HOUSES TO EVICT RARE BIRD FEDERAL OFFICIALS SAY OK.Byline: Kathleen Sweeney and Heather MacDonald Staff Writers SANTA CLARITA Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, - The existence of an endangered songbird songbird Any oscine passerine (suborder Passere), all of which have a complex vocal organ, the syrinx. Some species (e.g., thrushes) produce melodious songs; others (e.g., crows) have a harsh voice; and some do little or no singing. See also birdsong. won't be jeopardized if acres of critical habitat are removed to build a 150-home development and a segment of Golden Valley Road, federal officials say. A U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service assessment of the area near Green Mountain Drive determined that the development would displace or kill a single coastal California Coastal California refers to the coastal regions of the US state of California. The term is not primarily geographical as it also describes an area distinguished by sociological, economical and political attributes. gnatcatcher gnatcatcher Any of about 11 species of small songbirds (genus Polioptila) often treated as a subfamily of the Old World warbler family Sylviidae. The blue-gray gnatcatcher, 4.5 in. (11 cm) long, with its long white-edged tail, looks like a tiny mockingbird. found on the property, but would not lead to the songbird's extinction. After a gnatcatcher was spotted at the site, the additional environmental study was required to assess the probable effect of the proposed development on the endangered species endangered species, any plant or animal species whose ability to survive and reproduce has been jeopardized by human activities. In 1999 the U.S. government, in accordance with the U.S. . If even a single specimen could block development, ``nothing would happen anywhere there are endangered species,'' said Rick Farris, a U.S. Fish & Wildlife senior biologist, who conducted the survey. Farris' opinion has been submitted to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is expected to issue grading permits to developer Bob Cristiano. Grading is expected to begin within a few weeks - before the gnatcatchers' breeding season Breeding season is the most suitable season usually with favorable conditions and abundant food and water when wild animals and birds (wildlife) have naturally evolved to breed to achieve the best reproductive success. . The Los Angeles County Fire Department Not to be confused with Los Angeles Fire Department. The Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD), serves unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County, as well as 58 cities and towns that choose to have the county provide fire and EMS services, including the City of La , which requires clearance of vegetation within 100 feet of some structures and 200 feet of others, will likely require additional removal of sage scrub, said Battalion Chief Jim Crawford. Coastal sage scrub Coastal sage scrub (or simply coastal scrub) is a low scrubland plant community found in the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion of coastal California and northern Baja California. is highly flammable when dry, he said. About 30 feet of the vegetation will have to be removed down to the soil and the rest thinned out. The clearance will take at least 20 acres of sage scrub that could support foraging or breeding of the gnatcatcher, Farris said in the report, and the development will attract more domestic animals that prey on birds, such as cats, to the site. Cristiano has proposed planting about 68 acres of sage scrub in an area of Riverside County known as gnatcatcher habitat. The cost of doing it could reach $330,000. Two biologists will supervise the project and ensure all regulations are met, according to the report. Although only one gnatcatcher may be lost because of the project, local environmentalists are enraged en·rage tr.v. en·raged, en·rag·ing, en·rag·es To put into a rage; infuriate. [Middle English *enragen, from Old French enrager : en-, causative pref. that the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service rushed this survey ahead of others waiting to be started. Cristiano worked with U.S. Rep. Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon, R-Santa Clarita, and city officials to persuade federal officials to work quickly to complete a review of the bird's habitat. ``The Fish and Wildlife Service could have made excuses and delayed the project, but instead they did a fabulous job and pushed the project to the head of the queue,'' Cristiano said. ``But they didn't cut us any corners on the science.'' The gnatcatcher study was pushed because of the need for extension of Golden Valley Road to relieve congestion The condition of a network when there is not enough bandwidth to support the current traffic load. congestion - When the offered load of a data communication path exceeds the capacity. throughout the valley, a high priority for area officials. Earlier this year, McKeon secured a $1 million federal grant for another section of the extension. ``The congressman just did his job,'' said McKeon spokesman Scott Wilk. ``This road is crucially important, and it would have been beyond frustrating to see this agreement fall apart.'' Farris said he asked the Corps of Engineers for a deadline extension to review the impacts that construction along the San Francisquito Creek The San Francisquito Creek is a creek that flows into San Francisco Bay in California, United States of America. Its headwaters are in the Santa Cruz Mountains above Menlo Park, around 667m (2000 feet) above the Bay. might have on the endangered arroyo toad. ``They (environmentalists) are assuming that we are going to make a jeopardy call jeopardy call Graduate training A call schedule in which a house officer is placed on call on short notice, to cover a sick colleague or 'pitch in' with a heavy workload. See Call schedule. ,'' Farris said. ``That's not going to have an effect on whether there is construction in the river.'' Federal authorities told city and state officials they would work hard to complete the survey before the deadline, Farris said. Mayor Frank Ferry said he was relieved that work will move forward on the $200 million road extension, which will link the Antelope Valley and the Golden State freeways via Golden Valley and Newhall Ranch roads. ``There was no way that the city could afford this road,'' Ferry said. ``We were fortunate that McKeon and the city staff were able to help us.'' Groundbreaking for the $7 million section of Golden Valley Road from the 14 freeway to Sierra Highway is scheduled for Feb. 16, officials said. The developer will foot the bill for most of it, although city government will reimburse him for a portion. In addition to 150 homes, the development will include a small shopping center and a pedestrian bridge. |
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