Santa Clarita Organization for Planning The Environment

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-two 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.

NEXT SCOPE MEETING set for Wednesday, October 14th

YOU’RE INVITED!
...to our October Meeting to hear a Special Guest Speaker from the American Lung Association.
 Santa Clarita has some of the worst air quality in the nation. We live in an area designated as a non-attainment zone for ozone and particulate matter (tiny particles of dust that can lodge in the lungs). Both these pollutants can cause breathing problems and lung disease. They are especially harmful to children.

Can changes in the decisions made at City Hall help? The American Lung Association says “Yes!” Energy efficiency and new land use patterns can make a huge difference in our air quality and reduce greenhouse gases, too.

As part of the Lung Association’s mission to prevent lung disease, this statewide organization has developed a “Healthy Land Use Campaign”. The goal of this campaign is to empower local residents to work with City Hall for cleaner air.

So please join us to hear a representative of the American Lung Association speak on the link between our health and local land use decisions. Find out how you can help our community on its way to cleaner air and slow global warming at the same time.

WHEN: Wednesday, October 14th, 7PM
WHERE: Vista Hills Club House
24060 Oakvale Dr., Valencia, CA 91355

(This presentation is jointly sponsored by SCOPE and Community Healthcare Advocates SCV)

NEWHALL RANCH River Plan out for public review -- this is your chance to voice your objections!
"This is our opportunity to protect a local treasure that is rapidly becoming extinct, a natural free-flowing wild river and all its jewels of biological diversity. To do so we must ensure the preservation of the wildlife corridors."
"The Santa Clara River is a treasure trove of animals and plants that do not exist anywhere else in the world and are fast disappearing.  It is the source of a good part of our water supply, both for humans, plants and animals.  It provides beauty and open space for our community.  We must do a better job of protecting it this time."
"In a little noticed agenda item earlier this year, Castaic Lake Water Agency arranged to purchase Newhall Ranch’s priority position to pump water from the Kern Water Bank, where CLWA stored water for drought back-up supplies.  They needed the water to supply current residents, but couldn’t get it out because their water storage agreement did not provide for a pumpback priority. If such arrangements must be negotiated now, even before building all the previously approved tracts, what in the world will we do when so many new houses come on line?"


Community groups file suit December 22nd to ensure that hospital facilities will really be built

The Community Advocates for Healthcare SCV (CAHS) and Santa Clarita Organization for Planning and the Environment (SCOPE) joined forces today in filing public interest litigation to set aside the approval of a hospital office expansion that we believe does not meet the needs of our community.  Although touted by G & L Realty as adding new beds and facilities to the Henry Mayo Hospital campus, the Development Agreement does not obligate this developer to provide these benefits.

Click here for Press Release (25K doc)

Click here for Development Agreement (4MB pdf)


Check out SCOPE's 2008 Holiday Card (click to open PDF file):

 

SCOPE is an affiliate of the California Futures Network 
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