Eagle Mountain landfill on hold
Plans for Landfill Near Joshua Tree Stalled
by Lauren Hasler
Plans to move in a new neighbor next to Joshua Tree National Park were stalled when a southern California appeals panel ruled to temporarily halt development of what would be the largest nonhazardous solid waste landfill in the nation.
The proposed Eagle Mountain Landfill would draw trains from Los Angeles County with an estimated 20,000 tons of waste each day for 117 years. The total capacity of the proposed landfill, an abandoned iron ore mine, is approximately 708 million tons.
According to NPCS, the landfill would pose many environmental consequences, including harm to Bighorn sheep and endangered desert tortoises, contaminated groundwater, poor air quality, and other visual, noise and night lighting impacts in the park. Photo: Flickr/sebastien.b
For two decades, Ontario-based Kaiser Ventures Inc. has been fighting to develop the 4,654 acres surrounded on three sides by the park and located one-and-a-half miles from Joshua Tree.
Mark Cipra, the California desert program manager with the National Parks Conservation Society (NPCS), called the ruling “a landmark victory for Joshua Tree National Park’s bighorn sheep, desert tortoises and the 1.3 million people who come here every year to enjoy our beloved national park.”
Kaiser Ventures acquired the land during a swap with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in 1997. MSNBC reports that two jojoba farmers sued to stop a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) deal necessary for the development 20 years ago.
The NPCS later joined the case. This panel upheld a lower court’s ruling that the BLM’s appraisal of the land was not accurate because it did not take the future use of the land as a lucrative landfill into consideration.
Kaiser Ventures and the BLM now have the option of appealing the decision to the full appeals court.
Lauren Hasler
Lauren is a journalism major at the University of Missouri with an interest in environmental sustainability education.
John Bachar, legend of Joshua Tree and American Climbing
Among elite rock climbers in the world, John Bachar represented the cleanest, boldest style that inspired a generation of highball and extreme on-sight athletes of today. John died last weekend in a fall while soloing on the Dike Wall, near Mammoth.
Perusing a JTree guidebook of old, you will find plenty of Bachar references and FA’s, including Baby Apes (FFA was also Free Solo), Hot Rocks and the Acid Crack. His style was enigmatic, and his ethics representative of the highest standard in clean climbing, using minimal fixed gear on bold FA’s like the heady Bachar-Yerian on the Medlicott Dome in Tuolumne. I imagine he inspired (knowingly or not) several in the new wave of ultra clean traditional climbing; Eric Decaria, Sonny Trotter, and others of a new generation.
The Friends Of Joshua Tree honor John Bachar III with these words from his father, John M. Bachar Jr. :
Thank you for your expressions of condolence to me and my family regarding the tragic death of my son. John III on July 5, 2009.
There is solace in knowing that he lived to the hilt in following his passion. He left his huge footprint in the world of climbing forever.
We could not have said it any better. RIP, Johnny Rock.
For a compilation of obits and a letter from the family to the climbing community, click this link
Obituaries and tributes for John.pdf
Weigh in on CA State Park closures
Here are just some of the climbing areas threatened with closure due to state budget mismanagement: Mt. Diablo, Mt. Tamalpais, Castle Rock, Castle Crags, Mt. San Jacinto, Stinson (Mickey’s) Beach, Patrick’s Point, Mt. St. Helena, Emerald Bay, Point Dume, Malibu Creek, Lake Perris/Big Rock, and Stonewall Creek… not to mention numerous surf spots and other outdoor rec havens. Please make your opinion known here via the Access Fund Action Center
Climbing Closures in Towers of Uncertainty area
The National Park Service has temporarily closed the Towers of Uncertainty climbing area located along Geology Tour Road to all recreational use including climbing due to active raptor nesting. The major crags affected are Two Bolt Rock, Lava Dome, Cave Rock and Reef Rock. The park service expects the area to reopen to recreational use following nesting season.
Additionally, the Necropolis area near Quail Springs/Trash Can Rock may have raptor nesting activity, but is not closed to climbing or other recreational activity at this time.
FOJT encourages everyone to respect sensitive raptor nests for the protection of these awe inspiring birds, and the ecosystem they are an integral part of.
juvenile red-tailed hawk
FOJT will post updates on this closure in the coming days, so stay tuned or sign up for the RSS feed on updates to this site.
FOJT BOD (special from John Durr)
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