Residents in Newhall protested the destruction of their beautiful old Chinese elms and 60 local residents turned out to a recent meeting held by the City to protest destruction of the trees on McBean Parkway.
Trees or traffic? That’s a growing issue in the Santa Clarita Valley. On one side of the issue is the position that the existence of trees should be subservient to the priority of traffic improvements that, while they won’t make circulation better, at least will keep it from getting worse.
On the other side is the position that trees enhance our quality of life. Shade is pleasant and calming in every neighborhood, and that if we are ever going to reduce traffic, we have to make room for alternative transportation. There has to be ways of walking and cycling safely.
An especially important aspect of this concept is the “Safe Routes to School” movement recently funded by the State. It is an effort to get children and parents out of their cars by identifying and providing safe ways to walk to school.
Another problem is that mitigations imposed today are neither effective for the trees nor the habitat they support. A five-gallon mitigation oak tree or replacement tree is only protected for a few years and then is on its own and a candidate for later removal. The tree may have been planted in the wrong location. And what hawk or falcon or even simple songbird is going to build a nest in a six feet tall mitigation oak when it used to live high and safe in a 70-foot tall tree?
The list is growing larger. Heritage oak trees are threatened with destruction in several areas of Stevenson Ranch, Valencia, and Sand Canyon. The tall eucalyptus trees along McBean Parkway - rightly or wrongly planted in the first place - not only provide a neighborhood identity but also safe nesting sites for many birds.
SCOPE is proud to support, in conjunction with other organizations such
as the Audubon Society, efforts to protect and preserve our mature trees
for both people and the animals that live there. Aiming a road right at
a heritage oak tree when there are acres of alternate paths is not good
planning. We are pleased to see the County is considering tree preservation
beyond oak trees and to other trees of importance. We urge the City to
undertake the same action.
Local families, Boy Scouts and River lovers from all over Los Angeles and Ventura Counties carried signs to support leaving the Santa Clara in a natural state.
More than 130 people spoke eloquently on the need to protect the River and its watershed. These included Councilwoman Jill Klajic and Water District Director Lynne Plambeck. Other speakers included Diane Trautman, Marsha McLean and Bob Jonsen, who also called for River protection and removing buildings from the floodplain. Dr. Sid Gold spoke of the need to protect water quality to ensure the health of the community.
Other speakers reminded the Corps that it is our water supply, that banking and concreting would cause downstream erosion and destruction of farmland. They expressed concern for our endangered songbird, the least Bell’s Vireo, for our tiny fresh water fish, the unarmored three-spined stickleback and especially for the recently listed downstream runs of Southern Steelhead that so many locals recall catching in former years. Surfers expressed concern over loss of beach sand from elimination of the natural processes of the River.
Many people spoke against the rampant growth that is paving over our most important natural areas with urban sprawl.
No one spoke in favor of the project, but elected officials and staff
from the City were noticeably not in attendance.
Ventura County has joined with SCOPE, Friends of the Santa Clara River, the Sierra Club, several Ventura County cities, and the Attorney General of California to oppose this project.
Principal concerns of the litigants are that the project intrudes unnecessarily into the Santa Clara River and tributaries when a less invasive project can be economically produced; that there is inadequate water on a time-phased basis for the project; that reasonable mitigations for air quality and traffic congestion are not being incorporated, and that Ventura County and downstream water users will be adversely affected.
The court will now review briefs and may schedule testimony at a later
date.
Accusations have been made that SCOPE is endorsing candidates, contributing campaign funding, and urging a “bullet vote” for a single candidate. While none of this is true, I guess I have to be flattered that some people feel so afraid of SCOPE that they feel compelled to plant preemptive landmines on the campaign trail.
“SCOPE does not endorse, support, or work against any candidate for any public office.”
I guess I posted those words often enough on Tell-It to The Signal that some are tired of reading them. But they have to be repeated over and over, and I apologize in advance for any irritation. SCOPE is a non-profit organization and while the rules of law allow big business and big unions to endorse and work for or against candidates for public office, SCOPE is prohibited from doing so. That’s the way the deck is stacked against volunteer non-profit organizations, but, until the law is changed, SCOPE must vigorously state and restate our position. Hope you understand.
SCOPE’s goals include:
If any candidate for City Council wants to endorse SCOPE’s goals
they are free to do so. We can’t endorse them, but they can endorse us.
Do SCOPE members endorse and work for or against certain candidates? Of course they do. In fact, SCOPE members are more involved in the political process than the average citizen. I praise and support that involvement because the care for the environment and good planning depends on concerned citizens sending that message to political candidates.
So make your selections and devote your volunteer hours for the candidate(s)
of your choice. And make sure to vote in the April City Council election.
Upset by the noise from traffic and new development? Coughing more lately?
You still have time for comment. The City Council will have a study session on the Air and Noise Elements of the General Plan May 2, 2000, and will have a meeting on this on May 23rd.
Come and speak your mind.
Other aspects of our community are important to our quality of life also. Good planning requires adequate schools, libraries, and other services that are all part of what makes our community a great place to live. Access to alternative means of transportation such as trails and bikeways, good recreational areas and programs, and great community involvement also play an important part in the reasons why we like to live in Santa Clarita.
Do you know someone who has helped preserve oaks, led hikes in natural areas, worked on bike trails, participated in planning issues, taught recycling or helped keep our community’s great quality of life in some other way? Please let us know before our April meeting, so that we may consider them for our Earth Day award.
Past Awardees
How did Marsha McLean get started as a community activist? She and her husband have lived in Santa Clarita and owned a small business in this community for the past 24 years. She heard about the landfill proposal while volunteering for the Boys and Girls Club Auction. After taking a tour of the Canyon, she thought the lose of this beautiful area should not be allowed. With all the vigor of a true entrepreneur, she formed her own organization to successfully challenge this plan.
McLean’s activism has lead to other roles in the community. Because of her knowledge of solid waste management, Supervisor Mike Antonovich has appointed her as an alternate member to the Los Angeles County Solid Waste Task Force. She is also a member of the UCLA County-wide Solid Waste Resource Policy Committee.
McLean is concerned about the environment. She is also a business owner. Because of these two interests, she served as chair of the SCV Chamber of Commerce Environmental Committee. One of here many goals in the Chamber was to try to find ways that businesses and environmentalists can work together to create a strong and environmentally friendly economy.
McLean’s other activities have include volunteering as an earthquake preparedness trainer and on the Sheriff’s advisory committee.
What would Marsha McLean ultimately like to see for Elsmere Canyon?
“No less than public acquisition for the front portion of the Canyon!”,
says McLean. To this end, she formed the “Elsmere Canyon Acquisition
Fund” to raise money for this worthy cause.
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 at: www.ScSmartgrowth.org.
When her two boys, Jacob and Jeffrey, entered elementary school Diane focused on school issues. She served as PTA Unit President and Council Legislation Chair. She also served on the Hart High District Boundary Committee and Elementary School Site Council.
Diane’s professional experience is as a personnel and benefits administrator.
It is the coyote, who inspires love or hate.
The ranchers complain of the threat to their livestock, but the coyote is helpful in collecting a large number of rodents.
The coyote is a rare glimpse you get along a quiet road. Most of his hunting is done at night or early in the morning (so get those cats in!). His prey is many small rodents, mammals, birds, eggs, grasshoppers, or even some snakes. Though it is mainly a carnivore, it does eat grass and berries in season.
While some may mate for several seasons, most are promiscuous. Breeding season is in later winter and birthing is two months later. The usual shelter is a den in the earth. During the birth period the male brings the female food for the den; then he hangs our for a while, but still brings food to his mate.
Litters are 3 to 9. Their color changes from dark gray to greenish-yellow.Their color is camouflage to match the terrain.
Both parents are involved in training the pups to hunt and care for themselves. During this time people report coyote packs.
The young must leave their families before winter and establish their own territories. With loss of habitat, this means some are killed or starve to death. An adult coyote has two major enemies – mountain lions and humans. Juveniles have more. Throughout the West coyotes have been hunted for bounties, but they are quite cunning, are able to survive, and are very important for a healthy ecosystem.
I, for one, get a thrill on those warm summer nights when I hear their
distant yipping in the hills. I think of their life of survival and hunting.
They are still here, but in decreasing numbers. No surprise, with all these
houses being built in their native territories.
We urge everyone to attend and speak out for protection of the Creek
and our quality of life.
Placerita Canyon with its oak woodlands, blue line streams, vernal ponds, open grasslands, and riparian habitat is so important to this and other rare birds.
The White-tailed kite requires open grassland with large trees (live oak is often chosen as a nest site) for nesting near water that supports a large rodent population. Their diet consists of small rodents, reptiles, large insects, and sometimes small birds.
It flies slowly and hovers gracefully, hence the name: kite.
In Spring pairs build a small twig nest 5 - 60 feet high in a tree and may use it for several seasons. After breeding, kites live in communal roosts in trees and hunt from there, year after year for several years.
The biggest threat to the white-tailed kite, as is the case with most birds of prey, are humans; through direct persecution, pesticide, rodent poisoning, introduction of non-native species (such as the domestic cat), and most importantly the destruction of its habitat. Sadly, I believe that development will contribute to the further decline of the Kite and many other species of special concern, threatened or endangered.
Teresa Savaikie, San Fernando Valley Audubon Member and SCOPE Member
Wed April 19th & May 17th, 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 June 4th Vasquez Rocks Twilight Hike, 6PM Leader Casey Bialis
251-4619 Easy 3-4 mi trek among the rocks of Vasquez Co Parkin search of
the ghost of Triburcio Vasquez. Experience the eerie shadows formed by
timeless rocks as the sun sets. Met a park entrance. Bring water
and your imagination.
Trail Safety Tips -- Help protect our natural areas by staying on the trail
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