SIERRA CLUB CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY NATIONAL PARKS CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION DEFENDERS OF WILDLIFE CITIZENS FOR THE CHUCKWALLA VALLEY CALIFORNIA WILDERNESS COALITION NEWS RELEASE: For immediate release. April 21, 2005 COALITION FORMS TO PROTECT JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK, ÊWILDLIFE, AND THE MECCA HILLS WILDERNESS FROM SPRAWLING PARADISE VALLEY DEVELOPMENT Contact: Daniel R. Patterson, Desert Ecologist, Center for Biological Diversity 520.623-5252 extension 306 Jeff Morgan, Sierra Club 760.324-8696 Donna Charpied, Citizens for the Chuckwalla Valley 760.574-1887 PALM SPRINGS -- The Sierra Club, Center for Biological Diversity, National Parks Conservation Association, Defenders of Wildlife, Citizens for the Chuckwalla Valley and The California Wilderness Coalition announced today that they have formed a coalition to stop Paradise Valley, an ill-conceived proposal for a 5,400 + acre development in the Shavers Valley area between Joshua Tree National Park and the Mecca Hills Wilderness. The Paradise Valley project is within a proposed Conservation Area under the draft Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan. The site consists of intact desert habitat immediately adjacent to Joshua Tree National Park wilderness, lands which have been designated as critically important for wildlife including the threatened desert tortoise. The Paradise Valley project seeks to transform this natural Sonoran desert landscape into yet another resort that would include hotels, several golf courses, timeshares, a major business center and 9,000 houses. The development would severely harm desert tortoise survival and recovery by destroying critical habitat. It would cause the spread of noxious weeds, bring in off-road vehicles and loose dogs, further constraining the ability of tortoise and other wildlife to travel between remaining open space, including Joshua Tree National Park to the north and the Mecca Wilderness to the south. Daniel R. Patterson, Desert Ecologist with the Center for Biological Diversity said, "This huge development proposal would clearly violate the Desert Tortoise Recovery Plan, which calls for preservation of critical habitat for tortoise recovery. It also violates recent federal court rulings which ordered the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect critical habitat for endangered species recovery." He adds, "Common sense and quality of life concerns for wildlife and people say development should stay within the existing urban areas, not sprawl on to undeveloped fragile desert habitat far from infrastructure." This project proposal contradicts years of local citizensÕ involvement in planning. It also comes on the heels of the rejection of a similar proposal two years ago. In 2003, a coalition of municipalities, conservation and community groups, and elected officials defeated the Joshua Hills proposal for a new city on the border of Joshua Tree National Park that would have further strained the regionÕs infrastructure and resources. Jeff Morgan, Vice Chairman for Conservation for the local Sierra Club group said, ÒA project like this flies in the face of the intent of the Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan, and it ignores plain sound planning and sustainable development standards. Paradise Valley is clearly urban sprawl by any measure.Ó ÒAfter painstakingly drafting a new General Plan designating the land as open space, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors paved the way for this development when they exempted the development from the required 5 year application restriction despite protests from the public, said Donna Charpied, Executive Director of Citizens for the Chuckwalla Valley. ÒWe must demand accountability from our elected officials when they sacrifice natural resources of desert communities and Joshua Tree National Park such as clean air, precious water supplies, and wilderness for the investorÕs pocketbookÓ. "Today we're vowing to protect the natural resources of the Shaver Valley and hope that the Riverside Board of Supervisors will consider joining us. These places are the basis of the quality of life and desirability of this region for current and future residents. Handing over economic benefits to greedy Los Angeles developers in exchange for more traffic, more environment impacts, and a lesser quality of life is a disgrace and ignores the hard work and vision encompassed by the Coachella Valley plan," stated Cynthia Wilkerson, California Representative for Defenders of Wildlife. The project is proposed to be located in a Conservation Area under the HCP. In addition to destroying critical wildlife habitat and migratory routes, it would wipe out the regionÕs largest single stand of desert dry wash woodland, a natural community to be protected under the Coachella Valley HCP. The coalition plans to closely monitor and comment on this sprawling development, and challenge it in court if necessary. *** end ***