No Power Line is a Good Line

The recent news about the CPUC (California Public Utilities Commission) proposed decisions to reject the northern ‘Sunrise Power Link’ alignment outright, and possibly approve a southern alignment with conditions is DANGEROUS! Already we hear partying in the streets, as folks rejoice in the apparent saving of our beloved Anza-Borrego Desert State Park from this ill-advised power line. But wait…

We must all be strong, and maintain our focus to stop these power lines completely!

The 'southern alternative' would be devastating for the federal public lands that have been the focus of so much work over the past several decades. (Ironically, a northern alignment would by-pass many of the federal lands that are now seemingly at risk.) A southern alignment would: Cut in half the Hauser Canyon & Hauser Mountain federal wilderness and proposed wilderness complex near Campo; run up the middle of McCain Valley, impacting Carrizo Gorge existing and future federal wilderness areas; and encircle the La Posta, Manzanita and Campo Indian Reservations (think 'electric fence'), while running adjacent to the Cuyapaipe Indian Reservation. Impacts to federal public lands in the eastern Cleveland National Forest and along the San Diego River adjacent to El Capitan Reservoir further compromise the public trust. Wreck less proposals being put forward by the BLM and wind energy companies to destroy thousands of acres of land in McCain Valley, adjacent to the Carrizo Gorge Wilderness, Sawtooth Mountains Wilderness, and precious Anza-Borrego Desert State Park... are the icing on this electric cake.

We are not out the woods yet – not by a long shot. In fact, these proposed power lines are very much still *IN* the woods that we have come to know and love as our precious public lands.

The potential impacts brought about by the 500 KV power lines and towers would destroy the wilderness value of these lands, and place them at great peril due to the associated roads, infrastructure and fire risk.

Don’t be fooled. Continue to watch this process carefully. Participate when and where you can to unplug the power line proposal once and for all.

Geoffrey Smith
http://www.wilderness4all.org/
858.442.1425

PS – For up to the minute news on this and other desert and public lands issues in San Diego, visit the Desert Protective Council’s DesertBlog at http://www.dpcinc.org/blog/

View the maps of the proposed allignments at:
http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/environment/info/aspen/sunrise/feir/figs/Figure%200ES-04_Environ_Superior_N%2BS_Routes.pdf