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Ruth’smomentoftruth,alinktoSusanFrugé,thepathtoputtingdownroots/commitmenttoaplace.

• 1979movetoMorongoBasin• Springof1980ridingmy175ccYamahadirtbikechasingSteveandmy

brotherin-law.IstillcanseethelavendercarpetbeneathmeandsmellthewonderfulfragranceasthetiresofmymotorcyclecrushedtheblossomsoftheSandVerbena.IknewIwasinthemidstoftruebeauty.SomethingclickedandIrealizedwithjustafewmoreriderslikeme,allthebeautyIsawandfeltthatdaycouldbedestroyed.IwrotemyselfaletterthatfounditswayintoanissueoftheSierraClubmagazinein2001thattalkedaboutthosecritical“MomentsofTruth”.

• Wedidgiveupourdirtbikes.Weshouldhaveburnedthem!

• AttendCopperMountainCollegegeologyclasswhentherewasnocampus,butincredibleinstructorsinvariouslocationsthroughouttheMorongoBasin.

• LearnthattheexistenceofCopperMountainCampuses wereagrassrootseffortofthelocals…FolkswhobecamefriendslikeTonyDindio,OwenGillick,GeneralErnieReidandmanyothers.

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• SusanFrugé becomesacollectorofSteve’sartandanexampleformetotrytofollow.

• SusanshareswithmethatshemetAugustthefirsttimewhenshewasaneditorfortheUniversityofCaliforniaPressattheUCLAcampusandAugustcameformtheBerkeleycampuswherehisofficeasdirectorofthePresswas.Sheheardhisvoiceandglanceddowntoseehisredsocks beforeseeinghisface.Shefellinlovewithhisvoiceandwasdeterminedtomarrythatmanwiththeredsocks.

SusanandAugustdidmarry.SusanmovedtoBerkeleywheresheandfriendsstartedtheCaliforniaNativePlantSociety.

Augustretiredafter32yearsatthePressandaskedSusanwhereshewantedtolive.Shechosehermother’scabinthatsheinheritedin29Palms.

AugustandSusanguidedtheJTNPAbookstoreinventoryforsomeyears.SusanandRobertaMoorestartedtheJoshuaTreeArtFestivalthatjusthadits25thevent.SusanwasalongtimememberoftheJTNPAboardandwasresponsibleformebeingaboardmemberinthe90s.TheFrugés bequesttotheJTNPAleadtotherecentpublicationofthebook“PreservingtheHistoryofJoshuaTreeNationalPark”,byauthorLary Dilsaver.

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MBCASHORTVERSION

Early1969throbbing,drumming,thumpinghelicoptersbreakthecalmoverSusanLuckie Reilly’shomenexttoJoshuaTreeNationalMonument.

SusanlearnsthatSCEhasplansforatransmissionlinefromacoalfiredplantinArizonaonitswaytothesubstationinDevers.ShediscoversthatEdisonisbuyinguppropertyalongtheprospectiverouteandconvincesherneighborsthatthethreattotheirqualityoflifeisreal.

November1969articlesofincorporationarefiledformingtheMorongoBasinConservationAssociationasa501c4organization.

1980--11yearslaterMBCA’smantra“TakethelinessouthoftheMonumentornorthoftheBase”wontheday.DuringthisperiodMBCAwasactiveinthereviewprocessthatcreatedtheBLM’sCaliforniaDesertConservationAct.TheactdefinedanetworkofdesignatedenergycorridorsleavingoutacorridoralongHWY62.However,theCDCAplanleftsomeoptionsopen

calledcontingentcorridors.OnebecameknownasGreenPathNorthin2006.

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SomemoreissuesthatMBCAhasputtheirshouldertooverthepast48years.

Opposedthe1978-1983SCEefforttobuildafossil-fuelburningcombined-cyclepowerplantinJohnsonValley.

OpposedEdison’schoiceofacoalburningplantsiteatCadiz.

USEcologychoseYuccaValleyasonepossiblesiteforalow-levelradio-activedump.YoucanimagewhatMBCA’sresponsetothatwas.NoandHELLNO.

MBCAopposedtheBolo-Rail-CycleDumpattheedgeoftheJTNPandallthathasfollowed….We’llcheerthedaythatallpropertiesremovedfromJTNPin1950arereturnedtothePark.

MBCA’sfirststepstocommunityeducationalout-reachbeganwithsmallgrantstoJoshuaTreeNationalPark’sinternprogramandMBCAcontinuestheirsupportofCindyZacksEcologyclass’sEnvironmentalClub.ThefirstRuthDenisonEnvironmentalConservationScholarshipwillbeawardedin2017toalocalMorongoBasinhighschoolstudentastheresultofagenerousbequestfromRuth’strust.

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Today,we’reaboutcommunityout-reachandeducationandcollaboratingwithotherorganizationsthathavegrownuparoundus.Forsevenyearswe’vebeengrowingtheDesert-WiseLivingSeriesandhopesomeofyouhaveinmindtogoonTheDesert-WiseLandscapeTourtomorrowandSunday.

MBCAremainsanall-volunteerorganizationwithrecent501c3status.We’reproudthattheMorongoBasinremainsaplacewhereonepersoncanmakeadifference.

MBCAToday

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CurrentBoardofDirectorsPresident- SarahKennington,PioneertownVicePresident- DavidFick,JoshuaTreeSecretary- MarinaWest,LandersTreasurer- SteveBardwell,PioneertownEventsDirector- ClaudiaSall,PioneertownMember- PatFlanagan,Twentynine PalmsMember- MegFoley,MorongoValleyMember- RuthRieman,FlamingoHeightsMember- LaraineTurk,JoshuaTree

FoundingDirectorSusanLuckie Reilly,Twentynine PalmsDirectors EmeritusEstherHerbert,Twentynine PalmsDJMasker,TwentyninePalmsMany,manyvolunteerscontributehourswithoutwhichMBCAcouldnotdowhatitdoes.

CaliforniaDesertCoalitionaCommitteeofTheSummertreeInstitutetakesonLADWP’sGreenPathNorth2006-2010

LosAngelesDepartmentofWaterandPowerhanddeliversalettertoourMorongoBasincommunitiesonMarch10,2010thatisaddressedtotheBLMexplainingthattheyarewithdrawingtherequestforapermanentenergycorridorfromDeverstoHesperiaandabandoningtheirintenttobuilda500KVelectrictransmissionline.

FormepersonallyasmemberoftheCDCcommittee/teamthis4yearswasoneofthemostintenseperiodsofmylife.Fromthispersonalexperience,IdaretomakethefollowinggeneralizationsaboutGrassrootsorganizing.

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Bringingfocustothewavinggrasses..DreamBig..Work Hard..Beforsomethingnotjustagainstsomething…

CONCEPTION/SEEDS

JESTATION/FETUS BIRTH GROWTH

Definingtheroadforward

OOPsIthinkwehavejuststartedsomething

Someonecallsameeting

Maybewe’repregnantwithanidea?

Learningaboutwhatneedsdoing

Makingaplan/strawman

Identifyingateamofdoersthatacceptresponsibility

Goingpublicwiththescheme

Gatheringthevoices/grassesofsupport

Discovercriticaldecisionmakerswithpower.

Identifylikelysupporters--particularlypoliticians.

Useeverymeanstospreadthemessage:Townhalls,Allmedia,Politicians,Organizations,Socialmedia,etc,etc.andmore

ALWAYSTELLTHETRUTH!And,bepreparedforcriticalmoments.8

Foundationofvolunteerswillingtospend20/30hoursaweekbehindthescenesdoingthethanklessjobsthatmakeeverythingelsepossible.

TheTruthTellersResearchers/Writers/Artists

Website/mediadesigners

Eventplannersandfundraisers

Legalexperts

Politicalsavvy/outreachfolks

Individual(s)withdisarmingpublicpersonathattellthestory.

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CRITICALMOMENTSWhenTruthWins

LADWP,managercomestoYuccaValleyHighSchool.He‘scaughtoncameraflusteredandexasperatedwiththehugegatheringandAprilSalls’winningcryof“We’vegotalottofightfor.”

SpringstreetmeetingatLADWP’s14th floorofficewhenDavidNahai iscaughtinfrontofMayorVillaraigosa’sstaffandabout40othersinanuntruth. HehastoldtheGovernorandtheBLMthatacontingentcorridorhadinthepastbecomeadesignatedcorridor.NotTrue.ThankstoCDCcommitteemember,DonnaThomas,whohaduncoveredthetruth,wereadfromherletterthatwasdestinedtobemailedthefollowingdaytoallpartiesthathadreceivedLADWP’sletter..

ManagerNahai isreplacedbyDavidFreeman.CDCrepresentativesvisitDavidonthe14th flooratSpringStreetonarainyJanuaryday.We’repreparedtoargueourcaseforthepathalongHwy10.Hesettlesusintocomfychairsandhewalksaroundinhiswetstockingfeetandsettlesintoo.Tellsusit’sover.AfewdayslaterhecallsustofindouthowhisstaffshouldpulltheplugonGPNwiththeBLM.Wewerepreparedforthatone!!

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REWARDS

Enduringfriendships

Tearsfollowedbycheers

Successisthepaycheck

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SomemoreGrassRoots—Doyouknowthese???

“GrassRoots”movie2012availableonnetflix

TheGrassRootsmusicgroupfromthe60s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGMtSlPTqgI

LandscapeArchitectureMagazine,BradfordMcKee,editorsaysinhis4/2017editorial:“Forthegrassroots,intopsy-turvyenvironmentsuchasthis,it’scriticaltoknowwhoyouralliesare,andthattheymaynotbethealliesthathavetraditionallyfirstcometomind.”

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Thismagazineisbecomingmyfavorite.Thesefolksaretellingsometruths.