To the editor: I’m a long-distance telecommunications technician. Part of my job is maintaining long-haul fiber optic cables and repeater stations.
In 2023, I covered the high desert. I also drove many times through Joshua Tree and Wonder Valley. I wish I could share some of the photos I have of this incredible experience.
When I read the letter saying the desert is not a wasteland, my heart sang the same tune. The author’s point about placing solar power farms in already developed cities was spot on.
I’ve seen a lot of human trash in the desert. It stays for decades, maybe even centuries. In some parts, this makes the desert interesting, because of the history. I have pictures of the wooden underpinnings of a Route 66 bridge showing its maintenance and painting schedule from the 1930s.
I have also seen yellow wildflowers carpeting the desert floor in early April. I have seen the town of Amboy at night, backlit by intense lightning from a storm. I have also literally seen “The End of the World” in the desert.
There’s art in the desert and natural beauty that’s rarely seen. It’s magical, but you have to go there to know that. There are even volcanoes. Huell Howser had a house on top of one.
I know you can’t protect every corner of the desert, but it deserves every possible thought and care before development. Before anyone sees a wasteland and declares it a big lot of nothing, at the least they should actually go out and see the land they’re thinking of disturbing.
Daniel Stafford, Temecula
