PETITION for MORATORIUM to STOP ALL Permitting and Right of Ways or any other Permissions on Both Public and Private Lands for the Development of Industrial/Utility-Scale Solar Installations within 5 miles of the Lake Tamarisk Community, until the Revision of the 2012 BLM Western Solar Plan defines Setbacks and Exclusion Zones around Communities and the Lake Tamarisk Community agrees upon these. 

       IS YOUR COMMUNITY NEXT ??

Lake Tamarisk Desert Resort is a 55 years and older active Community Resort for Desert enjoyment including, birding, golfing, ATV, hiking, bike riding, swimming, paddle boarding, fishing in our lake, and other desert recreational activities. The Resort Community consists of 150 dwellings and recreational sites (most of which have 2 people) that are owned by its residents. The Community also includes 70 homes, around our Lake, consisting of families with and without children. Approximately 60 children live in the community; of which 23 are school-age and attend a local school. There is a library, fire department and post office, but no other services. (See details in Updates below).
This is truly an Oasis in a vast living desert.
 
The proposed Easley and Sapphire Solar Projects compromise approximately 5,000 acres. At this point, both the BLM and Riverside County have already approved nearly 18,000 acres of large-scale solar installations in the area. About half of the approved projects have been built and the other half are under construction. The proposed Easley Solar Project would be constructed within a few hundred feet of our residents. The projects are so large and land-intensive, they have covered just about every available acre in the basin.
*Note that there are 130,000 acres of undeveloped lands designated for Renewable Energy Development distanced to our East that would have very little direct impact on Any Community*

Our Desert Oasis is fast becoming an Island in a Dead Sea of Industrial Solar Fields.

IMPACTS OF NEARBY UTILITY-SCALE SOLAR FARMS AFFECTING THE LAKE TAMARISK COMMUNITY.
TO NAME A FEW (for details refer to the Easley Scoping document in Updates below)
• HEALTH EFFECTS / AIR QUALITY
• AESTHETICS / VISUAL RESOURCES / REFLECTION
• POPULATION / HOUSING / SOCIO-ECONOMICS
• BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES
• HYDROLOGY AND WATER QUALITY
• LOCAL CLIMATE EFFECTS
• NOISE

The Community is threatened by dust storms due to the disturbed land caused by the current solar field construction. The health effects include but are not limited to Silicosis, COPD, electromagnetic fields, stress and anxiety. In addition, the visual impact is obvious and when the dust settles the glare from the solar panels is very evident. This creates the visual effect of living in a large industrial complex rather than a Living Desert. The continued depletion of our non-replenishable aquifer due to massive amounts of water used, during the construction of these solar installations, is irresponsible and threatens the very life of our community. Over 2 billion gallons of water are being used by the approved projects alone. Collectively these impacts have a significant decrease in the property values of our community. 

IN CONCLUSION:
We are petitioning for a Moratorium to stop all permitting, right of ways or any other permissions on both public and private lands for the development of industrial solar installations within five miles of Lake Tamarisk Desert Resort and Community, until the revision of the 2012 BLM Western Solar Plan defines setbacks and exclusion zones around communities and is these are agreed upon by the Lake Tamarisk Community. This Natural Desert Zone Buffer is necessary to maintain the integrity, health and lifestyle of Lake Tamarisk Community, our Oasis in the Desert. Lake Tamarisk should also be listed as a Threatened Entity. Current Exclusion Zones, previously designated by the BLM, have considered sloped lands, plants and animals, but neglected to consider thriving human communities. Since the revised Western Solar Plan will open hundreds of thousands more acres of land for Renewable Energy Development, there is no need to build close to communities. Exclusion Zones and setbacks need to include a five-mile radius buffer from our Community to any solar farm construction.

It is critical to stop these community invasive projects while they are still in the permitting stage.  County and BLM permits could be issued by fall 2023. 

  * Communities across the Western United States are at Risk *
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*See Updates section below for Supporting Documents and Impact Details. 

Basin and Range Watch has been a major supporter of our Struggle to Save Our Community 
http://www.basinandrangewatch.org 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The entire area between here and the Joshua Tree National Park mountains would be covered in Industrial Solar Fields