Protecting the Desert

Your editorial “Desert Dilemma” (Aug. 27) conveys the impression that proponents of the California Desert Protection Act have not sought compromise to help it pass. In fact, there have been a number of significant changes made in the most recent introduction of the bill, and we have been very clearly willing to address specific concerns. There haven’t been more changes simply because it takes two to make a compromise, and there are few specific conflicts to be addressed.

The bill’s opponents have consistently taken an anti-park and wilderness position. They want to retain their privilege to continue past destructive practices without change. They consider land management that stresses resource protection and development for public recreation and interpretation as an infringement of that right.

The lack of evident agreement also results from there really being few specific conflicts in the bill that require compromise. It was drawn so as to avoid unnecessary problems with existing uses, and it has little impact on current mining, recreation, and other consumptive purposes.

Finally, we are uniformly convinced that there is an increased need for National Park Service management in the California desert. The NPS mission to preserve and interpret for the enjoyment of future generations differs fundamentally from the Bureau of Land Management’s mandate for multiple-use management.

The desert requires large areas for effective ecosystem protection and interpretation, and it is difficult to find such expanses in pristine condition for future parks. Instead, it requires the vision to see the potential of such areas, and the patience to pursue management practices to restore them to their intrinsic glory. The East Mojave is such a rough nugget, and despite its few scars it is a treasure trove of natural and scenic wonders. It has well-defined and manageable boundaries. It is a natural find for the management skills of the Park Service, and an essential part of the land use mix envisioned for the California desert.

JIM DODSON

Director, California

Desert Protection League

Los Angeles