NEW GROUP ON SCENE FOR ENVIRONMENT SCOPE CRITICAL OF EFFORT.

Byline: JUDY O'ROURKE Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA -- Local political activists announced Friday they are launching an environmental group they say conceptually differs from others in its aim for broad consensus on environmental policy as projects are proposed.

The leader of the group's main rival, the 20-year-old Santa Clarita Organization for Planning the Environment, labels them as bogus.

The new group's public faces are Maria Gutzeit, a chemical engineer by trade who presides over a local water board, and Henry Schultz, a retired scientist who chaired the local chapter of the Sierra Club for many years and mounted a recent unsuccessful run for a Santa Clarita City Council seat.

``It's not about us versus them,'' Gutzeit said of SCOPE. ``It's us trying to find a good way to get things accomplished.''

The Santa Clarita Valley Environmental Coalition board -- which has not yet been named -- is to be made up of three environmentalists, three businesspeople and three people from the public sector. Organizers say its mission is to support environmental policies and projects in the valley, and volunteers will be encouraged to participate.

First up on the group's agenda could be devising a measure to protect open space, after the city's proposed $25-a-year special assessment to fund park and open space purchases was defeated in November.

``We started this group because I felt there wasn't anyone doing this kind of concept,'' Gutzeit said. ``Either they don't include all viewpoints or they only want to work on a narrow range of issues.''

Gutzeit, who guides industrial companies in following environmental rules and participated in SCOPE in the late 1990s, said about 15 people have been involved in the fledgling group for several months.

Schultz, who was unavailable for comment Friday, mounted two unsuccessful runs for a City Council seat -- the last in April -- and he sought a seat on the water board once. He said he favored smart growth, where roads and other amenities are built alongside developments.

Gutzeit did not disclose the names of all participants, but she said Diane Trautman, who is a Santa Clarita planning commissioner, and Michael Cruz, a paralegal in the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office who mounted an unsuccessful council run in April, are among them.

``I think this kind of group could bring to the city a perspective of what works for developers, for the environment, for business, and bring maybe a more proactive voice that's informed,'' Trautman said. ``It could bring a more coherent, cohesive voice that represents the broad community.''

Trautman said she will not serve on the board.

Gutzeit said there are benefits in mingling diverse views up front as new developments are proposed.

``I think now what happens is somebody will propose something and the other side immediately attacks it,'' she said.

But SCOPE President Lynne Plambeck says the new group was devised to counteract SCOPE's actions, which include filing lawsuits against developments and over water issues.

``It's a fake environmental group,'' Plambeck said. ``This is a typical developer public relations tactic to promote an environmental group that supports their project.''

SCOPE, the Sierra Club and Friends of the Santa Clara River filed lawsuits against The Newhall Land and Farming Company for its 21,000-home Newhall Ranch project, and SCOPE and Friends filed suit against the West Creek project in San Francisquito Canyon.

SCOPE sued the city over the Needham Ranch industrial park project approved by the City Council, saying the city violated its own environmental laws when it approved the project's environmental report.

A top official at the Castaic Lake Water District, which says it has spent more than $6 million since 1999 defending lawsuits lodged by environmental groups and individuals, says the lawsuits have not helped the environment.

``I think the concept of an environmental group that is truly interested in achieving benefits for the environment is a priority rather than trying to dictate land-use decisions,'' said Dan Masnada, the agency's general manager. ``In my experience in dealing with the so-called environmental groups like Friends of the River and SCOPE, my experience has been principally relating to litigation and with no real additional benefits resulting from that process to the environment. I think a cooperative effort between the agencies and the group that's truly interested in protecting the river system and the environment will go a lot farther than us having to defend litigation where there's no possibility of a win-win as far as settlement goes.''

Plambeck said SCOPE has succeeded in bringing attention to the issue of the Santa Clarita Valley's water supply.

She said one of its big successes was in 1993, when a lawsuit against Los Angeles County resulted in increased school funding from new development and provided for a developer-funded library assessment district. She faulted Gutzeit for accepting campaign funds from developers for her successful run for the Newhall County Water District Board, of which Gutzeit is president. Plambeck serves on the water board, and the two worked side by side for a time when Gutzeit joined SCOPE.

``(Gutzeit) has put out information that is contradictory to the environmental position on most projects and on most issues in the Santa Clarita Valley,'' Plambeck said.

Gutzeit said she issued only truthful and accurate information, ``and that is how environmentalists will get things done in the long run and maintain credibility.''

Ron Bottorff, chairman of Friends of the Santa Clara River, was less negative about the new group.

``We welcome all people to the table who want to help protect and restore the Santa Clara River watershed,'' he said.

But he said he was disappointed in Gutzeit's recent testimony to the Regional Water Quality Control board, when she asked them to relax water quality regulations on the river.

Gutzeit says he misunderstood her comments, and that she was asking for more technical studies and other solutions.

Michael Grenetz, the Southern California outreach organizer for the statewide group Friends of the River, said: ``Any organization that is going to work to preserve open space and work with the community is a good thing.''

Holly Schroeder, chief executive officer for the local chapter of the Building Industry Association, said the BIA was invited to submit a nominee and is reviewing the SCVEC's bylaws.

``We are interested that they are looking for a business representative to find common ground. We are intrigued by that concept,'' she said. ``We are interested to see if this becomes a credible voice on the issues, as opposed to no-growth masked as an environmental concern that results in expensive litigation.''

Larry Mankin, president of Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce, said he hopes the group studies issues and makes good decisions based on science and technology, ``and not emotions, as some of the groups have in the past.

``I think it will have some balance,'' he said. ``I have a great deal of respect for Maria. I think she'll put together a group of broad-based citizens representing a cross-section of local citizens from the business community, the environmental community and the, scientific community.''

Gutzeit said the environmental nominees for the committee could come from the Sierra Club or Friends of the Santa Clara River, or other active environmentalists. The group also hopes to devise a criteria for green -- environmentally friendly -- building standards.

The deadline for applying for a board seat is Aug. 31.

For further information on the Santa Clarita Valley Environmental Coalition, contact: Maria Gutzeit, at [phone], or momdoggie(at)hotmail.com, or Henry Schultz, at [phone], or henry50(at)pacbell.net.

judy.orourke(at)dailynews.com

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