Flower covered southern Temblor Hills viewed from the Carrizo Plain.

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South of the Carrizo Plain

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Temblor Hills, east slope.

Grazing land with fiddleneck flowers in spring bloom. The trees suggest the greener patch could have been the site of an old paddock or ranch house.

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Temblor Hills. For scale, note white Toyota 4Runner at photo center left.

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Temblor Hills, west slope, facing the Carrizo Plain.

For scale, note people on lowest ridge.

Temblor Hills, west slope, facing the Carrizo Plain.

Note people for scale.

Note people for scale.

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The Phacelia Field. This massive bed of flowers looks like a large purplish-blue lake on the plain. It is a landmark on the maps.

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The Phacelia Field from a different angle.

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Small Phacelia field (bluish purple) in the Caliente Range (western flank of the Carrizo Plain); Temblor Range in the background.

This is about a mile west of the large, landmark Phacelia Field on the Carrizo Plain.

Carrizo Plain and Temblor Range.

"Hillside daisies" (Monolpia spp.) were the predominant flowers in this year's bloom.

Carrizo Plain, Soda Lake, and Temblor Range.

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Carrizo Plain and Soda Lake.

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Carrizo Plain and Temblor Range.

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Solar farms are also spreading across unprotected areas of the Carrizo Plain, covering what had been grazing lands for pronghorn antelope and habitat for many other species. There are large areas of abandoned junkyards and other degraded land nearby that could be used instead of destroying the natural areas.

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One of many County-permitted Cannabis farms on the unprotected part of the Carrizo Plain

When California legalized marijuana, these walled farms began rapidly proliferating across parts of the Carrizo Plain that do not have National Monument protection. They are permitted by the County of San Luis Obispo. The posted permit for this one said the farm was limited to 99 plants.