Save Saved Trestles and San Mateo Campground! Or did we?  Here is the latest, article on the San Diego Union-Tribune:  "Toll-road war isn’t over As San Onofre highway project regroups, foes prepare for next battle"  check out the article reader comments, add a comment supporting Save Trestles if you could please.  Thx! 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 Our state parks & beaches should not be sacrificed for development of any kind... Stop never allow the 241 Toll Road Extension through Donna O'Neill Land Conservancy, San Mateo Creek Watershed and San Mateo Campground/San Onofre State Beach 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 Is this the future of San Onofre if this toll road is built?  See this picture at: http://www.ocregister.com/photos/trail-browne-area-2246181-signs-people/pid2246193 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. Watch these websites for the latest word on the Save Trestles/Save San Onofre issue: http://www.savetrestles.org  http://www.savesanonofre.com http://taskforce.sierraclub.org/friendsofthefoothills/ http://www.savetrestles.com 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. New 4/24/08 -- Go to http://www.ocregister.com/news/should-news-extension-2024321-be-built  and Vote NO the toll road should not be built! Not familar with the toll roads no compete clause, this page explains it well: http://www.savetrestles.com/freethe5.htm Unbelievable!  This is TCA's 28 page document submitted to US Secretary of Commerce, NOAA outlining why they believe the California Coastal Commission's ruling denying the toll road construction through San Onofre should be overturned, this will give you a good idea what they are basing their appeal on:  http://www.ogc.doc.gov/czma.nsf/36C2FC1A36D07A0F8525744E007420BB/$File/TCA+Reply+Brief.pdf?OpenElement Link to a letter submitted to NOAA by State of California regarding the State's opposition to the appeal:  http://www.ogc.doc.gov/czma.nsf/8353FE94E9C27F4785257451006E93A1/$File/CCC+Opposition+to+additional+authority.pdf?OpenElement 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.  See these recent news articles regarding the upcoming hearing and add your comments, email or write letters to the editors and reporters so they know all the real facts: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/road-toll-rep-2077485-agency-commerce http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-tollroad26-2008jun26,0,3734418.story 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. Read more at:  http://www.surfrider.org/savetrestles/blog/2008/06/lt-gov-garamendi-questions-toll-road.html 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!!! Just in 6/5/08: 27 members of Congress and 35 members of California State Legislature signed letters to US Secretary of Commerce to uphold the California Coastal Commission ruling.  Read them at Surfriders website here: http://www.surfrider.org/savetrestles/files/CA%20Delegation%20to%20Commerce.pdf http://www.surfrider.org/savetrestles/files/CA%20Leg%20letter%20to%20dept%20of%20commerce.pdf Seems those Toll Roads aren't doing so good $$$, read it here: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-tollroad25-2008may25,0,850826.story 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. In the news, see LA Times Article "Army engineers criticize toll agency" http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-tollroad15apr15,1,6932249.story  More deceptive tactics by TCA once again.

Tejon Ranch, Castac Lake Tejon Ranch, future site of new city "Tejon Mountain Village". Click photo for enlarged view Preserve Tejon Ranch as a New Natural Park May 19, 2008:  The Tejon Ranch Model, Los Angeles Times Opinion article: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-chisholm19-2008may19,0,5417836.story 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 Save Tejon Ranch website's campaign to Make Tejon Ranch into a new State or National Park: http://www.savetejonranch.org/action/index.php

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.  Please send a letter supporting this act using the link below: https://secure2.convio.net/fotr/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=107