| Mission: | |
| Promote, protect and preserve the environment of the Santa Clarita Valley. | |
| Work to provide a high quality of life for residents of the Santa Clarita Valley. | |
| Monitor, review and take action on proposals which would impact or affect the environment. | |
| Provide a forum for the people of the Santa Clarita Valley in which issues involving the environment, ecology or quality of life can be heard and discussed. | |
| Foster the education of the members and the people of the Santa Clarita Valley on matters involving environment, ecology and quality of life. | |
| Promote community planning and design which exhibits superior attention to quality, aesthetics, sensitivity to the environment and consideration of community goals and needs. | |
SCOPE is a twenty-three year old volunteer organization serving the Santa Clarita Valley, a community of over 250,000 situated in Northern Los Angeles County. There are many issues affecting the quality of life in this valley, whose explosive suburban growth is rapidly converting miles of rustic open space directly into modern automobile oriented communities. The City of Santa Clarita, governs much of the older developments, however the majority of the surrounding area is still part of Los Angeles County, and subject to the 5th Supervisory District of Michael D. Antonovich. The County has approved projects which would effectively double the population of the valley in the next decade, and looming on the horizon is the largest single development proposal in Los Angeles County history; The Newhall Ranch Project.
SCOPE is your environmental voice on these issues. We welcome your comments --you can submit an Inquiry Form directly to our Board of Directors.
Save the Santa Clara River,
October 25th at 9:30am!
The Santa Clara River is L.A. County's last free-flowing river and home to numerous endangered
and threatened species. Help us to help you save the Santa Clara River by opposing Newhall
Ranch's 1st phase Landmark Village proposed to be developed in the most sensitive part of the
Santa Clara River.
Newhall Ranch will ultimately channelize or concrete in some 20 miles of river watershed and
tributaries. This auto-oriented project will increase global warming. This is the kind of
development that can no longer be approved if we hope to have any natural environment left in L.A.
The Board of Supervisors will consider the proposal for this part of the mega Newhall Ranch
project in the Santa Clarita Valley Next Tuesday. The SCOPE has been opposing this project for
over 15 years because of its negative impacts the river, habitat and the quality of life in
Los Angeles County. This may be your last opportunity to save the Santa Clara River. Join us
at the hearing on October 25th at 9:30am For carpool info email exec@scope.org
See below for Talking points.
WHEN: Tuesday, October 25th at 9:30am
WHERE: L.A. County Board of Supervisors Meeting
Make your voice heard to oppose this project
WHAT YOU CAN DO
1. Join us at the hearing on October 25th at 9:30am. Speak your mind! All speakers will have 3
minutes to provide their comments.
Main Hearing Room, 500 W. Temple St., Los Angeles 90012
2. Write, email or fax TODAY:
L. A. County Board of Supervisors Executive Office
Re: Landmark Village
Fax (213)620-0636
Email: publichearing@bos.lacounty.gov
Tell Them:
Main Hearing Room
500 W. Temple St.
Los Angeles 90012
Send emails to Attn: MIssion Village, Newhall Ranch to: publichearing@bos.lacounty.gov
* Protect The Santa Clara River, Los Angeles County's last mostly wild river
* Oppose increased traffic congestion and air pollution and global warming
* Address ammonium perchlorate pollution of the local water supply, known to harm human health
500 W. Temple St.
Los Angeles CA 90012
1. I oppose the approval of Mission Village proposal.
2. Protect the Santa Clara River - L.A. County's last free-flowing river and home to many endangered species from this development. Floodplain impacts must be evaluated before any approval of this project.
3. The project must meet chloride limits for the Santa Clara River
4. New modeling of the ammonium perchlorate plume is needed to ensure safe drinking water. The pollution plume of from the Whittaker Bermite munitions facility is spreading and has caused the closure of another ground water well. Water slated for the Newhall Ranch project must be re-directed to ensure clean water to the community of Santa Clarita.
5. The proposed project would have permanent detrimental impacts on the quality of life for residents in Los Angeles County. The Santa Clarita Valley already experiences some of the worst air quality in the nation. The additional traffic congestion created by this project will exacerbate the region's poor air quality. This project will cause massive additional traffic and air pollution in an area already classified as "extremely hazardous" by US EPA.
6. Approval of this project is not fiscally responsible. The developer, Lennar/Newhall, recently emerged from bankruptcy. Their stock has been down graded to BB rating. How will they pay for needed infrastructure?
KPFK radio carried a debate between SCOPE President Lynne Plambeck and Marlee Lauffer of Newhall Land.
You can listen to the debate 42 minutes into this recording:
Also, the Daily News covered the prior phase vote at this link:
KPFK Debate Link
Daily News Newhall Ranch story
Lots of great photos!
Sign
the petition to save the Santa Clara River and oppose Newhall Ranch:
Newhall Ranch, the 60,000 person city proposed for development on the Los Angeles-Ventura
County line will cause significant harm to water quality and endangered wildlife and plant
species. The 12,000 acre site is located on one of the most pristine reaches of the Santa
Clara River, LA County's last free-flowing wild river.
The Santa Clarita is home to over
117 threatened, endangered or sensitive plant and wildlife species or communities. Of these,
18 are federally listed, two are candidates for listing and 14 are state-listed. This
project would result in filling 20 miles of on-site streams and the valleys that contain
them, with 208 million cubic yards of fill material taken the hill tops -that's enough soil
to fill dump trucks and wrap them around the earth's equator over 3 times.
In addition, the
project would channelize 5 miles of the main stem of the Santa Clara River building homes
in an area where we have seen the SCR flowing during the 1983 (30-year) storm event.
In spite of strong protests from the community, environmental groups and downstream farmers, the County Regional Planning approved this huge tract, allowing it to move forward without addressing the increasing chloride problem in the Santa Clara River. This will once again place the costs of reducing chlorides on existing residents.
The Army Corps has still not approved a permit to alter and bank the Santa Clara River that is required for the Mission Village project. SCOPE was joined by the Friends of the Santa Clara River in an appeal that also included biology, water quality and air pollution issues.
Click here to see the appeal document.
Find out the latest on conservation issues involving the Santa Clara River, local public planning meetings and other events of interest to you and your family. You'll also receive notification of our meetings and other environmental goings on in the valley.
Help us keep our mailing costs down, while still keeping you informed. Sign up today. It's easy. Just fill in the form below and click "Join Now."
Don't wait until you see the bulldozers at the end of your street, or the sound of chain saws removing those trees you thoguht would be forever! By then it is too late! The first step is the OVOV plan, to be followed by individual project plans. So if you want to have the greatest impact, start early, and OVOV in the place.
Click below for SCOPE's comments ot the City and County (who illogically hold separate public forums), and send them your ideas, too.
