With a major push by the federal government to achieve 80% clean energy by 2035, the California Energy Commission is moving quickly to approve permits. Sensitive Native cultural sites are threatened by the speedy process, say many involved.
The Bureau of Land Management is under fire as well for pushing forward without due process and community involvement. A lawsuit is underway, brought on by tribe members.
A report from the California Energy Commission came to the conclusion that almost 17,000 cultural sites in the southern California desert are at risk to some sort of construction:
"...archeologist Rolla Queen defends the government's review process, but admits that the dozens of solar proposals and projects in the desert region are "a little overwhelming." Not since the days of the major dam-building projects of the 1920s and '30s has the country seen public-land construction on this scale, he says. It shows: Overstressed government workers scramble to review new proposals while continuing to monitor sensitive areas at approved sites."
Read the full story: Will Big Solar Bulldoze Sacred Tribal Sites?
The Osage Nation’s Effort to Clean Up Abandoned Oil Wells
The Osage Nation is leading a complex and long-term initiative to identify, plug, and remediate thousands of orphaned oil wells on its reservation, protecting land, water, and community health for future generations.
Honoring Elders: California Tribe Breaks Ground on Affordable Housing
The Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians is launching its first senior housing project in Los Angeles County, creating 26 affordable units to serve Native elders and address longstanding housing inequities.
The Changing Nature of Wilderness
U.S. public lands management is undergoing a slow but significant shift.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Northwest rail fans eager for Sept. 30 debut of Amtrak’s Airo fleet
Get ready for that new train smell and more seats. But they won’t go faster or run more frequently on the Cascades route in Washington and Oregon.
Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion
Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.
NYC to turn city-owned property into thousands of homes
The city has scheduled a public hearing regarding the development for October.
Buses travel at 5mph along this route in NYC. The Bronx's first-ever busway looks to change that
Prior to the busway, buses on the Bx36 route traveled as slowly as 5 miles per hour.
Pittsburg launches 'EZ permits,' aims for one-day turnaround for low-risk permits
The pilot ‘fast lane’ for permits is part of a bundle of modernization efforts for Pittsburg’s permitting process.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello