In spite of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s singular obsession with getting as much water as possible out of the Owens Valley, landscape architecture students from Cal Poly Pomona have come up with a vision of their own for the next century in the Eastern Sierra. They will hold workshops to hear from local residents this weekend.
Assistant Professor Barry Lehrman said four graduate students created an idea from the ground up to see what is a possible game plan for Owens Valley. Asked if LADWP land and water ownership did not preclude many choices, Lehrman said, “We are looking at alternatives to DWP ownership, at ways to better manage as guidelines and suggestions.”
Lehrman said, “If a vision were mutually agreeable, it could represent a shift in the quality of life for residents, the ecology and Los Angeles.” He spoke of water needs being met without creating impacts elsewhere. How would this happen? Lehrman said perhaps LA needs to look at getting water somewhere besides the Owens Valley. He said there may be ways to balance the population and the ecology. Lehrman suggested that it’s time to ask “How much water do people of Los Angeles really need?” He said it’s a question worth asking after operating the aqueduct for 100 years.
Lehrman said four graduate students will host workshops to hear from the Eastern Sierra public. He said the students are investigating the entire watershed supplying the Los Angeles Aqueduct to develop a comprehensive regional plan that addresses ecology, cultural uses and the water supply. This is part of what is called the Cal Poly Pomona Aqueduct Futures Project.
The workshops take place in Lone Pine on Saturday from 3pm, to 5pm at Statham Hall and Sunday at the June Lake Community Center – 3pm to 5pm.
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Green conservatism is a term used to refer to conservatives who have incorporated green concerns into their ideology. One of the first uses of the term green conservatism was by former United States Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich, in a debate on environmental issues with John Kerry. Around this time, the green conservative movement was sometimes referred to as the crunchy con movement, a term popularized by National Review magazine and the writings of Rod Dreher.The group Republicans for Environmental Protection seeks to strengthen the Republican Party’s stance on environmental issues, and supports efforts to conserve natural resources and protect human and environmental health.
And my point is Jerry, as I say about anything along this line, for people of all races, all colors, all anything .. we can not move past it if we are living in the past and throwing it in anyone’s face, as I see happens a lot, and I am not saying you are doing it. But is actually another injustice, for one’s self as well as who it is aimed at.
To make a fresh start we have to say, what are we doing now and what are we going to do? We can look at the past and see where choices and injustice has existed. We can take a look at it now as it exists, but what we need to focus on is … how are we acting now. And how can we change things to make it right.
What will we do now.
Going back to my comment about throwing it in people’s faces, while that is very blunt, it really speaks to how people seem to use it, they get right in your face with it, and at anytime use it to make you feel shame.
(This seems to be the fashion anymore for anything, to make one feel shame to invalidate the opposition.)
when in fact, we now days, unless we are perpetuating the injustice, we have no shame, of the past, the past is in the past, we are here now.
Our shame is our own, not what others have done before us. You’re right Jerry, people do sit back and let it happen, but others work to try to end it.
I appreciate your passion for what you feel is right and wrong, I don’t always agree with you, and sometimes I feel you get a little whacked. I do see you try say it right at times, but then I understand passion and how it can get the best of you.
@Big Al,
Point well taken. .
Common ground seems almost impossible at times.
LOL, I admit I am a lil whacked at times and do change with the wind on the occasion of hearing a good logical argument. But I don’t take that as a Romney Flip Flop I see it as myself growing out of “my know it all” stage and being receptive to good insight and wisdom.
“when in fact, we now days, unless we are perpetuating the injustice, we have no shame, of the past, the past is in the past, we are here now.”
Right and when one isn’t effected it by a injustice’s it so easy to say “the past is in the past” and just move on so they can stop the complaining.
But if one really cars about the injustice’s and genuinely wants to try to avoid them then we will look at the sequence of events that leads to the inevitable injustice. And today the injustice at the top is a root problem to a lot of the injustices we see today.
Big Al if you can check out this link and tell me what you think? I really believe in this effort as a solution to our tainted Republic/Democracy http://www.wolf-pac.com/
As much as the DWP has stumbled with many of its actions over the years, I can’t help but wonder what it would be like if they didn’t own and control the large swaths of land in the eastern Sierra? What would the eastern Sierra look like today if all the DWP land had been privately owned for the last century?
Private land ownership can and often does present negative effects to the quality of life for local residents. Conversely, land owned by public entities often results in significantly less development. I, for one, appreciate the miles of open spaces that currently exist due to DWP’s land management decisions.
I like the open spaces too. BLM and Forest Service provide a lot. It sure would be nice to allow Main Street businesses to own their own places instead of DWP.
Would also be nice to have a bit of growth to keep the communities more healthy – not so many boarded up business houses, particularly Big Pine, Independence and
Lone Pine. If DWP wanted to, they could release some of their lands for a better life here. I was told years ago that their policy is no growth because they don’t
want more people to use water.
Benett Kessler
I would like to think the Natives would have more rights to what was once utilized by them and at least have the consideration of first water user’s. I mean the other’s only came here to capitalize on minerals, precious metals and water. . And look at the mess we are in now. . I mean as much property LADWP owns, there is a legitimate argument that most of DWP, BLM, USFS lands should be tribal land, and heck let us profit off the resources!!
I mean I can’t stand how the Tribes got the short end of the stick in the land exchange deal back in the thirties, And now Lone Pine Tribe has no perennial stream like the rest of the reservations in the valley. We rely on the big rigs to bring our produce goods, processed foods, essentials etc.. And the inevitability of things collapsing due to this propped up system we call a Federal Reserve, Market, Political system, and we have no good access to one of the most vital parts to survival.
We have the perfect opportunity to separate ourselves from the pack and be locally sustainable. Just not given the LIBERTY to make it happen!!!!!!!!
It is perhaps wise to move beyond a victim mentality and see what we can do with our lives now. The Inyo Supervisors, at one point, started
to push for local land ownership, but apparently they let it drop.
BK
Whoa! “Victim Mentality?”
Now that”s taking it a bit too far, don’t ya think Benett?
No, I don’t.
BK
No Dr. Facts, the point she is trying to make is perfectly valid, people need to be in control of their own destiny, not leave it for others to provide it for them.
Okay Benett, when something doesn’t effect somebody or have a connection to the culture we hold close to our heart it is easy to perceive it as a “victim mentality”, I hear what you mean, I can’t stand knowing I do sound like a typical “victim mentality”, but am I not ok with some of what I see, and I can’t stand how some just look the other way to injustice’s since it doesn’t effect them.
The thumbs up and thumbs down doesn’t effect me like it used to, I overall appreciate the fact I can express myself no matter how it is perceived or how radical it may seem to some!
it has always fascinated me how readily people without the slightest bit of knowledge on these subjects will challenge those of us who have spent our lives studying them or living them. But like blacks, latinos and other people of color, when they complain of the injustices perpetrated against themselves and other members of their group, you will always find some who tell them to tough it up and stop playing victim.
Easy for them to say, isn’t it?
Not sure what your point is. Whatever we are doing or whatever challenges we face, a victim mentality does not help. We are, after all, responsible for our own lives and for helping those who come into our lives and need our help.
Benett
Dr. Facts, I can say the same thing about people of color or non color, it doesn’t matter what you are, it is who you are.
And I’m glad you spent your life studying them Dr. Facts, that sheep skin on the wall must mean you know everything. Right on.
I’ve never studied them, but I have lived them. I might even agree with some of what you say more often if you didn’t try to shove it down my throat with so much BS.
Simple plan. Get rid of the aqueduct, return the area to it’s natural state. Make sure surrounding lands become BLM or USFS to keep from becoming San Bernardino north.
The Link for the Cal Poly Pomona website is:
http://aqueductfutures.wordpress.com/.
The website is a wonderful work and I too hope that DWP listens.
This article gives me hope. I just hope DWP will at least listen.