CONSERVATION DATELINE

THE CALIFORNIA DESERT PROTECTION ACT The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted 13 to 7 in favor of the Desert Protection Act. Now it should go before the full Senate, but as of now, it has not been scheduled for. It still will have to go to the House, and depending on the amount of differences between the House Bill and the Senate version, it will determined how long will this take. Below are some of the highlights: 1. Grazing rights will continue for 25 years. 2. Southern part of Algodones Dunes are open to dune buggies. 3. Military over flights are essentially without restrictions. 4. Fort Irwin land issue is not settled. 5. No hunting permitted in East Mojave National Park. 6. East Mojave National Park lost some area: Part of Mid Hills, Piute Mts., Wildhorse Mesa, Hole in the Wall, part of New York Mts. Sierra Club is working to get some of it back. 7. Areas in San Diego County and Imperial County are being contested. 8. Some routes are left open: Eureka/Saline Valley, Old Woman Area, Red Box Cy, Rattlesnake Cy, Box Cy, Grass Valley, Kingston area. In terms of acreage, the loss is minimum, but some quality was lost. MONO LAKE The State Water Board has been holding hearings in LA, Mammoth Lakes, and later in Sacramento. The LA hearing went well, Gov. Wilson came out in favor of it, and only two to three opposed. At Mammoth, there was no opposition. After these hearings, there will be some scientific hearings, and sometime in spring, the Board will make a decision. The decision could be final. Everyone is optimistic. WARD VALLEY TOXIC WASTE The Governor's Office has given the project its go ahead. However Senator Barbara Boxer has come in opposition to it. It has not been learned what effect, if any, will this have on the project. We should all write both senators and thank them for their support of the Desert Protection Act. Maris Valkass

LAND SWAP & DESERT PARKS

MOJAVE DESERT: At first glance, this land of salt flats, dunes and Joshua trees may seem unspoiled, wild --- an easy place to designate as a national park. On parcel maps, it looks almost civilized. The terrain has been chopped into a checkerboard of ownership's. The states public school teachers own many acres of desolate washes and granitic mountains. So do about a million state and local employees. Congress is about to consider taking control of it all -- by exchanging it for other federal owned property, This would be the nations largest land swap! The exchange is part of Sen. Dianne Feinstein's desert-protection bill that would

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