Take Action, Help us Protect California Open Spaces, State Parks, Coastal Areas & Beaches
Sometimes we need to help preserve our natural places...so
below, a few quick and easy action items. Please also pass this on to anyone interested. Thanks!
** Take Action before March 13th,
2013 **
The Toll Roads attempting to construct the 241 toward San Onofre State Beach a few miles at a time
-- this segment destroys a watershed & foothill habitats. Please read more at the link below and sign the petition
before the 3/13 meeting. Thanks! http://action.surfrider.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=7351
For background info about the toll road issue see "Save Trestles" at
the bottom of this page.
Grizzly Bear National Monument Designation
of the Santa Ana Mountains & Cleveland National Forest as the Grizzly Bear National Monument. How to help here,
also looking to build the list of supporters--send an email to be added, see bottom of the page: http://www.santaanamountains.org/vision.html
Save Gaviota Coast! 76 miles of undeveloped
scenic California coastline in Santa Barbara County...for now. Gaviota Coast includes three California State Parks.
Take a photo tour, learn more about the issue and sign a petition, click below: http://www.caopenspace.org/gaviotacoast.html
** Take Action by Next Mon. Feb
25th, 2013 **
Help stop the
“Vegetation Management” plan by the state to massively treat our wildlands—the proposed plan is vague, does
not outline exactly what work will occur where and how and could lead to further development of our natural areas, threaten
native plants/wildlife and pollute air and our watersheds all without any further public review or input.
The treatment proposal includes all vegetation types: forest, chaparral, sage scrub, etc. Help convince the state to dump this plan and perhaps develop better plans to fit each area & vegetation type
and local needs without cutting out the public’s voice instead of the "one plan fits all" proposal we
are petitioning against. Thanks!
Petition by The California Chaparral Institute: Stop Plan to Target 38 Million Acres of Habitat in California
for Clearance “…calling on the California Board of Forestry to retract its proposed habitat clearance program
that targets 1/3 of the state of California with herbicides, grinding machines, and unnatural fire…”
Read
more about this issue and sign the petition at the link below:
Save Palomar Mountain State Park Another one of 70 state parks scheduled to close in 2012 due to California State budget crisis. This park was not
scheduled to close until July 2012 but recently all campgrounds were suddenly closed for good--over 180 reservations
were cancelled as a result. The campground has reopened, click here for reservations -- donations and higher attendance could help save this park from permanent closure :)
Save Picacho State Recreation Area Another one of 70 parks on the budget
cut closure list. Show your support and "Like" Save Picacho on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/savepicachostaterecreationarea (just to "like" a page alone helps by showing support of our state
parks, please read thru their page to find out the latest news and how to help)
Prove the economic value of State Parks!
A study was released estimating each state parks visitor spends about $58 in its local
area.When you camp or visit a state park, if you spend any money in it's surrounding community save
your receipts, total them up and send that information to all the elected officials and to California State Parks. Real
numbers from real people. This summer my camp group's receipts (5 days at McGrath,
4 campsites of people) added up to a little over $1200.00 we spent in the local community--we sent all the details of this
to all the officials (city, county, state & state parks). Real proof State Parks are good for business and not a
wise budget decision to close them down!
REAL NUMBERS
FROM REAL PEOPLE: You may be familiar with the
studies showing the economic worth of State Parks, the avg amount spent locally per parks visitor. When I visit
a State Park and spend any $$ in the parks local area I write that City, County, my state reps and I give exact numbers and
sometimes mail copies of my receipts. I tell them about my visit to the park and what I like about other attractions
in their city (examples: other parks/beaches, natural preservations, restaurants, shopping, things to see, etc). I get
a lot of great feedback from local governments. And "Real numbers from real people" backs up what all
the studies are saying. The same is true for our National Parks--here is a recent article "Economic Value of a
National Park": http://laist.com/2012/02/28/want_to_know_the_economic_value_of_a_local_national_park.php When you travel to visit a state or national park track what you spend locally and contact the elected officials as I described,
it really does help to show the travel & tourism worth of our parks. Thx!
Coe Park Preservation Fund, Henry W. Coe State Park (Coe has been granted an extra 3 years to remain opened...although encouraging many of our
saved parks still will need help)
One of 70 on the California State Parks Closure list, scheduled to close July
2012...but maybe not. Check out the link below and the photos, beautiful park! http://coeparkfund.org/ A fun way to help, visit Coe! Park info & reservations: http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=561
Latest word is Coe will remain opened for 3 more years, see http://coeparkfund.org/ for details.
Fun way to help Coe -- go there! (Higher
park attendance will help.)
12/19/08 the US Secretary of Commerce rules against the toll road. A million thanks to all who participated
to preserve OUR state park and beach. Read the story here on the NOAA's site: http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2008/20081218_tca.html
Here is an example of TCA's work...build a
toll road over the habitat of rare and endangered species and then block access to the trails around the toll road and then
blame the mountain bikers for destruction of that habitat. Don't let this be San O's future too. Read
the article here: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/trail-browne-area-2246181-signs-people
This toll road project would have caused 60% closure of San Onofre State Beach, impact water quality and sediment flow to Trestles Beach, cut through San Mateo Campground causing loss of campsites and peacefulness
of the area, destroy wildlife habitat including that of 11 endangered species and pave the way for further development of the San Mateo Creek Watershed and surrounding
foothills. San Mateo Watershed is our last natural watershed left in Southern California, stretching from the Santa
Ana Mountains/Cleveland National Forest to the ocean at San O. Further inland this toll road would cut through Donna
O'Neill Land Conservancy (a natural preserve, mitigation for the Talega development).
The Toll Roads have been failing financially for some
time now, which has been widely publicized. Now TCA is asking for a Federal bailout on their failing
roads! TCA has always claimed their roads are not financed in any way by taxpayer $$$, so this is directly against what
they have been telling the public all along. A federal bailout will hurt other badly needed transportation projects
all over the country! A waste of taxpayer $$$ for roads very few people drive--and we are supposed to give up our preserves,
campgrounds and a state beach for this? This bailout request has hit the news from coast to coast. Read about
it on latimes.com: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/traffic/la-me-tollroad17-2008oct17,0,978532.story
Save Trestles! Click this picture below:
San Mateo Camp/creek view toward Trestles. Click picture, see how it would look with a toll road.
In February 2008, California
Coastal Commission denied the proposed toll road project, The toll road company (TCA) appealed to the Federal Government for
which a public hearing was held September 22, 2008. The Feds (US Secretary of Commerce) must make a decision on the
fate of San Onofre by January 2009. Now we wait...
If you missed the September hearing I've included
videos from YouTube. Toward the end of the video at the top a young man recites his public testimony
speech for the cameras before giving his testimony to the feds. Very good.
September 21st, the night before the hearing this article runs in the Orange
County Register, written about TCA's claims that polls indicate the majority of citizens are for the toll road.
I have NEVER seen a single real survery that supports their claim. Read the article here and make sure to browse through the
reader comments, some toll road opponents have made some very good points: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/road-toll-agency-2164118-hearing-coastal
9/9/08, recent survey says the majority oppose the toll road. To
read the survey click here.
9/17/08, TCA sent out a mailer to residents claiming those who oppose
the toll road want to build it through San Clemente neighborhoods and connect to Pico!!!! NOT TRUE! We oppose all realignments
through housing or state parks! Don't believe these tactics.
New 6/14/08: Apparently TCA has had some private opportunities in the appeal process to the US Secretary of Commerce, for
which the public did not have the opportunity to be present. And Lt. Governor Garamendi is not too happy about it, so
he wrote the US Dept of Commerce a letter, read it here: http://www.ltg.ca.gov/images/toll%20road%20letter%20luxton%206-11-08.pdf
This week TCA also announced they will be
spending $35,000 a month on lobbying efforts. A federal committee has been assigned the task of coordinating an objective
evaluation of alternatives to the toll road extension which TCA has meddled in the process rendering it incapable of being
objective.
So, let's get this straight...the public
only had the opportunity to comment for 30 days. But TCA gets access to US Commerce without the public presence?
And they get the opportunity to influence the alternatives committee? And now they are spending $35K a month to lobby?
Something is wrong here!!!
Thank you Trestles supporters! The
last letter writing campaign to the US Secretary of Commerce asking to uphold the Feb 6th, 2008 California Coastal
Commission ruling disallowing the 241 Toll Road--over 25,000 letters were received by the US Commerce Dept.
May 10, 2008: Just last week a deal was made with Tejon Ranch to preserve the majority of the ranch but
the two new cities would still be developed, a total of 26,400 new homes. See LATimes article at http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-tejon8-2008may08,0,25201.story. In trade for 178,000 acres to be set aside for preservation with an option to purchase 62,000 more acres to preserve.
A 49,000 acre state park will be created and 10,000 acres will be used to realign a 37 mile stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail. More information on the preserve can be found at http://www.tejonpreserve.com/
The past campaign: The entire Tejon Pass area is a very unique
biological habitat, very well known for it's wildflowers. See our Tejon page for pictures of this area. The California desert, the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Southern California region and Central
Valley all join here, a combination of four geographic regions with a unique habitat of plants and animals found literally
no where else. And they plan to build a huge pre-planned city on the whole thing. Prevent more urban sprawl, please
take a moment to send these two letters below supporting preservation of the area instead. http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/action/alerts/index.html
Protect Southern California Rivers, send a letter to support
the California Desert and Mountain Heritage Act, campaign from Friends of the River
The Desert and Mountain Heritage Act protects nearly 210,000 acres of public lands
and rivers in Riverside County, 31 miles in the San Jacinto Mountains as Wild & Scenic Rivers and expands wilderness protection
for sensitive watersheds throughout the region, just to mention a few protections provided by this act. For more info click here.
Gorman hills will be surrounded by two new cities & may become the Gorman Post Ranch development.
To view more photos of the Gorman area see our Gorman Wildflowers page. Gorman Post Road is just on the other side of the hills from Quail Lake and the future city of
Centennial. Gorman is just South of Fort Tejon and Tejon Ranch off the I5 which is the site of future city
Tejon Mountain Village. These two new cities also call for an expansion of a nearby coal burning power plant.
It is said the City of Centennial will include houses on the wildflower field covered hilltops along Gorman Post Road.
UCLA College students proposed to make the Gorman Post Road wildflower fields into the "Gorman Wildflower Preserve".
Google search the words "Gorman Wildflower Preserve for more information.
