on legal fees.

Thank you for helping,

Active Communities/Desert Center

Registered Unincorporated Association in CA

This is one of the more recent solar installations. There is nothing left of the desert habitats. Just acres of loose sand.

The tortoise needs to be able to burrow into rocks or under shrubs, to protect them from the elements. How can that happen when all that is left is acres of loose sand?

This is what is left of protected Ironwood Trees that were “in the way” of a recent solar installation. These trees are very slow growing, and it will take centuries for them to regrow, even if replanted.

This is what they should look like.

We are also experiencing increased dust storms, caused by the ravaging of our desert during the construction of the most recent solar installations. This intense dust is a serious threat to the health of residents in our community.