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Showing posts with label Santa Barbara. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Santa Barbara. Show all posts

Thursday, June 8, 2017

SCC 4/2017 to 6/2017: Latest CA Coastline Projects

From Coastal Conservancy Agendas in April and June, 2017

disburse up to $350,000 to the City of Carpinteria to acquire a 21.2-acre coastal bluff parcel commonly known as Carpinteria Bluffs III in Carpinteria, Santa Barbara County. Coastal Conservancy 4/27/2017


authorization for the Conservancy to serve as a third-party beneficiary with enforcement rights in a conservation easement on the 2,000-acre MK Ranch in northern San Luis Obispo County to be donated to the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County. Coastal Conservancy 6/15/2017


disburse up to $4,000,000 to the City of Los Angeles for design, implementation and monitoring of the San Fernando Valley Stormwater Capture Project at five sites in the San Fernando Valley in the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County. Coastal Conservancy 6/15/2017


Tuesday, November 15, 2016

2016 Central Coast Land Deals

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY:

6/2/2016
Santa Cruz County Land Trust protects 124 acres of farmland, the Amesti apple orchard with a conservation easement.
price of easement: $400,000
Amesti was protected with $200,000 from the Department of Conservation’s california
Farmland Conservancy Program and $200,000 from the Land Trust

12/22/2014-LT of Santa Cruz buys 280 acres next to Hwy 17 tunnel project


MONTEREY COUNTY:

Clint Eastwood donated 79 acres along Carmel River to Big Sur Land Trust. He had given another 49 acres to the BSLT along the river in 1997

1290 acre Cross Creek ranch bought with federal $ by Ag Land Trust of Monterey County



 
SLO COUNTY:

3255 acres between Atascadero and SLO land saved with CE
The ranch area is 36 separate parcels making up the 3,255 acres. It is filled with streams, cattle range land, agriculture, and the man-made Eagle Lake. CE Donation was by Eagle Ranch LLC, owned by Greg and Jeff Smith
@lagunagreenbelt Mar 25, 2016

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SANTA BARBARA COUNTY:

21 acres at Carpinteria bluffs; groups still raising $$

10/22/2015: Santa Barbara LT receives 100 acre donation of Big Ben Ranch, southeast of Lompoc

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VENTURA COUNTY:

860 acre donation by Lloyd Properties to Rancho San Buenaventura Conservation Trust

CA Natural Resources Agency awards $1 mil to Ventura Hillsides Conservancy to buy 300 acres out of 2123 acre Walker-Hearne ranch east of the Lloyd Ranch 

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

SCC 6/2015: State Helps Purchase of Big Sonoma Coast Gem

State Coastal Conservancy to Fund Saving 1600 Acres at Late June Meeting

For Agenda:


SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA:

IN MARIN COUNTY: 351.2 ACRES
IN SONOMA COUNTY: 1235 ACRES

Consideration and possible Conservancy authorization to disburse up to $400,000 to Marin Audubon Society for the acquisition of a 5.2 acre property adjoined to the north, east and south by the Corte Madera Marsh Ecological Reserve in Marin County. Coastal Conservancy 6/25/2015
Consideration and possible Conservancy authorization to disburse up to $300,000 to the Marin County Open Space District to acquire the 16 acre Sky Ranch property adjacent to the Bald Hill Open Space Preserve and Marin Municipal Water District land in Marin County. Coastal Conservancy 6/25/2015
Consideration and possible Conservancy authorization to disburse up to $475,000 to the Marin Agricultural Land Trust for the acquisition of a conservation easement over the 330-acre Gallagher Ranch in west Marin County. Coastal Conservancy 6/25/2015


Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $1,000,000 to The Wildlands Conservancy for the acquisition of the approximately 547-acre Estero Ranch property in southwestern Sonoma County for the purposes of habitat protection, public access and agricultural preservation. Coastal Conservancy 6/25/2015 (postponed to October 2015 meeting)
Landowner seeks $6.9 million. An additional $1 million was granted by the Moore Foundation for this purchase: https://www.moore.org/grants/list/GBMF4622


Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $500,000 to the Trust for Public Land to acquire the 688-acre parcel known as the Richardson-Kashia property for the purposes of natural resource protection and public access in coastal Sonoma County. 
Includes 1 mile of coastline. Coastal Conservancy 6/25/2015
CENTRAL COAST:

14.7 ACRES IN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY
Consideration and possible Conservancy authorization to disburse up to $500,000 to the Trust for Public Land to acquire a 14.7 acre parcel (Veronica Meadows) in lower Arroyo Burro watershed, Santa Barbara County. Coastal Conservancy 6/25/2015
http://scc.ca.gov/webmaster//ftp/pdf/sccbb/2015/1506/20150625Board15_Arroyo_Burro_Watershed.pdf

http://www.santabarbaraca.gov/civica/press/display.asp?layout=4&Entry=1080

Thursday, March 19, 2015

WCB 11/2014 to 3/2015: More Critter Parks...

CA Wildlife Board Funds Purchase of 18,175 acres of Habitat and Buys 13,333 Acres of Development Rights

Taken from the Agendas for the California Wildlife Conservation Board for November 2014 to March 2015.... http://wcb.ca.gov


ON THE NORTH COAST:

Blue Creek, Humboldt/Del Norte County $5,035,000
--grant to Western Rivers Forestry for a cooperative project with the State Coastal Conservancy, Wyss Foundation, the Yurok Tribe and the New Market Tax Credit Program to acquire 6,479± acres of land near the town of Klamath, and traversing both Humboldt and Del Norte Counties. WCB 11/20/2014 and 3/12/2015

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SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA:

East Contra Costa County NCCP/HCP (Viera/Perley) $882,500
--acquire 260± acres located in the Diablo Mountain Range, about 6 miles southeast of the Town of Clayton in Contra Costa County. WCB 2/25/2015

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CENTRAL VALLEY AND SIERRAS:


Granite Chief Wilderness--American River Headwaters, Placer County $3,500,000
--grant to American River Conservancy for a cooperative project with the California Natural Resources Agency and private donations to acquire 9,955± acres of land to help preserve alpine forests on the headwaters of the Middle and North Forks of the American River in Placer County. WCB 2/25/2015

Mt. Shasta Headwaters Forest, Hancock Phase I (Town Block), Siskiyou/Shasta County
$9,090,000
--grant to the Pacific Forest Trust for a cooperative project with the California Department of Transportation to acquire a forest conservation easement over 12,644± acres of land covering a
significant portion of the upper watershed of the McCloud River, located near the town of McCloud and transversing both Siskiyou and Shasta Counties. WCB 11/20/2014

Little Shasta Valley Conservation Easement, Fogg Gulch, Siskiyou County, $53,000
--grant to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation to acquire a conservation easement over 645± acres of land. WCB 11/20/2014

Allensworth Ecological Reserve, Expansion 50-56, Tulare County, $0.00
--acquisition of 8 separate parcels of land totaling 12.98+/- acres. The funding source is being
provided by the California Department of Corrections Statewide Electric Fence Project mitigation fund. WCB 11/20/2014

Allensworth Ecological Reserve, Expansion 57, Tulare County $0.00
--acquisition of two separate parcels totaling four± acres of land. WCB 2/25/2015


Barry Point Fire Forest Restoration, Modoc County $2,500,000
--grant to the Pacific Forest Trust for a cooperative project with the landowner to restore forest habitat within the privately-owned Collins Timber Company’s 32,686-acre Lakeview Tract, located just west of Goose Lake, approximately 30 miles north of the city of Alturas in Modoc County. WCB 11/20/2014

San Joaquin Wetlands Associates Settlement (MID Eminent Domain) Stanislaus County $0.00
--accept a perpetual conservation easement over 44± acres of natural and managed wetlands, upland
habitats, and riparian areas on 12 privately-owned parcels in western Stanislaus County as part of a Settlement Agreement related to the Modesto Irrigation District’s Westley to Rosemore Transmission Line Project. WCB 2/25/2015


East Sacramento County Blue Oak Legacy Area, Expansion 3 (Graves) $810,000
--grant to the Sacramento Valley Conservancy to acquire 100± acres approximately six miles south of the city of Folsom and three miles north of the community of Rancho Murrieta. WCB 2/25/2015
San Joaquin River Parkway, Jenco Farms , Fresno County, $911,400
--acquisition of 23± acres, WCB 2/25/2015


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CENTRAL COAST:

Burton Mesa Ecological Reserve, SLC Lease Amendment, Santa Barbara County, $0.00
-- adding 175± acres of land currently under the jurisdiction of the California State Lands Commission. WCB 2/25/2015


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LOS ANGELES COUNTY:

Liberty Canyon Wildlife Crossing, Los Angeles County $650,000
--grant to the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains for a cooperative project with Caltrans, Los Angeles County, a private landowner, and the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority to enhance an existing undercrossing to allow wildlife to cross Highway
101, located approximately nine miles east of Thousand Oaks in Los Angeles County.
WCB 11/20/2014

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SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA:

Western Riverside - Monte Cristo, $60,800
--acquire 21± acres of land near the community of Murrieta. WCB 11/20/2014

Western Riverside - Oldar, $95,000
--acquire 157± acres of land near the community of Temecula. WCB 11/20/2014

Western Riverside, Evandel – Wilson, $146,200
--acquire 80± acres of land near the community of Murrieta. WCB 2/25/2015


Western Riverside, Evandel – Bergstein, $218,565
--acquire 108± acres near the community of Murrieta. WCB 2/25/2015

Metcalf Meadow, Recovery Land Acquisition Grant (2013), San Bernardino County $570,000
--grant to the San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust to acquire14± acres located within the city of Big Bear. WCB 11/20/2014

Puma Canyon, Expansion 5 (Saylor) San Bernardino County $44,000
--grant to Transition Habitat Conservancy to acquire six± acres of land, to conserve lower montane chaparral and woodland habitat for the benefit of deer, mountain lion and other wildlife species, located in Puma Canyon on the lower northern slopes of the San Bernardino Mountains, near the community of Pinon Hills in San Bernardino County. WCB 2/25/2015


County of San Diego (PWRG) San Diego County, $227,090
--grant to the Endangered Habitat Conservancy (EHC) to acquire fee title to 79± acres and then transfer the property to the State CDFW, located near El Cajon. WCB 2/25/2015


County of San Diego, $1,625,295
--grant to the Endangered Habitats Conservancy to acquire a total of 634± acres from three separate landowners near the city of El Cajon.WCB 2/25/2015


City of Carlsbad (Cielo del Norte, Phase ll) San Diego County, $10,000
--grant to The Escondido Creek Conservancy to acquire fee title to 242+/- acres of land
for the protection of California gnatcatcher habitat in San Diego County. WCB 2/25/2015

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

WCB 8/2012: State to buy more wildlife habitat August 30th...


Almost 15,000 acres will be Saved from Development across the state with our Tax Dollars this month

SUMMARY:

4337 ACRES FULL(FEE) OWNERSHIP
10,466 ACRES IN DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS (CONSERVATION EASEMENTS)

NOTICE OF MEETING
WILDLIFE CONSERVATION BOARD
August 30, 2012
10:00 AM 1/ State Capitol, Room 112
Sacramento, California 95814

FULL PRELIMINARY AGENDA:

Lower Yuba River – Excelsior – Phase II, $549,600 (Black Swan Ranch) Nevada County
acquisition in fee of 108± acres


Thomas North, Contra Costa County, $393,755, to acquire 135± acres


Allensworth Ecological Reserve, Salo, Expansion 27,  $17,500, Tulare County, 10 acres in fee title


Millard Canyon $480,200, Los Angeles County
a grant to Arroyos and Foothills Conservancy (AFC) to acquire 13± acres


Santa Rosa Mountains (Desert Ranch II) $5,000, Expansion 17, Riverside County, acquire 763± acres


Jacumba Peak (Change of Scope) $0.00 San Diego County, acquire 1,081± acres
San Diego River (Walker) $94,000, San Diego County, acquire in fee 107± acres


Daugherty Hill Wildlife Area, Expansion 13, $2,740,000, Yuba County, acquisition in fee of 679± acres


Yuba Highlands Conservation Easement – Phase II, $1,104,000, Yuba County, over 1,620± acres
Conaway Ranch Conservation Easement $7,835,000, Yolo County, totaling 6,224± acres


Campstool Ranch $2,761,055.00 Calaveras County
a grant to the Pacific Forest Trust to acquire a conservation easement over 2,175± acres of mixed conifer forest, oak woodlands and wildlife habitat corridors, located near the town of Railroad Flat in Calaveras County. DECISION POSTPONED TO 11/2012 MEETING


Oak Woodlands Conservation Easement (Barboni) $610,000, over 447± acres, Marin County


Ocean Meadows $910,000, Santa Barbara County, acquire in fee 63± acres of coastal wetland and watershed habitat between the upper and lower reaches of Devereux Slough in Goleta Valley


Santa Clara River Watershed (Teyton) $1.01 million, Ventura County, acquire fee title on 34± acres

Indio Trails, $1.01 million, Riverside County, acquire in fee 495± acres


Carlsbad/Northwest San Diego County $4,629,750 (Cielo del Norte) acquire in fee 240± acres


Sycuan Tribal – Sloan Canyon $1,165,000, San Diego County
grant to the Kumeyaay-Diegueño Land Conservancy to acquire in fee 609± acres

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

More New Parks to Explore....

On the Central Coast:

IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY:

107 acre Castle Rock—Sempervirens fund
http://www.sempervirens.org/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sempervirens-Fund/140155342671005?v=wall
http://www.sempervirens.org/hike.php#featuredhike

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535 acres in Little Basin transferred to State ownership
http://www.sempervirens.org/news.php
http://uccr.org/LittleBasin.htm

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MONTEREY COUNTY:

317 acres bought by Big Sur LT—Whisler-Wilson ranch
http://www.bigsurlandtrust.org/news/show/17-big-sur-land-trust-acquires-historic-whisler-wilson-ranch-for-public-benefit-and-wildlife-values

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SRL gives 60 acres to USFS
http://www.savetheredwoods.org/newsroom/news_detail.php?id=115

http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c4/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gDfxMDT8MwRydLA1cj72DTUE8TAwjQL8h2VAQAMtzFUw!!/?ss=110507&navtype=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&cid=STELPRDB5213688&navid=091000000000000&position=Feature*&ttype=detailfull&pname=Los%20Padres%20National%20Forest-%20Home

http://www.savetheredwoods.org/protecting/acquisitions_current.shtml

http://www.savetheredwoods.org/protecting/acquisitions_current.shtml#padres

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Big Sur Land Trust buys 3 acres and 10 acre conservation easement
http://www.bigsurlandtrust.org/news/show/8-big-sur-land-trust-acquires-and-protects-carmel-river-lands-secures-critical-link-in-carmel-river-parkway

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Wilderness LT buys 160 acres in Ventana Wilderness
http://www.wildernesslandtrust.org/news/2007/ca-ventana.html

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IN SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY

189 acre O’Connor ranch conservation easement, near the city of SLO in the Morros (Cerro Romualdo)
http://www.lcslo.org/o_connor_ranch_project.html

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IN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY

633 acre conservation easement at Lyons ranch (Los Flores Hunt Property)
http://www.sblandtrust.org/ageasements.html
http://www.sblandtrust.org/ageasements.html#Los%20Flores
----------------------------

69 acres in Sierra Madre Mts—
The Trust with the help of The Land Trust for Santa Barbara County purchased the land for transfer to the U.S. Forest Service and to create the future opportunity to add Cox Canyon to the San Rafael Wilderness.
http://www.wildernesslandtrust.org/top_priorities.html
http://www.wildernesslandtrust.org/news/acres_protected_in_the_los_padres_national_forest/

Friday, May 20, 2011

SCC 3/2011 to 5/2011: Coastal Land buys by the State this spring

Our taxes funded purchase of 2970 acres this spring on our coastline

From the agendas of the State's Coastal Conservancy:

http://scc.ca.gov/2011/05/06/coastal-conservancy-public-meeting-may-19th-2011/

http://scc.ca.gov/2011/03/04/coastal-conservancy-public-meeting-march-17-2011/

3/17/2011--Consideration and possible Conservancy authorization to disburse up to $706,000 to the City of Laguna Beach, Orange County, for acquisition of the 7.8-acre Domanskis property adjacent to the Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park for open space, public access, and habitat preservation.

3/17/2011--Consideration and possible Conservancy authorization to disburse up to $240,000 to Save the Redwoods League to complete the acquisition of a 500 acre property commonly known as the “Raiche-McCrory Property” and add it to the Area of Critical Ecological Concern managed by the federal Bureau of Land Management within the area known as “The Cedars” in western Sonoma County.

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5/19/2011--Consideration and possible Conservancy authorization to disburse up to $1,445,000 to the City of Santee to acquire 105 acres and design a trail on the Walker Property along the San Diego River, San Diego County, for the purpose of protecting and restoring habitat and providing compatible public access.

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5/19/2011--Consideration and possible Conservancy authorization to disburse up to $3,000,000, including $500,000 of funds from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to The Trust for Public Land for acquisition of the 63-acre Ocean Meadows property in Devereux Slough, Santa Barbara County.

5/19/2011--Consideration and possible Conservancy authorization to disburse up to $3,100,000 to the Solano Land Trust toward acquisition of approximately 1,500 acres of the Rockville Trails Estates property, and preparation of a property management plan.
----------------------------


5/19/2011--Consideration and possible Conservancy authorization to disburse up to $1,000,000 to the East Bay Regional Park District for the acquisition of approximately 540 acres of the 955-acre Owen property in order to expand the Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park in Alameda County.

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5/19/2011--Consideration and possible Conservancy authorization to disburse up to $750,000 to LandPaths to acquire a remainder interest in the 120-acre Ranchero Mark West property in Sonoma County for the protection of natural resources, public access, and education.

5/19/2011--Consideration and possible Conservancy authorization to disburse up to $500,000 to the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District to acquire the 97-acre Silva property for addition to the Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve near the town of La Honda in unincorporated San Mateo County.

5/19/2011--Consideration and possible Conservancy authorization to disburse up to $315,000 to the Northcoast Regional Land Trust to acquire an approximately 36 acre parcel at the confluence of Martin Slough and Swain Slough in the Elk River watershed in Humboldt County to facilitate the future restoration and enhancement of wetlands, water quality, and fish and wildlife habitat on a portion of the property, and the preservation and enhancement of coastal agriculture on the remaining area.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

463 Acres are saved on on Santa Barbara Coast and inland...

Santa Barbara County Land Trust--
Land Action Lowdown
September 2010

The Hibbits family will protect the scenic and agricultural value of their land through a voluntary conservation agreement with the Land Trust.--395 acre conservation easement

The Hibbits Ranch is the largest single land holding within a block of scenic and highly productive farmland framed by the City of Lompoc, the Santa Ynez River and Santa Rosa Hills, and La Purisima Mission State Park.
The Land Trust was recently granted funds for a conservation easement on the Hibbits Ranch by the USDA Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program. A matching grant is pending from the California Farmland Conservancy Program and the Land Trust will need to raise an additional $150,000 in local funds to complete the transaction. More Hibbits Ranch information is located on our website:
http://www.sblandtrust.org/hibbitsranch.html

---------------------------------------

UC Santa Barbara and the Land Trust recently announced that a 68-acre tract of coastal university property known as the South Parcel has been permanently set aside as open space under a conservation easement agreement 

Plans for the South Parcel open space include restoration of native wetland and riparian grassland, coastal scrub habitat, and improved public trails.
"What was a dream of protecting and restoring the Ellwood-Devereux Coast is now becoming a reality," said Michael Feeney in a press statement. "Many people worked hard for many years –– our community should be proud and thankful." Visit our website for details about the project:
http://www.sblandtrust.org/southparcel.html

In 2007, the California Coastal Commission directed UCSB to permanently restrict development on the South Parcel if it planned to build more faculty housing nearby. As a result, the Land Trust and the university negotiated a conservation easement allowing only developments with public benefit, improved walking trails, interpretative signage, and an amphitheatre for outdoor education, as well as ecological improvements. This conservation agreement was permanently put into place in the spring of 2010. 

Because the South Parcel property is a portion of land bordered by the Ocean Meadows Golf Course, Coal Oil Point Reserve, Devereux Slough, and Ellwood Mesa, it serves as a local conservation keystone, connecting various open space areas under different ownership and jurisdictions. By linking all of these properties, protection of the South Parcel will create a continuous open space totaling over 650 acres.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Santa Barbara Voters reject oil drilling on coast

ELECTION COMMENTS: THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN!

6/9/2010--The election results of Tuesday night were particularly gratifying for EDC.

First, and foremost, we salute the citizens of Carpinteria for an overwhelming 70% denial of Measure J, a proposed end-run around the City Council for Venoco's Paredon project. All of the legal and procedural protections we depend on to assure environmental protection would be of little value if oil companies can simply purchase an exemption at the ballot box.

http://www.environmentaldefensecenter.org/

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

SCC 9/2009 to 5/2010: Coastal land buys

May 2010 Purchases by Coastal Conservancy Will Save 1428 Acres in Santa Cruz, Del Norte, Humboldt and Marin Counties

Meeting date: Thursday, May 27, 2010

3.9 acres—Santa Cruz County--Consideration and possible Conservancy authorization to augment the Conservancy’s November 6, 2008 authorization to the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County to include an additional acquisition parcel and restoration planning for Watsonville Slough, Santa Cruz County.


160 Acres—Del Norte County--Consideration and possible Conservancy authorization to disburse up to $70,000 to the Northcoast Regional Land Trust to conduct pre-acquisition planning for a conservation easement on the 160-acre Wetherell Dairy in Fort Dick, Del Norte County


fee title to the 40-acre Senestraro property in Eureka, Humboldt County,


Consideration and possible Conservancy authorization to disburse up to $1,000,000 to the Marin Agricultural Land Trust to acquire an agricultural conservation easement over the 1214-acre J. Corda Ranch five miles west of Novato, Marin County.

------------------------------------------

Why No Posts on this since 12/2008?

Due to the State’s budget crisis, virtually no land was purchased by the Coastal Conservancy in 2009 and early 2010.
There were no land purchases at the 2/4/10, 12/3/09. 10/29/09, 6/4/09, 4/2/09, or 2/26/09 meetings

Here are the two that occurred in 2009:

Meeting date: Thursday, September 24, 2009

Consideration and possible Conservancy modification of the prior Conservancy authorization to disburse up to $5,500,000 to the City of Rancho Palos Verdes to acquire 160.5 acres of the Upper Filiorum Property to help implement the City’s Natural Communities Conservation Plan, Los Angeles County.


Consideration and possible Conservancy authorization to accept $5.85 million from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States Department of Commerce and disburse up to $13.85 million towards the acquisition of interests in the 5,630 acre Jenner Headlands property in western Sonoma County.
http://www.scc.ca.gov/webmaster/ftp/pdf/sccbb/0909bb/20090924Board06_Jenner_Headlands.pdf


------------------------------------

Here are two that occurred in the April 1, 2010 meeting:

http://www.scc.ca.gov/webmaster/ftp/pdf/sccbb/1004bb/index.htm


Consideration and possible Conservancy authorization to disburse  up to $1.2 million from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States Department of Commerce and $1,136,000 to the County of Santa Barbara for the acquisition of the Paradise Beach property, Point Sal, northern Santa Barbara County.

Consideration and possible Conservancy authorization to disburse up to $1,000,000 to the Muir Heritage Land Trust for: 1) the acquisition of the approximately 483-acre Franklin Canyon property, Contra Costa County, for open space, public access, watershed protection, wildlife and habitat protection, and limited agricultural use; and 2)  planning and resource assessment activities necessary to protect the property.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

both sprawl and oil drilling make quite a mess...

Enviro deal-cutters get a lot of heat


2-4-2010--(This comes from a blog written by Gary Patton, who has been an attorney for the Planning and Conservation League, and represented them when they cut a deal with the Tejon Ranch developer.) Here, he debates the attorney for the Santa Barbara-based Environmental Defense Center, which cut a deal over oil drilling. As I've posted before, both deals have upset a lot of people and have caused quite a backlash.


http://www.gapatton.net/2010/02/35-exchange-of-correspondence.html

-----------------------------
This is the comment I posted:

Gary,

this is like the pot calling the kettle black. The deal you cut for Tejon Ranch was shrouded in secrecy too. As a longtime Sierra Club member and 5 year executive committee member at the Angeles chapter, many of us were sandbagged by the leadership's sudden announcement of the "deal", which was then "ratified" in an unpublicized vote shoved in front of the ex-com with no notice to the grassroots and no opponents present. The PCL and NRDC and EHL and Audoubon didn't broadcast this deal to their members either before signing on the line.

In comparison to the Tranquilon Ridge deal, the Tejon project will encourage the merging of the L.A and Bakersfield sprawl--a pretty scary outcome. I understand you think this is the best deal you could make. But sometimes, it's better to walk away from a crummy deal than forever tar your organization's reputation among the grassroots activists. Of course, if your organization doesn't care about the grassroots, and chases the corporate contributions, and is well-known for cutting deals with developers and polluters like NRDC and EHL and Audubon, then maybe this loss of reputation does not matter to you. Since the deal was signed, your group's names have figured prominently in Tejon Ranch's TV ads. I've seen it so many times before: when you work with the other side, their propagandists will make use of your good standing with the public everywhere they can.

I am not writing this to support the Tranquilon ridge deal. I don't support it. But I at least understand why they cut it, as this is right in their backyard and they have worked and fought over this issue for many years. On the other hand, the groups who sold out to Tejon Ranch have very little history of fighting this development, are not based anywhere near the project and have enraged all the local groups who have to live with its impacts. When corporate enviro groups walk into local battles and cut a deal and leave, they may not collect money directly from the developer, but I'll bet the big corporate donations pour in from other enviro-wreckers who want that group's support or wink-wink "non-opposition" for their latest project. It's a slippery slope the Tejon-friendly groups are on. Now that grassroots folks know who they play ball with, we'll never give them another dime.

I respect some of the work PCL has done in the past. But you made your bed this time.

Rex Frankel, editor, Rare Earth News

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Los Padres Forestwatch Honored...

-
A Tough Fighter for Central Coast National Forests


JUDGE REQUIRES INCREASED PROTECTION FOR ENDANGERED WILDLIFE ON LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST

Lawsuit Filed by Coalition of Conservation Organizations, Including ForestWatch

http://www.lpfw.org/news/0906forestplan.htm

6/8/2009--In a landmark decision, a federal judge today ruled that two federal wildlife agencies and the U.S. Forest Service violated the Endangered Species Act by approving plans for four national forests without adequately addressing impacts to endangered plants and animals. The judge’s order http://www.lpfw.org/docs/ForestPlan/20090608Opinion.pdf affects the Los Padres National Forest and three other forests in southern California that together comprise more than 3.5 million acres of wildlife habitat...

----------------------------------------------------------

excerpted from
http://www.lpfw.org/docs/Newsletters/2009_01Spring.pdf

ForestWatch Recognized for Top Achievement

Our legal victory last year protected fragile burn areas on Alamo Mountain and Grade Valley from a commercial logging operation, and now it’s being hailed as one of the top five environmental achievements in southern California. The 5th Annual Top Achievements of the Environmental Community in Southern California report (from http://Environmentnow.org or see http://environmentnow.org/pdf/Environment-Now-5th-Annual-Top-Achievements-of-the-Environmental-Community-in-Southern-Californa.pdf) recognizes ForestWatch for setting an important legal precedent that extends to national forests throughout the state and the West, fundamentally changing how the Forest Service responds to the post-fire landscape...

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

State Lands Commission rejects more Santa Barbara coast oil drilling...

-
Thumbs down again for PXP Santa Barbara Oil Plan


excerpted from:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-oil-drilling2-2009jun02,0,2849193.story

6/2/2009 --The State Lands Commission on Monday lashed out at an attempt by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to allow the first new oil drilling in California waters since 1969.

Lt. Gov. John Garamendi, chairman of the three-member panel, called the governor's effort "a naked power grab." At a contentious hearing in Santa Monica, the commission passed a resolution urging legislators not to go along with the plan, which would revive a drilling proposal off the Santa Barbara County coast that the commission killed in January.

At issue is a complex arrangement crafted by Plains Exploration & Production, a Texas oil company, and a coalition of Santa Barbara environmental groups. Under the plan, the oil company would drill into the state's seafloor from a platform it owns in federal waters, just beyond the three-mile limit. In return, the company would agree to shut down that platform and three others by 2022 and to donate 4,000 acres of land for public use....

Even the environmentalists behind the Tranquillon Ridge compromise criticized the governor's eagerness to get it done. Linda Krop, an attorney for the Environmental Defense Center, told the panel her group has "grave concerns" about the precedent that would be set in bypassing the commission.

In January, the commission concluded that it would be impossible to enforce the part of the deal that would require the oil company to end its drilling. Some environmentalists and legislators also feared it would encourage U.S. officials to allow further drilling in federal waters off California.

But the plan can be modified, Krop said, and it should be the Lands Commission that reconsiders it....
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more on this story:
http://rare-earth-news.blogspot.com/2009/01/states-lands-commission-rejects-deal-to.html

"Even the land donation was in question. Company lawyers told Lands Commission staff that some of the parcels had title problems that made their transfer uncertain."

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Santa Barbara's Environmental Defense Center--Earth Day Report

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What the Central Coast's Environmental Defense Center Does

http://edcnet.org

We are thankful for the opportunity to represent the public, and for the opportunity to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. We are thankful for the variety of important issues that we get to tackle. Here is just a sampling of what EDC is working on now:

* Addressing the causes & effects of climate change at local, state & federal levels
* The Mission Creek steelhead restoration and flood control projects
* Preserving open spaces & agriculture on the Gaviota Coast & at Naples
* Enhancing marine reserves in & around the Santa Barbara Channel
* Protecting Ormond Beach in Oxnard
* Recovering steelhead in the Santa Ynez River
* Working to end oil & gas development on & offshore Santa Barbara County
* Developing agricultural discharge regulations
* Reporting on the causes & effects of ocean acidification
* Commenting on the scoping plan for the Bacara Resort & Spa expansion project
* Finding solutions to protect Goleta Beach
* Creating policies to protect agriculture from suburban sprawl

Friday, April 10, 2009

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Court Battle is soon over Santa Barbara Coastal Oil Drilling

Paredon Goes to Court on April 21

http://edcnet.org/

from EDC 4/6/2009--For the past three years, the Environmental Defense Center, Carpinteria Valley Association, Citizens for the Carpinteria Bluffs, Get Oil Out! and the Sierra Club Los Padres Chapter, along with hundreds of Carpinteria residents, have participated in the City of Carpinteria's review of the proposed Venoco oil drilling project known as "Paredon."

On February 2, 2009, Venoco, Inc. notified the City of Carpinteria that the company intended to circulate an initiative petition regarding the proposed Paredon oil drilling project. Although it pretends otherwise, Venoco's initiative would completely circumvent the City's normal public planning and environmental review processes, and would deny the community access to critical information. It would discourage informed public dialogue and community engagement, vital and necessary components of any planning process. In addition, the oil company has drafted an initiative that violates the California Constitution and a host of other state laws. The City is charged with upholding the law and preserving the public welfare, and Carpinteria officials acted responsibly when they requested a judicial ruling on the legality and appropriateness of Venoco's oil drilling initiative.

The Carpinteria City Attorney's complaint lists six causes of action against Venoco, including charges that the initiative contains provisions that are unconstitutional and illegal under state law. For example, voter initiatives may only propose legislative, or law-making, acts; administrative acts, such as issuing development permits, may not be proposed by voter initiative. The complaint further describes how the initiative is inconsistent with Carpinteria's General Plan, how the initiative is "unconstitutionally vague, misleading and contains false statements," how it conflicts with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and how it would "impair essential government functions" of the City of Carpinteria.

None of the City's claims impedes or disparages public involvement or community decision-making; the City is actually working to protect these citizen's rights. The City's case will is currently scheduled to be heard in Superior Court on April 21 (date may be subject to change: stay tuned).

EDC and our clients support the City of Carpinteria in its efforts to preserve the public planning process.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

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Two Big Fights over Development on Gaviota Coastline in Santa Barbara


Goleta

The Haskell's Landing development site is next to the Sperling Ellwood Mesa Preserve and is a very important open space for Goleta.

http://www.noozhawk.com/local_news/article/1209_goleta_planning_commission/

2/10/2009--Planning Commission deadlocked at 2-2 vote, sends matter to City Council : Haskell’s Landing is a 100-unit project proposed just north of Sandpiper Golf Course, south of Highway 101 and the Union Pacific Railroad tracks. It is the latest incarnation of a series of proposals for residential projects in that roughly 14.5-acre lot, the most recent of which was Residences at Sandpiper, which was the subject of a fierce legal battle between the applicant and Goleta’s charter City Council.

...Opinions were about evenly divided among the public in the hearing room. Environmentalists urged the commission to keep the current 100-foot creek buffer zone rule, while other community members argued that the work the developer proposes to do would improve the creek over and above its current state.

for documents on project:

http://www.cityofgoleta.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=2324

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COUNTY REJECTS SANTA BARBARA RANCH PROJECT MOU REVISIONS

excerpted from:
http://www.edcnet.org/ProgramsPages/PressReleases/030409.pdf

Santa Barbara, CA – On March 3, 2009, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors revisited a controversial proposal to develop more than 70 estates at Naples on the Gaviota Coast; by voting to reject an amendment to the Santa Barbara Ranch project Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the Board sent a clear signal that 2008 project approvals may not be set in stone.

The March 3 hearing was scheduled to address Brown Act violations alleged to have occurred in an October 2008 closed session decision. In October, the Board had voted in closed session to amend a 2002 MOU between the County and the Santa Barbara Ranch project applicants. The MOU amendment allowed for sequenced processing of the project’s inland and coastal portions, and the amended MOU was referenced extensively in the Board’s later approval of the Santa Barbara Ranch project. The Environmental Defense Center (EDC), Surfrider Foundation and the Naples Coalition argued, at the time, that the closed session decision was a clear violation of the state’s Brown Act open government laws.

In February 2009, the new Board of Supervisors accepted culpability for the October action and voted to cure the alleged Brown Act violations. A legal effect of this decision was to rescind the 2008 amendment to the Santa Barbara Ranch MOU. The Board then scheduled a re-hearing for March 3 on whether to adopt the proposed amendment in an open public session.

The MOU amendment would have allowed development on Santa Barbara and the adjoining Dos Pueblos Ranches north of Highway 101 to proceed before final approvals for the entire project had been granted by the California Coastal Commission. After considering the many reasons why it is important to keep the proposed project whole, the Board voted 3-1-1 to reject the MOU amendment. The motion to reject the MOU revisions was made by 3rd District Supervisor Doreen Farr; 4th District Supervisor Joni Gray abstained from the vote. According to County Counsel, the pre-amended 2002 MOU governing Santa Barbara Ranch is now in effect

The Board’s actions have triggered several reactions from the Santa Barbara Ranch applicants, including an initial decision to terminate the MOU entirely and to reject approvals for
development south of Highway 101. According to the applicant, this would result in more intense development on the coastal bluff. Meanwhile, the applicant intends to barrel ahead with development of the inland project. On March 3, however, County Counsel indicated that these reactions are not permissible. EDC, Surfrider and the Naples Coalition have pointed out that all of the project approvals were contingent on a purported “global resolution” of the land use issues at Naples. If the applicants follow through with their threats, it will unravel any resolution that has been achieved to date.....
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Wind farm project moves forward in Santa Barbara County


http://www.ksby.com/Global/story.asp?S=9830745


2/11/2009--A groundbreaking wind farm project is approved in Santa Barbara County, but the controversy surrounding it is just beginning.

With a vote of 4-0, the county Board of Supervisors approved to move forward with a wind turbine project. It would include up to 65 wind turbine generators.

This is the first "green" and renewable power generating facility in the county's history. The project, proposed by Acciona Wind Energy USA, can provide electricity to as many as 40,000 homes.

George Bedford lives on a 425-acre property on San Miguelito Canyon in Lompoc, a quiet countryside ranch he has owned since the early 1990s. But his view may soon change.
The wind farm will stretch over about 3,000 acres near Vandenberg Air Force Base and surround Bedford's ranch.

…Fish and Game also filed an appeal, but withdrew it. An agreement with Acciona gave Fish and Game some protected property and $50,000.

Friday, February 27, 2009

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Tax $$ Fund the Permanent Preservation of 2700 Acres of Oak Trees in Santa Barbara Co.



A conservation easement funded with $4.1 million of State funds has been acquired on the Midland School site north of Solvang in Santa Barbara County. The easement means no development can occur on 2,727 acres of the 2,860-acre property

to read the full story:
http://www.midland-school.org/Conservation.Easement.final.pdf


from February 2009 newsletter from http://californiaoaks.org

Nearly 2,800 acres of largely oak woodlands in the San Rafael Wilderness Area foothills will be protected permanently with the finalization of a conservation easement on the Midland School property, Santa Ynez Valley. The Trust for Public Land, Land Trust for Santa Barbara County and Midland have been seeking state grants and local donations to establish an enduring conservation strategy for the school property. Midland School is a coeducational, college preparatory boarding school for grades 9-12 which combines rigorous academics with intensive immersion in the environment. "Placing a conservation easement on Midland's property is consistent with the original precepts on which the school was founded back in 1932, including environmental protection and education," said Nick Alexander, President of the Midland Board of Trustees." At Midland, we teach our students the value of scholarship, self-reliance, simplicity and environmental stewardship, all of which instill a sense of responsibility to self, to others, and to our world," he added. The conservation easement was purchased with contributions from the Wildlife Conservation Board’s Oak Woodland Conservation Fund and the California Transportation Commission's Environmental Enhancement and Mitigation Program (EEMP). Approximately 80 percent of the land being preserved through the conservation easement are blue, coast live and valley oak woodlands. The EEMP funds were approved to help mitigate oak removals that occurred when the Highway 101/154 Interchange was constructed in 2000.

Saturday, January 31, 2009

State's Lands Commission Rejects Deal to Allow More Offshore Oil Drilling In Santa Barbara

--Deal required company to give away 4000 acres for parkland to the Trust for Public Land and commit to a 13 year limit on the operation of the wells, and was endorsed by a large coalition of environmental groups

--Those who opposed the deal said there was no real guarantee that the 13 year limit could be enforced

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-drill31-2009jan31,0,6019074.story

Why the Santa Barbara oil deal collapsed: A lack of disclosure by the company and environmentalists helped lead a state panel to kill the offshore drilling deal. ...What's more, there was no way to guarantee that the drilling platforms would be closed in 2022 as promised. The platforms are in federal waters, and the U.S. government has a strong interest in ensuring that drilling continues. The state has no power to force the feds to give up their oil leases; the federal government could force Plains Exploration to keep drilling. Even the land donation was in question. Company lawyers told Lands Commission staff that some of the parcels had title problems that made their transfer uncertain.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-santa-barbara-oil30-2009jan30,0,4266773.story?page=2
This month, 12 legislators representing coastal districts came out against the plan, including Nava, a Democrat who is a former member of the Coastal Commission. "I'm concerned about the likelihood it would create a precedent that would be difficult to combat," he said. In a letter to Garamendi, Nava and the others said the plan "could create the perception that offshore drilling is now acceptable and safe."

For maps of the proposal:
http://edcnet.org/ProgramsPages/TR_Maps.pdf

http://edcnet.org/ProgramsPages/TR_Final%20Press%20Release%20Packet%201-27-09.pdf
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Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors Revisit Naples/Gaviota Coast Decision from Lame Duck Board

1/31/2009 from the Gaviota Coast Conservancy
http://gaviotacoastconservancy.org/

Supervisors agree to "cure" their Brown Act violation regarding their amendment to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) governing the processing of the Naples Development.
The Brown Act simply states that, with the exception of several narrow circumstances, the community's business must be conducted in public.
On October 7, 2008, the County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 in closed session to amend the MOU governing the Naples development on the Gaviota Coast. This amendment to the MOU enabled the developer to split the project between coastal and non-coastal portions.
The Naples Coalition and Environmental Defense Center petitioned the new Board of Supervisors to recognize their error and allow the public to participate in the debate on this issue. Hearing the issues of the amendment in public is a fundamental democratic right that the "Firestone Board" overrode.
The new Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 in closed session January 27, 2009 to publicly reconsider their amendment to the MOU adopted in the closed door session of October 7, 2008. This controversial amendment would have allowed the Naples development to be split into two parts and developed separately.
The new Board's decision is a very welcome first step in unraveling the "Naples mistake" of last year. This is a chance to keep the Naples project as a whole before the Coastal Commission.
For more information, contact Janet Koed at
(805) 683-6631

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E-Mail the editor:

rexfrankel at yahoo.com

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