Collection Guide
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Desert Protective Council (DPC) Records
MS-0103
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Table of contents
Contributing Institution:
Special Collections & University Archives
Title: Desert Protective Council (DPC) Records
Creator:
Desert Protective Council
Identifier/Call Number: MS-0103
Physical Description:
66.62 Linear Feet
Date (inclusive): 1938-2016
Date (bulk): 1954-2016
Language of Material:
English
.
The
Desert Protective Council Records (1938-2016) document the operations of the Desert Protective Council and various environmental causes across the United States.
The collection consists of correspondence, publications related to environmental projects, news clippings, newsletters, and
topical files. The collection is divided into three series:
Administrative Files,
Publications, and
Topical Files.
The
Administrative Files series is divided into six sub-series:
Meeting Minutes,
Membership and Elections,
Educational Outreach Program Materials,
Correspondence,
Photographs and Scrapbooks, and
Awards.
Meeting Minutes (1954-2013) include Desert Protective Council and California State Parks and Recreation Board of Directors minutes, which
often contain both the draft and official copies. Meeting minutes are arranged alphabetically and chronologically. The
Membership and Elections (1955-2006) sub-series contains files documenting the administration of the Desert Protective Council and includes election
ballots, membership rosters, and the treasurer and secretary's notebooks.
Educational Outreach Program Materials (2004-2015) consist of student projects and quizzes, student and parent testimonials, and detailed information about various
educational field trips and sponsored projects. The
Correspondence subseries is organized alphabetically by last name of at least one of the correspondents, and consists of correspondence
between various Desert Protective Council board members, though there are some letters to and from government officials as
well. The
Photographs and Scrapbooks (1954-2012) sub-series includes slides, photographs, and scrapbooks documenting Desert Protective Council activities.
Awards (1956-2009) consists of various plaques and certificates related to the preservation of the environment and includes awards
both from the Desert Protective Council and from external organizations to Desert Protective Council Members.
The
Publications Series is the largest of the three series in the collection and is divided into six sub-series:
Bureau of Land Management,
Desert Bighorn Council,
General Environmental Reports,
Newsletters and Pamphlets,
Newspapers, and
Newspaper Clippings. All sub-series are organized alphabetically and chronologically. The
Bureau of Land Management sub-series consists of documents published by the Bureau of Land Management regarding proposed environmental projects. The
sub-series is further divided into
Environmental Impact Reports and Statements (1974-2012) and
General Bureau of Land Management Publications (1962-2004).
Environmental Impact Reports and Statements consists of drafts and final copies of official Bureau of Land Management impact reports, which range in topic from wilderness
designations, to wind energy projects, to the California Desert Plan implementation. The
General Bureau of Land Management Publications sub-series contains other documents and reports published by the Bureau of Land Management that is not EIRs. Similarly,
Desert Bighorn Council sub-series consists of reports published by the Desert Bighorn Council between 1957-1974 and mostly deals with "transactions":
publications detailing the number and preservation of bighorn sheep among the American West and Mexico.
General Environmental Reports (1938-2005) consist of publications and documents similar to those within the first two sub-series, but published by other
agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture, The Sierra Club, San Diego Gas and Electric, and more. The
Newsletters and Pamphlets (1955-2016) sub-series includes Desert Protective Council Newsletters "El Paisano" and "Educational Bulletins," as well as
pamphlets, newsletters, and brochures published by various environmental non-profits, charities, government agencies, and
museums.
Newspapers (1962-1995) mainly includes editions of "High Country News," with numerous local and specialty papers as well. The
Newspaper Clippings subseries (1957-2000) is organized chronologically and consists entirely of cut-out articles dealing with environmental topics.
The
Topical Files (1950-2014) are also quite expansive. Organized alphabetically, this series overlaps with a number of other series, containing
numerous files with detailed notes and supplemental documents regarding organizational documents, governmental publications,
and environmental projects. Although not delineated into sub-series, individual files may be labeled according to a topic
before the actual title. For example, correspondence related to the Barstow - Las Vegas Off-Roading Race is filed under "Off-Roading:
Barstow - Las Vegas: Correspondence."
I. Administrative Files
1. Meeting Minutes, 1954-2013
2. Membership and Elections, 1955-2006
3. Educational Outreach Program Materials, 2004-2015
4. Correspondence
5. Photographs and Scrapbooks, 1954-2012
6. Awards, 1956-2009
II. Publications, 1938-2016
1. Bureau of Land Management, 1962-2012
a. Environmental Impact Reports and Statements, 1974-2012
b. General Bureau of Land Management Publications, 1962-2004
2. Desert Bighorn Council, 1957-1974
3. General Environmental Reports, 1938-2016
4. Newsletters and Pamphlets, 1955-2016
5. Newspapers, 1962-1995
6. News Clippings, 1957-2000
III. Topical Files, 1950-2014
This collection is open for research.
The copyright interests in these materials have not been transferred to San Diego State University. Copyright resides with
the creators of materials contained in the collection or their heirs. The nature of historical archival and manuscript collections
is such that copyright status may be difficult or even impossible to determine. Requests for permission to publish must be
submitted to the Head of Special Collections, San Diego State University, Library and Information Access. When granted, permission
is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical item and is not intended to include or imply permission
of the copyright holder(s), which must also be obtained in order to publish. Materials from our collections are made available
for use in research, teaching, and private study. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including
but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials.
Desert Protective Council (Terry Weiner)
2002-036, 2016-019, 2016-033
Citizens Coordinate for Century 3 Records
Joan and Phillip Farman Environmental Collection
James and Edith Harmon Environmental Collection
Environmental Issues Collection
Roscoe A. Poland Environmental Collection
Sierra Club, San Diego Chaper Records
Save Talmadge Canyon Records
Mountain Defense League Records
Identification of item, folder title, box number,
Desert Protective Council Records, Special Collections and University Archives, San Diego State University Library.
The Desert Protective Council (DPC) was first hatched around a campfire in October 1954. What started as a group of over 100
individuals successfully resolving to protect Joshua Tree National Monument from mining grew into a nonprofit dedicated to
the preservation of desert plants, animals, and landscapes. Notable conservationists of the time were affiliated with the
DPC, including the organization's first President and Executive Director,
Desert Magazine founder Randall Henderson; biologist Edmund Jaeger;
Trailfinders founder Harry C. James; and Dr. Henry Weber. The organization was officially incorporated as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit in July
1955, a designation that would allow for political lobbying for their various causes.
Members spent the following 62 years advocating for various environmental issues. This activism took many different forms,
including but not limited to: spearheading public educational programs, corresponding with government officials regarding
proposed legislation, commenting on environmental management plans by the Bureau of Land Management and similar agencies,
and engaging in litigation when no other option was feasible. The Desert Protection Council worked to prevent excessive off-road
activity, dams in Grand Canyon National Park, military expansion, and the construction of a road through the Santa Rosa mountains
that would have destroyed a large riparian area in Anza-Borrego State Park.
In the 1970s and 1980s, board members reviewed numerous drafts and amendments to the California Desert Plan, which established
the California Desert Conservation Area and helped conserve millions of acres in the California Desert. Later, the Desert
Protective Council aided in the drafting and passage of the California Desert Protection Act of 1994. This monumental federal
law designated 69 additional areas into the National Wilderness Preservation System and incorporated Joshua Tree and Death
Valley National Monuments into National Parks, thus ensuring future preservation of the lands.
In 2001, the Desert Protective Council was one of five environmental organizations to receive $1.67 million in a settlement
against the Gold Fields Mining Corporation and their goal of establishing a landfill in Imperial County. The money from the
settlement was used to create the "Mesquite Fund," which the Desert Protective Council used to fund various educational programs
in Imperial County. The Anza-Borrego Foundation's Camp Borrego, a three-day overnight field trip for fifth-grade students,
was one such project and allowed for the participation of over 90 students each year from 2004 to 2016. The Salton Basin Living
Laboratory Field Trip likewise supported the education of over one thousand fourth, fifth, and sixth graders between 2008
and 2012.
In March 2017, the Desert Protective Council was dissolved and their assets and mission were passed along to non-profit Basin
and Range Watch. The legacy of the DPC can also be seen in the Anza-Borrego Foundation, the official nonprofit of Anza-Borrego
Desert State Park, which was born from the Desert Protective Council's Anza-Borrego Committee and became a state-recognized
nonprofit in 1988.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Environmentalism--California, Southern
Environmental impact statements--Law and legislation--California
Environmental protection--California--San Diego County--Sources
Wilderness areas--Environmental aspects--California--History--20th century--Sources