FLOWER WORRY GROWS IN SCV ENDANGERED PLANT FOCUS OF PROJECT.Byline: Eugene Tong Staff Writer CASTAIC - Environmentalists worried an endangered en·dan·ger tr.v. en·dan·gered, en·dan·ger·ing, en·dan·gers 1. To expose to harm or danger; imperil. 2. To threaten with extinction. plant would be destroyed and slammed a previous river management plan during a community meeting on the proposed 21,000-home Newhall Ranch development. ``It's absolutely unthinkable this project is being considered,'' Katherine Squires of Saugus testified Wednesday night at a meeting hosted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the state Department of Fish and Game. The session, which drew about a dozen activists and project planners to Castaic Middle School, was intended for the agencies to publicize pub·li·cize tr.v. pub·li·cized, pub·li·ciz·ing, pub·li·ciz·es To give publicity to. publicize or -cise Verb [-cizing, -cized] and gather comments on changes made to the development by The Newhall Land and Farming Company The Newhall Land and Farming Company is a land management company based in Valencia, California, United States. The company is responsible for the master community planning of Valencia, as well as the management of farm land elsewhere in the state. to preserve the rare San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. spineflower. Previous hearings were held in 2000 and 2004. ``The corps and Fish and Game will consider all the comments we get tonight,'' said Aaron O. Allen, a technical expert with the Army Corps' Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. District. Plans include a 64-acre preserve for the spineflower - tiny, white blooms once thought to be extinct before reappearing in the region in 1999. The flower was found in 2000 on Newhall Ranch property. Newhall Land proposed the preserve in 2003 to settle charges the company was systematically destroying the flower's habitat with an agave farm, and is preparing a 50-year restoration plan. Newhall Land spokeswoman Marlee Lauffer said this and other environmental concerns remain under review by state and federal regulators. ``Those issues have been brought up time and time again since Newhall Ranch started public hearings in the mid-90s, and have been thoroughly analyzed and reviewed by the public agencies,'' she said Thursday. ``We will continue to have environmental scrutiny as each village goes through the process.'' The developer is seeking a 20-year permit from the two agencies to build on property adjacent to the Santa Clara River Santa Clara River may refer to:
Allen said a draft environmental impact study would be available for public review early next year. The project's first phase of 1,400 homes north of the river could break ground in 2008-09. But environmental groups are not dropping their opposition. Ron Bottorff, chairman of the Newbury Park-based Friends of the Santa Clara River, criticized the 20-year term of the permit - once granted, it would set guidelines for riverfront riv·er·front n. The land or property along a river. development without further public review. ``It's way too long to shut out the public,'' he said. Ileene Anderson, a botanist with the California Native Plant Society The California Native Plant Society (CNPS) is a California not-for-profit organization that seeks to increase understanding of California's native flora and to preserve that flora. The CNPS was formed in 1965 in the East Bay. , said planners need to carefully consider the impacts of surrounding development on the spineflower - recognized by the state as endangered and a federal species of concern. ``Borders need to be decided by ecology, not politics,'' she said. ``I really don't understand why the 50-year term is on there. They need to be preserved in perpetuity Of endless duration; not subject to termination. The phrase in perpetuity is often used in the grant of an Easement to a utility company. in perpetuity adj. forever, as in one's right to keep the profits from the land in perpetuity. , not just 50 years.'' Connie Farmer, a consultant preparing the environmental study for Newhall Land, said the goal is to help the spineflower recover so preservation won't be needed in 50 years. ``It'll be prolific and abundant enough that it won't be necessary,'' Farmer said. Lynne Snead of Valencia targeted Newhall Land's strategy to stabilize the river banks with earth and concrete to build near the waterway waterway, natural or artificial navigable inland body of water, or system of interconnected bodies of water, used for transportation, may include a lake, river, canal, or any combination of these. . ``I can see why people want to live here, but it's all getting concreted over,'' she said. Eugene Tong, (661) 257-5253 eugene.tong(at)dailynews.com |
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