GROUP HALTS TREE TRIMMING JUDGE AGREES CUTTING OAKS TO BUILD DAM WOULD DAMAGE ENVIRONMENT.

Byline: Cecilia Chan Staff Writer

An environmental group won a court order Friday halting plans by the Ventura County Flood Control District to trim 40 oaks Monday at the proposed Lang Ranch Dam site.

Superior Court Judge Thomas Hutchins agreed with Save Lang Oaks Fund that the trees would sustain ``irreparable injury'' if their limbs were removed, and set another hearing for Feb. 8.

``Right now it's appropriate to put everything on hold,'' Hutchins said.

Ventura County flood control officials say they need to trim the trees and brush before March to prevent birds from nesting in the area while the dam is built. Construction is scheduled to begin in April.

The Deputy Public Works Director Jeff Pratt said the projects might not get started this year if the trees aren't trimmed on schedule. He also said a delay will cost an additional $24,300 if the trimming has to be expedited, with more workers on the site creating greater environmental concerns.

Alyse Lazar, the attorney for Save Lang Oaks, said group is ultimately trying to invalidate permits for the dam until the county follows California Environmental Quality Act guidelines.

Lazar wants a supplemental environmental impact report done on the project to address ``significant changes'' that have occurred since the original 1994 report, such as the discovery of the federally endangered Braunton's milkvetch. In addition, she said, independent studies have shown the site is more unstable than originally believed.

County officials contend the site is sound.

Assistant County Counsel Daniel Murphy argued the points brought up by the group were not new and its legal action was a tactic to delay the project as long as possible.