The California Desert Coalition will be holding a benefit dinner and silent auction at the historic Pappy and Harriet's Palace in Pioneertown. The event will be on June 13, 2009, from 4:00 to 8:00 P.M. It will offer those attending an opportunity to hear about the latest progress being made to stop the proposed 500 kV power corridor planned by Los Angeles Department of Water and Power,(LADWP). This corridor would stretch from the Salton Sea to Los Angeles, passing over the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, the Pioneertown Mountains Preserve, Oak Glen, and other areas of "Critical Environmental Concern".

The plan of the LADWP is to tap into the thermal energy which lies under the Salton Sea. This is in spite of recent earthquakes generated by the fault which lies under the Salton Sea, and the proximity of the Salton Sea to the infamous San Andreas Fault.

California Senator Dianne Feinstein has announced her intention to introduce legislation to protect hundreds of thousands of acres of the Mojave Desert by establishing a new national monument. A petition is being circulated urging Senator Feinstein to include the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve as the preserve serves as a refuge for more than 240 species of migrating and breeding birds, as well as providing a critical wildlife corridor.

Following is a link to the petition:

http://www.cadesertco.org/form_letters.html

Information from: California Desert Coalition