On June 1st Kern County Judge Roger Randall made the historic decision to set aside LA County’s approval of the huge 21,600 unit Newhall Ranch project on the Santa Clara River west of I-5.
In finding for the plaintiffs ( SCOPE, Sierra Club and Friends of the Santa Clara River along with Ventura County and eleven other public agencies), Judge Randall expressed concerns for a lack of accurate disclosure regarding water supply, biological resources and impacts to the Santa Clara River. These were issues on which SCOPE volunteers and others spent many long hours writing comments and submitting back-up documentation to try to persuade LA County to review. Needless to say, we were pleased that the Judge agreed.
For the Santa Clara River the Judge ordered Newhall Land to “Address the issue of adverse biological impacts on the river corridor based upon channelization and hardening of the banks.” This concern was re-iterated by the hundreds of folks that turned out in February for our “Rally for the River” He also stated “With regard to the SEA 23, modify the Plan so that it is consistent with the General Plan Policies of Los Angeles County requiring protection of natural resources in SEAs.”
On the issue of water Judge Randall ordered Newhall Land to demonstrate “that adequate water resources are available for available for build-out of the Project, which may be achieved by securing other water sources or by developing a factual basis substantial evidence from the Board of Supervisors can adequately asses the environmental impacts of the employment of the ASR alternative.”
So what happens next? The plaintiffs and respondents will have an opportunity to propose changes to the Decision, then after considering both sides, the Judge will issue a statement of decision. Newhall Land will then have 60 days to file an appeal if they chose to do so.
Newhall Ranch is proposed for an area currently zoned for only 2000 units. SCOPE has opposed any approval of a General Plan amendment to increase this number due to the severe impacts to our local infrastructure and to the Santa Clara River. The freeways will not accommodate this project, neither will our air quality, water supply and schools. The impacts to the Santa Clara River and loss of prime farmland from building in the flood plain are just not acceptable.
We hope that Newhall and the County will look on this decision as an opportunity to re-consider the importance and beauty of this area. With the availability of several State and Federal funding sources for open space acquisition and the critical habitat designations for several new species on the River, we propose that the entire 11,000 acres of Newhall Ranch be acquired as open space. This would be a win-win situation for the community, the River and for Newhall Land.
Yes, Newhall Land had a permit. It was granted by the LA County Board of Supervisor’s last May as part of the approval for the controversial 1712 unit Westridge project west of I-5. But in May of this year, SCOPE last its challenge to the project at the trail court and Newhall lost no time in cutting down the oaks.
This is not the first time an approval this this area has been in Court. In 1992, SCOPE challenged the approval of a 1968 unit project and won a court decision that required adequate funding for schools and libraries throughout Los Angeles County. It also required that air quality problems be addressed.
This was a huge win for our community. It resulted in millions of dollars for schools and the establishment of a library impact fee that will help ensure libraries and books are available.
After the 1994 earthquake, the project needed revision to avoid newly discovered geologic hazards. It finally returned in 1998 with fewer units, but new problems.
Now, a new elementary school is located nearby and children there may be subjected to as much as 10,000 pounds of dust per day! for the years the project is being graded. Particulate matter is a leading cause of respiratory disease such as asthma, according to the American Lung Association. The County and Newhall did not address or mitigate for this new problem.
There has also been extensive building since 1993, adding to the stress on our ground water resources. With water companies already drawing water beyond the safe yield of the Santa Clara River, and the Saugus aquifer polluted with ammonium perchlorate, it is time to take a closer look at water and what the water agencies are telling our decision makers.
SCOPE filed a Notice of Intent to appeal this decision on July
17th. We need your donations to help pay for this action.
Donations to SCOPE are
Tax Deductible
SCOPE and Sierra Club members joined the local 4th of July parade with a float designed to have fun and bring attention to the river and one of its endangered species, the arroyo toad. The theme of the parade was the seistennial and of course, the arroyo toad has been around far longer than that!
Mr. Toad has been in the news lately (see page 4) due to efforts to establish critical habitat for it along local streams and rivers throughout Southern California.
Preparations for the parade began on Monday when the truck and trailer arrived at the Newhall home of Bob Lathrop for decorating, along with people, paint, paper, cardboard, plants, costumes and miscellaneous other art supplies. By 8 PM, the float was complete and it was time for a pizza dinner.
Thank heavens for a cool 4th of July! .Several participants had great fun walking along side the float, shaking hands and talking with the kids.
Many thanks to all that participated and to the folks at Aqua Dulce
Nursery Nursery for loaning us the beautiful plants.
Save A Place for Toads!
Do you want to help save the environment? There are several easy things you and your family can do each day to make our world a little bit better. Some, you probably already know, such as Reduce ReUse Recycle. That means don’t buy goods that are over packaged or that you don’t need, re-use materials whenever possible and make sure you recycle what you can’t re-use. But there are allot of other simple everyday actions where individuals can really make a big difference.
One of those areas is air pollution. Allot of the air pollution in the LA area comes from cars. So just choose to walk, ride a bike or take public transportation whenever possible and encourage others to do the same. Once you get accustomed to taking the bus or the train on your daily routines, you will be amazed at how much you can lower your stress level! There’s time to read the paper and relax! Get your kids to walk or bicycle to the store for that carton of milk that you forgot. If car trips were reduced even 10 per cent we would have allot less smog and traffic.
We also need to promote transportation choices. Right now we spend allot of tax dollars building new roads. It is a proven fact that new roads only lead to increased traffic and pollution because more and more people will drive. We need to ensure we have safe bike ways to schools and work and that we promote pedestrian and bicycle transportation in our planning process. These were some of the reasons that SCOPE members have so adamantly opposed increasing our local roadways to eight lanes. Not only would the noise and pollution increase substantially in existing neighborhoods, but there would be no room for bike lanes.
Want to get started? Join SCOPE members and the City of Santa Clarita in celebrating a “CAR FREE” day - coming soon!
And last of all, don’t forget to speak up! If you want to save the world, tell your local government officials that’s the way you feel. Write letters, come to public meetings, speak out for the environment and let YOUR voice be heard!
The 2500 unit West Creek project in San Francisquito Canyon will be
before the Board of Supervisors n Aug. 22nd.
500 W. Temple St.
Los Angeles 90012
This project will result in increased traffic congestion, air pollution
and over-pumping of our ground water resources.
We urge everyone to attend and speak out for protection of the Creek
and our quality of life.
For car-pooling info
call Sydell Stokes
254-6750
Write Supervisor Antonovich at the above address
Project #98-008
or send a fax to 213 620 0636
Help Us Save Our
Watersheds!!
Let your Voice Be Heard
A clean and healthy environment is a major factor in assuring a high quality of life, and Alexandra Floramonte has done her part to make our community a great place to live.
Alexandra was nominated by Amelia Reitzel in the City of Santa Clarita’s Environmental Services Dept. for Alexandra’s efforts in organizing to clean up a South Fork branch of the Santa Clara River that runs through her neighborhood.
Alexandra has also been active in finding alternatives to clearing the River of its vegetation. Since all our local animals use the River and its tributaries as wildlife corridor links to reach mountain areas, it is important that natural vegetation is left for them to use.
She and her husband have been vocally opposed to the use of herbicides to destroy vegetation in our Creeks and the River because of her concern for children who may be exposed to the herbicides, wildlife and our water quality.
Alexandra received a plaque and a gift certificate to dinner at Gallagher’s Restuarant in Old Newhall.
Right On!, Alex!! Thanks for being there for our community!
A small creature, no more than three inches long, the arroyo southwestern) toad once could be found throughout coastal rivers and streams in southern and central California, from San Luis Obispo to San Diego counties, as well as in Baja California, and Mexico. The toad's life cycle is intimately tied to the health and volume of water in the streams and rivers that support it. It hatches and begins to develop in water. As an adult, it lives on land, where it forages for insects (primarily ants) and digs burrows on sandy terraces.
But arroyo toad populations have suffered throughout the twentieth century as watersheds in southern California have been dammed and polluted by siltation from development: The species has been eliminated from an estimated 75 percent of its original range, primarily due to dam construction and urbanization. They now survive in scattered streams. The arroyo toad was listed as endangered in 1994. Today, it is found only in some 22 drainages and watersheds, with most populations occurring on public lands, including our own Los Padres and Angeles National Forests. It has been found in Piru, Castaic and San Francisquito Creeks and the Santa Clara River.
Urban and agricultural development often destroys streams and wetlands altogether: Habitat is paved over to create roads and residential areas; rivers are channelized for flood control; streams are channelized and lined with concrete; and urban and agricultural run off pollutes streams, introducing toxins and altering vegetation patterns in riparian areas.
Mining for sand and for gold, poses another threat to the toads. Dredging destroys breeding pools, changes waterflow, and causes excessive siltation that kills eggs and larvae. During a single weekend in 1991, four small dredges on Piru Creek in Los Padres National Forest produced sedimentation that affected up to 60,000 tadpoles. Later surveys of the stream section revealed the devastating impacts of dredging on the local population of arroyo toads: Fewer than 100 tadpoles survived, and biologists could find only four juvenile toads.
For many year’s SCOPE has promoted watershed conservation, backing development away from the River and our Creeks to ensure our water supply is guarded from pollution and water re-charge areas are preserved. We opposed the Soledad Sand and Gravel Mine and many housing developments because of their impacts on the River. Now ensuring the Arroyo Toad’s survival may help us save our own River and streams. By saving a place for toads, we can help make sure that our own water supply is safe as well!
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Write a letter of support to:
US Fish and Wildlife, Ventura
2493 Portola Rd. Suite B
Ventura, CA 93003
You can find the proposed rule at
http:/www.rl.fws.gov
College of the Canyon Board members voted July 5th to grade 20 acres of rolling hills behind the College and cut down 38 oaks for a parking lot. This was done over the objections of a room full of community members, many of whom were past or present students of College of the Canyons.
The college claimed there was no alternative to the parking lot configuration, although community members suggested increasing shuttle service and building a parking structure instead. No EIR was prepared for the project, so alternatives were not studied.
Need for additional parking was increased when the Board voted a few months ago to build a performing arts center on an existing parking area, reducing the number of slots available. Commercial endeavors are also planned for other areas. Community members testified that the two projects should not have been separated because they were unaware of the impacts to the oaks. “These Valley Oaks cannot be replaced,” said Cynthia Neil-Harris, Oak Conservancy Board Member, “they should be saved for future students to enjoy”.
Recently our City spent a considerable amount of money taking out ads in local newspapers and conducting a door-hanger campaign asking you to speak out against any attempt to keep the chloride levels low in our River. Did you know they were asking you to let the sanitation districts violate the Clean Water Act by allowing the salt level to increase in water dumped into the River? WHY? Because increased effluent from over-development is raising the chloride levels. They don’t want to slow down development and fix the problem. It is cheaper to degrade our water quality.
They told you that a salt increase would not hurt anything, but in fact its negative affect on the cottonwoods and willows needed by several endangered birds is well established. According to Bertin Anderson, a soil scientist and orinthologist who spent the last 25 years restoring native vegetation to sites along the lower Colorado River for the Bureau of Reclamation, as degraded rivers become saltier and drier, these conditions favor non-natives such as tamarisk over cottonwoods and willows (High Country News, May 1998). This is important to Santa Claritans since Congressman McKeon has just proposed spending $100,000 to get rid of this non-native along with the arrundo that is choking the Santa Clara and its tributaries.
Studies have not yet been conducted on our endangered fish and amphibians to see if they can tolerated such increases. And, at recent hearings before the Public Utilities Commission, hydrologists raised concerns about additional degradation of water quality due to over-draft of the river. How will this affect downstream strawberry farmers? How soon will it be before it affects our drinking water and how much will THAT cost?
It’s time for our City to step back and try to solve the problem, NOT spend our tax dollars to try to save the sanitation districts and the developers money. Its time for the Regional Water Quality Control Board to prepare an Environmental Impact Report to fully explore the consequences of this action.
The Coastal Conservancy announced its intention to promote the acquisition of River land at a Ventura City Council meeting earlier this month. The Conservancy hopes to form a joint powers agency with local cities that will acquire of 2000 acres of land along the Santa Clara River between Saticoy and the Ventura Estuary.
SCOPE members have also been promoting their own much smaller wetland restoration project along Bouquet Creek next to Central Park. Imagine natural banks and wetlands teeming with wildlife for all to watch, hear and enjoy!
Isaac Leiberman and his beautiful wife Kim moved to Valencia six years
ago. Now with two school age children facing limited classroom space, Isaac
became concerned about school over-crowding, traffic and over-development
in general. Being an entrepreneurial, self-starter, Isaac wasted
no time founding his own organization to address these problems with political
action. You can check out his web page: www.ScSmartgrowth.org
Help protect our natural areas by staying on the trail. Wear Sturdy footwear. Pacific Rattlesnakes make the mountains their home. Stay away from them and they won’t bother you. Poison oak can be identified by its clusters of three shiny leaflets. Avoid it by staying on trails.
Wed Aug. 16th & Sept. 15th, 7pm Mission Peak Moonlight Conditioning Hike Leader Casey Bialas 251-4619 Moderate 5 MI round trip 1200’ gain to view City lights. Meet at trailhead. Take 405 to 118 W to Balboa, N 2 mi to Neon Way, rt to end of street.
Sun Sept. 10th Fish Canyon 8AM Leader Ray Lorme (296-0246) Moderate 6-8mi hike, 300’ gain with stream crossings and brush in proposed wilderness area N. of Castaic Lake. Rough road to trailhead, high clearance vehicle recommended. Meet at Towsley Park entrance (see directions below) caravan/car pool to trail head. Bring water, lunch, sunscreen, hat.
Sun. Sept. 24th Rice Canyon in Santa Clarita Woodlands 9AM Casey Bialis (251-4619) 6mi, 1200’ gain into canyon of the SC Woodlands. See diversity of grassy hillsides and wooded oak canyons. Possible water crossings. Meet at Towsley Park entrance (Take I-5 to Calgrove, turn W to the Old Rd, then S to park entrance.) Bring lug soles, water and lunch.
Upload and copyright© September 2000 by SCOPE