Tejon Ranch and Onyx Ranch update

Urban Sprawl and Industrialization of Wilderness vs. Condors and other birds: the battle continues...

By Rex Frankel,

Dear Readers:

An issue we have followed very closely in the past has been attempts to connect the concrete sprawl of Los Angeles with the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento metropolises. Most active has been the desert and oil field County of Kern, home to Bakersfield.

The two largest landholdings at play in Kern are the 270,000 acre Tejon ranch and the 68,000 acre Onyx Ranch. I have covered them both quite extensively:

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/search/label/Tejon%20Ranch

http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/search/label/Onyx%20Ranch

                                              CLICK ON MAP TO ENLARGE

Tejon's owners want to build around 30,000 homes in the mountains east of Frazier Park along the 5 freeway (the Grapevine) in three separate projects which straddle the San Andreas Fault. Two are in Kern County and the largest is proposed in L.A. County. The two Kern county projects have faced unanimous approval by Kern County's elected politicians. The L.A. County project, called Centennial, faces a less certain future. So far, the economic likelihood of the housing projects going up at Tejon is very low, as the far north L.A. County economy has yet to recover from the end of the Cold War in the 1990's.

Onyx Ranch, on the other hand, is a desolate desert wilderness east of the Sierra Nevada Mountains which is now going to be split between windmill farms on the south half and an off-road vehicle park on the north, surrounded by an existing federal dune buggy and motorcycle play zone called Jawbone.

Here is the latest on these projects from the web:


TEJON: 

7/17/2014
http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2014/california-condor-07-17-2014.html
Condor advocates, conservationists and American Indians this week notified the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service they intend to sue over the agency’s approval of a “habitat conservation plan” that will destroy 14,000 acres of designated critical habitat for the California condor, one of the world’s most endangered birds. The habitat is entirely located on Tejon Ranch, north of Los Angeles, and will be destroyed by the development of the proposed Tejon Mountain Village resort project. Tejon Ranch encompasses some of the most important and essential foraging habitat for condors, much of it protected since 1977.

MORE INFO:
http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/save_tejon_ranch/condor_controversy_history.html
                         
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ONYX:

12/31/2014

Eastern Kern County Property Acquisition complete by State Parks Department for Off-Roader Park

BELOW: parcels in red were purchased by the State Parks Department. The parcels in gray to the south were kept by the landowner to be developed as windmill farms.

http://www.kernvalleysun.com/news/article_aacb0a52-9070-11e4-9744-bbd51bbe6dba.html

By Susan Barr / excerpted from the Kern Valley Sun

... the OHMVR Division hoped to acquire was approximately 28,275 privately-owned acres in eastern Kern County. The 59 parcels proposed for acquisition were largely interspersed in a checkerboard fashion, with the bulk of the land owned by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), with some parcels adjoining the Sequoia National Forest or lands under other private or public ownership. (See Parcel Map.) The proposed project parcels were used primarily for off-highway vehicle (OHV) recreation, grazing, camping, wildlife viewing/birding, and other activities.


Motorized travel, including OHV recreation, occurs throughout much of the area, largely on designated roads and trails. A few of the project parcels were within the Jawbone Canyon open area, in which vehicles are not restricted to designated routes.
By acquiring the parcels, the OHMVR Division would be able to improve overall management of the area as land managers would have complete access to manage and support the recreational uses, protect sensitive resources, and restore and rehabilitate damaged areas...


Dan Canfield, Manager - Planning Office, OHMVR Division, out of Sacramento, confirmed yesterday in a telephone interview with the Sun, that the exchange of funds has taken place and escrow has been completed with regards to payment for land acquired for the East Kern Land Acquisition Project. The largest land owner was the Renewable Resources Group (RRG).

Canfield clarified that the process of Eminent Domain was not utilized, despite the fact that lengthy negotiations were required to come to a purchase price agreement with some of the land owners.


Canfield stated that he anticipates a seamless transition and that the focus will now be on assuring how lands in the acquisition can be conserved for future generations, while continuing recreational use as it has existed in the past. He added that the public should not expect to see new roads or trails becoming available.


http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=27211
http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/pages/25010/files/nod_ekca-final-eir.pdf
Final approval document, 10/4/2013

http://www.jawbone.org/foj/



MORE ON THE NATURAL VALUES OF ONYX RANCH:

http://traenviro.com/experience/representative-projects/eastern-kern-county-property-acquisition-eir/

From east to west, the lands rise from the high floor of the western Mojave Desert into the southern Sierra Nevada and Piute Mountains. In general, the area is rugged and dominated by desert scrub habitat in the east and by woodland in the west. Unique biological resources include Butterbredt Spring, a significant migratory bird stopover site, habitat for listed species such as the desert tortoise, and a raptor migratory corridor between the Kern River Valley and the Mojave River. The lands are also rich in cultural resources. The area is used for motorized recreation, open range grazing, camping, wildlife viewing/birding, and other activities

Wind Power v. Wildlife in the Southern Sierras?...

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L.A. DWP Threatens to Buy Onyx Ranch in Sierras-to-Tehachapi Wildlife Corridor for Mega Wind Energy Farm Using Eminent Domain

Land Was Bought by Wind Energy company and the City of Vernon in 2008 from the longtime owners



read the full story here from the 9/15/2009 L.A. Times:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-wind15-2009sep15,0,839175.story

to read our stories on Onyx Ranch dealings:
http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/search/label/Onyx%20Ranch

CLICK ON MAP TO ENLARGE
Green Line on map shows the southern portion of Onyx Ranch now owned by the City of Vernon. The northern portion of the ranch is owned by Renewable Resources Group.

overworked webmaster goes mad...starts posting loose news items...

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CENTRAL VALLEY-SIERRA NEVADA REGION-- ASSORTED WEBSITES:

PLUMAS AND SIERRA COUNTIES:

http://frlt.org/docs/summer07.pdf

map of lands saved in the Sierra Valley; group is based in Quincy in Plumas County;

Story on 160 acre conservation easement in Sierra Valley

--Also see website for 2007-2008 annual report: lands saved in 07-08 include 160-acre Dan Balderston Ranch in Sierra Valley saved with a conservation easement, 725 acre conservation easement at the Turner Creek Ranch, and contracted to buy the 976 acre Mello Ranch near Loyalton in Sierra County. All total in the FRLT’s history, 12 properties totaling nearly 30,000 acres have been saved in Sierra Valley by FRLT and its partner groups.

High Sierra Rural.org

on the Sierra Valley, how Sierra County strongly protects its rural qualities, while Plumas county does not

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PLACER COUNTY:

http://www.placer.ca.gov/Departments/CommunityDevelopment/Planning/PlacerLegacy/PlacerLegacyProperties.aspx

map of land preserved in Placer County

http://www.placer.ca.gov/Departments/CommunityDevelopment/Planning/PlacerLegacy/~/media/cdr/Planning/PlacerLegacy/Acquisitions/2007%2008YearEnd4thQtrReport.ashx

table lists 2687 acres saved since year 2000; around 1500 acres of that total is conservation easements

http://www.placer.ca.gov/Departments/CommunityDevelopment/Planning/PlacerLegacy/Accomplishments.aspx Placer legacy timeline

http://www.placer.ca.gov/Departments/CommunityDevelopment/Planning/PlacerLegacy/~/media/cdr/Planning/PlacerLegacy/PrimaryWatersheds.ashx

map of watersheds in Placer County

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SOLANO COUNTY:

http://www.solanocounty.com/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=4865

1580 acre Rockville Trails Estates project in Solano County—9/25/2008

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MERCED COUNTY:

http://www.ucop.edu/news/archives/2001/march20art1.htm

3/20/2001: With a grant in excess of $11 million from the Packard Foundation, UC will acquire the 7,030-acre Virginia Smith Trust parcel northeast of the city of Merced…After acquisition, the university plans to set aside 5,030 acres as a conservation preserve that would protect vernal pool habitat in perpetuity. The remaining 2,000 acres would be used for the proposed new UC Merced campus on the southwest portion of the Virginia Smith Trust lands; the campus portion would include a 750-acre natural reserve of vernal pool habitat protected from development….Triggering the release of $15 million in state-approved habitat acquisition funds from the Wildlife Conservation Board to ensure the conservation of key wetland and vernal pool resources in the surrounding area.

http://www.ucop.edu/news/archives/2001/march20art1a.htm

The UC Merced campus is planned to have an area of 2,000 acres, consisting of: 1) a developed campus of 910 acres; 2) a 750-acre natural reserve, and 3) a reserve of 340 acres for future potential development. The Campus will ultimately host 25,000 students. The Campus Community will be a planned development of approximately 2,000 acres that will eventually have about 30,000 residents.

…Under the proposal, the new campus would be situated away from the most sensitive vernal pool areas of the VST site. The new proposal also calls for the University to create the first phase of the campus on the Merced Hills Golf Course, which is part of the VST.

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TULARE COUNTY:

http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/article/20081120/NEWS01/811200316/1002

Exeter and Porterville landowners are wary of state park proposals

11-20-2008: The state's proposal would create a 1,000-acre park near Porterville and a 2,300-acre park near Exeter. A third plan would set aside 500 acres of trails along the Kings River near the Tulare County line just below the Pine Flat Dam….Jack Shannon, whose 4,000-acre cattle ranch near Porterville has been in his family for five generations, found out about the proposed Deer Creek park near his property only a few days ago. On Wednesday he made the hour-long drive to Visalia to find out more about the project….Chad Noble's 3,000-acre ranch property would be bisected by the proposed Deer Creek park….

http://www.sequoiariverlands.org/pdf/IRWMP/WaterConflExistPlans_QualQuant_EconSocial_07_22_08.pdf

-- Land use issues in foothills- urbanization and development moving up from the valley, relying heavily on groundwater

--New development drawing water from other people’s wells- example: Shaver Lake

--Tulare County directing all growth to the foothills to protect agriculture

--Diverting runoff from the Kings River into the San Joaquin to avoid local flooding of Homeland Ranch (Boswell) which is prime agricultural land.

--Yokohl Valley- proposing to build on a stream corridor,

--Shaver Lake development- will be looking for surface water

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KERN COUNTY:

http://www.cuddyvalley.org/blogs/nimby/?p=294

According to Tejon’s very own Draft Water Supply Assessment, this is how Centennial will look from the air. It’s beautiful. It’s like the tulip fields. Who needs wildflowers...

http://www.bakersfield.com/hourly_news/story/506919.html

7-26-2008: The PdV Wind Energy Project, proposed by enXco, would use 5,820 acres west of Rosamond to generate electricity for Southern California Edison.

http://www.topix.com/forum/city/pearsonville-ca/TPJ4IOKJ6DGJGT887

web comments on sale of Onyx Ranch

The windmills will be located on the southern-most section of the property, near the intersections of Jawbone Canyon and Kelso Valley Roads. Other areas closer to Lake Isabella will be olive orchards and vineyards. But whether the family gave some land to the BLM for OHV use, whether they held back any for themselves, and whether they kept the mineral rihts remains to be seen. They have always been responsible landowners, and so I can't see too much becoming tract homes.

http://www.kernsmartgrowth.com

http://www.kernsmartgrowth.com/notices.html

Pine Tree Wind Development Project by Wind Turbine Prometheus proposes a zone change from E (20) to A and A WE (Wind Energy) on 8,000 acres, along with CUPs to allow construction of a temporary batch plant, located 15 miles northeast of Tehachapi.

http://www.proland.com/antelope_valley.asp

Antelope Valley development booster website

http://gthompso.blogspot.com/2008/12/tehachapi.html

photos of Tehachapi region

http://www.cityofvernon.org/about_cov/2008NovGazette.pdf

vague city newsletter mentioning city purchase of portion of Onyx Ranch in the lower Sierra Nevadas

Some New Players in the Kern County Wind Farm Business

CLICK ON MAP TO ENLARGE
There are Several New Owners of the Large Windfarms on this Map: Onyx Ranch has been split in half, with the southwest portion below Jawbone Canyon road now owned by the City of Vernon. The Zond Windfarm is now owned by the City of Los Angeles' power department which will also construct a windfarm on the lands between the Enron-Zond site and Onyx Ranch.
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In the far-south end of the Sierra Nevada Mountains lies the Onyx Ranch, a 68,000 acre parcel that has been eyed for preservation by the Audubon Society

(http://ca.audubon.org/pdf/Audubon_California_Strategic_Plan-rev2.pdf)

for some time. In October 2008, the Renewable Resource Group of L.A. bought this land from the longtime owners, the Rudnick family for $48 million, or around $700 an acre.
http://www.landreport.com/2008/10/68000-acre-onyx-ranch-in-california-sells-for-48-million/

As the Wall Street Journal reported, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122412852383339755.html?mod=googlenews_wsj


"Oscar Rudnick, whose family had owned Onyx Ranch since early last century and who personally has a minority stake with the new owners, said the group will also consider leasing out water rights. Construction of housing isn't likely to be part of the plan, the new owners said."

Renewable stated that they intended to locate windmills at Onyx Ranch. Two seeks after the purchase was signed, however, Renewable Resources sold the lower half, or 30,000 acres to the City of Vernon, an all-industrial city in the L.A. basin which operates its own electrical utility.
Renewable is keeping the north half, which includes "along the south fork of the Kern River near Lake Isabella."

the staff report mentioning the sale is here:
http://kern.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=748&meta_id=140214

http://www.bakersfield.com/102/story/613681.html

The county supervisors in Kern are supportive of the wind energy proposals, but sound skeptical about a possible transfer of water rights out of their county.

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L.A.'s Power department Buys 12,000 acre former Enron Wind Farm north of Tehachapi

http://www.ladwpnews.com/go/doc/1475/190621/

L.A. City calls the former Enron project "Pine Canyon". It recently also made a deal with the Hansen Family Wilderness Farm for an 8000 acre windfarm called "Pine Tree" between the Enron land and Onyx Ranch.

the EIR's for the Pine Tree Wind farms project are here:

http://www.ladwp.com/ladwp/cms/ladwp007911.jsp

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L.A. energy firm closes purchase of 68,000 acre Onyx Ranch, Located on north end of Tehachapi/Tejon Wildlife Corridor

The Bakersfield Californian--Friday, Oct 10 2008

http://www.bakersfield.com/hourly_news/story/576613.html

Escrow on the historic Onyx Ranch in the Sierra Nevada mountains between Isabella Lake and Jawbone Canyon has closed. Cole Frates of Renewable Resource Group said the Los Angeles renewable energy company has purchased the 68,000 acre ranch from the Rudnick family, which has owned and operated the ranch for years. Frates did not disclose the price paid for the ranch. But he said the company will spend the next several years working with neighbors, the military, environmentalists and the Kern County Planning Department to develop a wind-energy farm on the eastern ridgelines of the ranch.

The farm could be capable of generating between 300 and 500 megawatts of power, Frates said.

(click on map to enlarge)

The Onyx Ranch is interspersed with federal lands that are well-used by off-roaders. The ranch also contains a portion of the Pacific Crest hiking trail.

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BACKGROUND ON THE BUYER:

http://www.maderaid.com/

Madera irrigation district and Enron dirty deals, Cole Frates involved in Madera-Enron deal; controls company that bought Onyx ranch

http://www.maderaid.com/docs/RRG.JPG

on Renewable Resources Group buying 13,646 acres from Enron-Azurix for $10 million, then selling the land to Madera County as the Madera Ranch Water Bank for $37.5 million in September of 2005.

http://www.sanjoaquinvalley.com/main_frame.php?url=http://www.sanjoaquinvalley.com/media/Articles/MaderaTaxpayersRuling.pdf

Lawsuit was over public review of EIR being too short. Water bank project involves diverting water from the Fresno and San Joaquin rivers and storing the water underneath the Madera Ranch. Plaintiffs are concerned that water will be shipped out of the county to serve development interests further south.

http://www.calwater.ca.gov/Admin_Record/F-001898.pdf

1998-Madera County opposes water bank that is proposed by the feds, state and Trust for Public Land.

http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/deadinthewater/california.html

http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:4IY-gKr6uHAJ:gifi.stat.ucla.edu/projects/antelope/+madera+water+bank%27&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=19&gl=us

on Azurix selling project to Layne Christenson

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L.A. company close to buying 68,000 Acres of Onyx Ranch, located between Sierras and Red Rock Canyon State Park

BY JAMES BURGER, Californian staff writer

http://www.bakersfield.com/102/story/557233.html

9/19/2008

A portion of the sprawling Onyx Ranch east of Isabella Lake, the land empire of the cattle-ranching Rudnick family, is close to being sold to a Los Angeles resources company that focuses on building renewable energy resources.

Cole Frates of Renewable Resource Group confirmed that his corporation is nearing a deal with the Rudnicks to purchase 68,000 acres of the ranch.

“We have a memorandum of purchase of sale against the property and it’s not much of a secret that we’re hoping to purchase it,” he said.

Frates declined to share details about the company’s plans for the land, if it acquires it, in deference to the Rudnicks.

Kern County planner Lorelei Oviatt said that the Kern County Planning Department has had a positive experience working with a partner company of Renewable Resource Group — Western Development — on the creation of the Antelope Valley Water Bank project.
Oscar Rudnick, the trustee of the family trust, declined to talk about the details of the sale or confirm that it is happening.

He did say that the wind energy potential of the property is substantial.
“We do have wind land out there and it’s probably one of the biggest in Kern County,” he said.
Rudnick said his grandfather, also named Oscar, bought the land in 1931 with a partner.
Family member Philip Rudnick had proposed a 175.5-megawatt wind energy project on 15,182 acres of the ranch with partner Padmona Energy, Oviatt said.
That project, which Oviatt said was to be leased to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, is currently on hold because the owner of the ranch, the family trust, has not yet authorized the project to proceed.

Philip Rudnick declined to comment on any possible sale of the property.
Court records show that family members are in disagreement over whether to sell the ranch.
Despite the area’s historic value in the Kern River Valley, sale of the ranch also has significance for public use and recreation in the area.

The ranch is also adjacent to large areas of public land owned by the Bureau of Land Management and sits near Jawbone Canyon, a popular off-road recreation area.
Oscar Rudnick said the family is interested in working with the Friends of Jawbone Canyon off-roader group to create recreation opportunities on the ranch.