"Save the best for last". This expression could apply to the meeting at the last remaining bioregion not addressed, that of the Colorado Desert Region. Under beautiful desert skies and set against the backdrop of the dramatic rise of the the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa Mountains, towering 8,000 feet above the Coachella Valley Floor, the Council considered the challenges balancing the needs of conserving biodiversity with the rapid urban growth in this popular area.

The goal of the meeting held in Palm Springs on April 12-13, was to learn more of the Coachella Valley’s unique, natural values and the challenges current and projected growth trends pose to conserving these values.

The meeting started with a day of tours which varied from the grass roots struggles of the non profit Bighorn Institute to the planning considerations of a luxury development complex. The Institute, located at the base of the mountains, are habitat for the federally and state listed Peninsular desert bighorn sheep. A number of subdivisions and golf courses are proposed for development in several drainages of the mountains. Jim DeForge, Executive Director of the Bighorn Institute, gave a presentation on the current and projected growth trends in the Coachella Valley, the effects of this growth on the area’s wildlife such as bighorn sheep, and the efforts of the Institute to sustain current populations of the area’s bighorn sheep. The Council then got a rare glimpse of the sheep including a young lamb.

The next stop was a tour of The Reserve, where Ted Lennon, local developer and President of the Friends of the Desert, spoke of the conscience efforts to design the development to minimize water use, impact on the sheep and preserve the natural and aesthetic quality of area surrounding The Reserve subdivision.

Lunch was at a site featured on the cover of The Smithsonian Magazine , the Desert Willows Golf Course. This course, operated by the City of Palm Desert was featured in recognition of its water-saving design and native plant landscaping. Gregg Lindquist, Desert Willows Resort General Manager, discussed the implications of its unique design on other public and private developments in the Coachella Valley.

The Coachella Valley Fringe-toed Preserve was the last stop of the afternoon. Cameron Barrows, Regional Director, Southern California Center for Natural Lands Management, gave a passionate and very informative presentation amongst a palm grove on the establishment of the preserve, recent land additions, and current management. This was followed by a tour winding through the native vegetation.

The day culminated with a dinner at the top of San Jacinto State Park overlooking the lights of the Coachella Valley. Tim Jones, employee of the Palm Spring Aerial Tramway hosted the dramatic ride up the mountain. The dramatic Grubbs Point at the top of the mountain, with sweeping views of the mountain, was the setting for a presentation by Dave Van Cleve, District Superintendent of the California Department of Park & Recreation’s Colorado Desert District and Doug Pumphrey, District Ranger of the U.S. Forest Service’s San Jacinto District on the management of the San Jacinto State Park and Wilderness Area and the unique partnerships that have been established to manage the recreational use and preserve the wilderness quality of the mountain.

Bill Havert, Executive Director of the Coachella Valley Mountain Conservancy, also discussed the efforts of the Conservancy and Friends of the Desert to preserve the Coachella Valley’s natural habitat and scenic quality. Buford Crites, the mayor of Palm Desert, gave an inspirational dinner speech.

The meeting the following day also proved very informative. In the morning session panelists, members, and the audience worked to define the challenges of balancing the protection of natural resources with providing for an increasing population base in the Coachella Valley. The panelists were Corky Larson, Coachella Valley Council of Government, Ted Lennon, Cameron Barrows,

Bill Havert, Jim Kenna, Field Office Manager of the Bureau of Land Management Palm Springs/South Coast Field Office, Tom Davis, Director of Planning, Agua Caliente Tribal Council and Milt Friend scientist with the Salton Sea Reclamation Project. The panel was expertly moderated by Paul Selzer, Executive Director of the Building Industry Association, Desert Chapter. Paul kept the panelists

In the afternoon session, moderators Mary Nichols, Secretary for Resources and CBC chair, and Paul Selzer, presented members and the audience the key questions that arose from the morning session. A summary of the panel and audience (CBC) responses are below:

• Development community wants master plan to know where sensitive areas are
• The development community needs to be educated/at the table
• Fragmentation is a big threat and all parties need to recognize this problem
• Balance requires a focus on quality of life, environmental quality and individual property rights
• Need substantial effort over long term (Salton Sea)
• Requires shared responsibility for funding, partnerships to leverage funds
• Follow (implement) management plan
• Important to have feeling of civility, as in Coachella Valley. Minimize last minute "deal killers

• Plan must include opportunities for funding/acquisition. Look for access in less sensitive areas.
• Partner with environmental community, building/development community, Farm Bureau, local government in approach for funding
• If we are not going to let land be developed, we need to address issue of compensation
• How to make public aware of need to protection and recovery; public perception is key
• Education: acknowledge perspective, myths, tradition, turf. Society does not have common values. Examples of education/outreach.
• Land planning best done before large-scale growth occurs
• Conservation requires dealing with people issues/societal values
• Need to seek sustainable systems
• Education must be win-win situation; objectives can be in conflict

• Need to get plan done, but also need to get plan "on the street"
• Need partnerships for land use planning
• Must overcome previous plans/attitudes
• Importance of implementation of plan.
• Developers want to have joint meeting with all agencies
• Need public access to increase support/acceptance for plans
• Need conflict resolution skills
• Need to institutionalize process to track and respond to conflicts
• Inclusiveness necessary to build trust; need benchmarks
• Balance direction from state and federal agencies with local planning
• Master plan to delineate sensitive and less sensitive areas to determine where development can occur
• Permit process may help to control development
• Need to know what to expect in environmental review
• Need to combine general plan/HCPs into integrated whole
• Need interim project review process (voluntary process)
• One method of funding projects/acquisition is "Fee for land" (per acre).
• Integrate habitat, transportation, and general plan processes
• Need to look at impacts of agriculture
• Need to deal with old parcel maps/specific plans to see open space or large lots

• Plans need to keep balance between science, economics, and politics
• Use consortium of science from public and private sector
• Science is very important, and often studies must be done
• Early agreement needed up front among participants to appoint science committee;
• Need common agreement about questions to be asked/answered; need well-defined questions for study
• Must be prepared for unexpected results
• Need more funding for science to ensure credibility and sound results

How to identify & obtain permanent funding?

How to protect natural resources during interim periods before funding?

Potential partnerships/opportunities for leveraging funds?

• Need for permanent funding, commitment to obtain funding (Example: area tribes use gaming $ for acquisition, but also depend on partnerships)
• As properties change hands, fees can be charged (foundation/conservation)
• Agencies involved in implementation should commit funds up front
• Can we vest "ownership of species" in private landowners (show economic value)?
• Need creative ways to raise management funds
• What is potential for permanent funding?
• Revolving loan fund paid back by fees collected when property changes hands.
• Grants (from EPA)
• Investigate options that do not require government acquisition (options for private sector involvement)

• How to deal with unlisted species
• Personnel changes/lack of agency response
• Modest or lack of funding (creates home-grown effort
• How to protect areas until acquisition funds available?
• How to protect without acquisition?
• Some think that if we don’t walk in perfect harmony we shouldn’t walk at all
• Need to keep dialogue and keep walking; disagreement is OK
• Hard to find compatible uses when planning
• $ not available for projects w/o national recognition; people don’t think issues are serious

• Need more coordination, integrate plans with DFG, USFS, etc.
• Will be working closely with water district
• Restoration of Sea will increase people in area; recognize impacts of this

• CBC can develop models for response to project proposals with meetings with agency reps
• Need Tribal representation on CBC
• CBC should recognize that Resource Conservation Districts are an underutilized and underfunded resources
• CBC can offer regional leadership forums?
• Need help with initiative for permanent funding