The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has issued an historic and far-reaching decision balancing conservation with renewable energy development across a vast swath of the California desert. It's called the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan, or DRECP, and will permanently protect significant areas of public lands in the California desert—including the Silurian Valley, Mayan Peak, and Chuckwalla Bench.
The plan also identifies certain areas of public lands in the desert that will be available for potential renewable energy development.
Read more about the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan at: http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/projects/americas-western-lands