While Friends of the Inyo supports renewable energy development, we do not support it at the cost of destroying lands with ecological, cultural, historic, scenic, or other important values. It is imperative that the BLM hear from the Eastern Sierra community so that they can take our opinions and concerns into consideration when deciding if and how to amend their 2012 Plan. Find out what you can do!
DRECP
Please come to an Open House from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, August 19, at our new satellite office space, located at 142 East Bush Street, across from the post office in Lone Pine. There will be free food, drinks, and the opportunity to meet our board and staff, and to mix & mingle with your Eastern Sierra neighbors. No RSVP necessary. Just show up! While Friends of the Inyo has always worked to protect and care for the lands of Southern Inyo County, the opening of our Lone Pine office is an important demonstration of our long-term commitment to…
In case you missed our Desert Policy Associate Bryan Hatchell’s interview with KMMT FM Arts, Culture & Entertainment (ACE) Show Host John DeMaria on August 13, please use the media player below to listen to the full interview. Bryan provides a good education on the natural, cultural and environmental value of Conglomerate Mesa as he appeals to listeners to provide public comments to the Ridgecrest Bureau of Land Management by the August 30, 2021 deadline. After listening to the show, please visit the Protect Conglomerate Mesa Website, ProtectConglomerateMesa.com, and click on our Action Alert to access important information, including our…
In their next phase of destructive gold exploration, Canadian company K2 Gold, through its subsidiary Mojave Precious Metals, LLC, is proposing to build 2.7 miles of brand-new roads and 1.1 miles of overlanding routes to access 30 different drill sites and drill 120 holes on Conglomerate Mesa. The total impact is estimated to be 12.2 acres, more than 61 times as much as K2 Gold’s previous exploration activities. Comment by August 30th to #ProtectConglomerateMesa from K2 Gold’s proposed mining activity!
This issue contains the time-sensitive news that the Ridgecrest BLM has announced the opening of a Public Scoping Comment Period for K2 Gold and Mojave Precious Metals’ (MPM) next gold exploration proposal at Conglomerate Mesa. This destructive project proposes miles of new road construction and 120 drill holes in wilderness-like lands. Friends of the Inyo urges you to comment now and stand up for this beloved landscape. Read below for all details and materials to help you make comments. The deadline to comment is August 30th! Don’t wait!
BISHOP, CA — Today, the Bureau of Land Management announced the opening of the public comment period for the proposed mining project at Conglomerate Mesa, located on traditional homelands of the Paiute-Shoshone and Timbisha Shoshone and about one mile from California’s Death Valley National Park. K2 Gold’s proposal will impact at least 12 acres of Conglomerate Mesa. The company proposes to drill 1,000 feet down at seven locations to collect samples for gold analysis and to develop nearly three miles of new roads. Mining and drilling in the region would permanently destroy cultural resources and traditional cultural use sites, as…
Opinion: Gold mining not necessary for renewable energy future By Wendy Schneider, Executive Director, Friends of the Inyo There are many reasons to protect Conglomerate Mesa, ancestral homeland of the Shoshone (Newe), Paiute (Numuu), and Timbisha Native Americans. These include its profound cultural significance to the area’s tribes, its rare endemic plants, its thriving high altitude Joshua Tree forest, its spectacular dark sky, its irreplaceable geological fossil record, recreation opportunities, and the home it provides for wildlife. At this moment all of Conglomerate Mesa’s values are threatened by mining exploration. There has been a lively debate about the merits of…
What’s happening? In October 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-82-20 committing the state to conserve at least 30% of its land and coastal waters by 2030. To help achieve this goal, the order created the California Biodiversity Collaborative, comprised of state agencies, non-governmental organizations, businesses, sovereign Tribal nations, academics, recreational users, and others. By February 1st, 2022, the relevant state agencies, in consultation with the Collaborative, must develop and report strategies to the governor of how to achieve the 30×30 target. What can I do?
ACTION ALERT: K2 Gold and Mojave Precious Metals Town Hall Happening Wednesday, March 24th at 6:00 PM An opportunity to share your support for protecting Conglomerate Mesa with K2 Gold Questions and Mojave Precious Metals. K2 Gold and their subsidiary, Mojave Precious Metals, are hosting a virtual town hall Wednesday, March 24th, at 6 PM. We must rise up and stand together to protect Conglomerate Mesa. Now is the time to let K2 Gold know that mining at Conglomerate Mesa is not welcome! K2 is proposing to open up a wild and remote part of the west Mojave desert on…
Friends of the Inyo Commends Decision to Protect the DRECP [Press Release on DRECP] Friends of the Inyo Commends Biden Administration’s Decision to Protect the DRECP, California Desert National Conservation Lands In an announcement today, the Department of the Interior says it would put a stop to efforts by the previous administration to reopen the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP). Proposed changes would have rolled back key conservation protections, putting 2.2 million acres set aside for conservation at risk. The following is a statement from Jora Fogg, Policy Director, Friends of the Inyo in response to this announcement: “Friends…