President Obama

The Newsletter of the Conservation Committees of the Angeles Chapter, Sierra Club, on the web at http://www.angeles.sierraclub.org/ Email items, articles, graphics to Publisher/Webmaster: Lori Ives - Editor: Robin Ives Quote of Note "We want the debate to be about science, not fear and hypocrisy. We hope next year's wave of new politics means a return to science." — John Hart, aid to Sen. Coburn (R-OK)

New Year - New Effort - New Rules

In 2008, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed three far-reaching ordinances: Low-Impact Development (LID), Green Building, and Drought-Tolerant Landscaping. These ordinances, which take a major step toward protecting water quality and the green building initiative, went into effect January 1, 2009. LA’s new green development ordinances should lead to increased environmental sustainability and a significant reduction of energy, cleaning our water supply and increasing existing groundwater supplies. The ordinances apply to nearly all development but are especially strong for new development and large redevelopment projects.

LID—The goal is for all new development to mimic the natural onsite hydrologic conditions to the maximum extent possible of the property before development. The difference in runoff volumes pre- and post-development must be infiltrated onsite or treated. The low-impact development standards are the most far-reaching adopted by any local jurisdiction in the state.

Green Building—All new buildings have to meet the county’s green building standards, which are designed to greatly reduce energy and water use. For example, all new developments have to use 15% less energy than required in state standards, use smart controllers for irrigation, and install ultra-low flush toilets.

Drought-Tolerant Landscaping—In all new development, 75% of the landscaped area must be planted with plants from the county’s drought-tolerant list.

This trio of ordinances is the most far-reaching package of its kind in the state of California and maybe even the country.

Some So-called Air Purifiers Generate
Dangerous Indoor Ozone Levels

Sacramento — The California Air Resources Board is warning consumers this holiday season to not purchase air purifiers or air cleaning devices that intentionally generate ozone.

Consumers may unknowingly purchase these "ozone generators" from advertisers touting the so-called benefits of "activated oxygen" that can make the air inside your home "as fresh as the outdoors after a thunderstorm." Ozone, a well-known component of smog, has been extensively studied and the harmful effects well documented.

"Consumers should take care when considering purchase of an air cleaning device," said ARB Chairman Mary Nichols, "Beware of misleading advertisements offering air purifiers that are simply indoor smog-making machines."

Ozone generators are capable of emitting enough ozone indoors to far exceed outdoor health standards and can intentionally create the equivalent of a Stage 1 smog alert inside your home. These devices pump a well-known air pollutant into people's homes putting everyone at risk, especially the most vulnerable among us, including the young, elderly and infirm.

The devices can produce potentially harmful levels of ozone that can worsen asthma, cause serious lung inflammation, decrease lung function, and lead to hospitalization for respiratory conditions, emergency room visits for asthma, and increased school absences.

Recently the sale of these devices became regulated by the ARB in order to protect public health. Air cleaners are currently being tested to assure they do not emit harmful levels of ozone; however, testing of air cleaners by certified laboratories is expected to take up to two years, during which time high ozone-emitting devices can still be sold. For that reason, the ARB recommends consumers avoid the purchase of any air cleaner for home or office that intentionally emits ozone.

The best and most effective way to avoid indoor air pollution problems is to remove the sources of the pollution or prevent emissions to begin with. Improving fresh-air ventilation is also helpful. Information on these approaches is available at: http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/indoor/indoor.htm.

Persons still wishing to use an air cleaner should look for models that use high-efficiency pleated filters, known as HEPA filters, or electrostatic precipitators that do not emit high amounts of ozone. Guidance for selecting air cleaners, including ratings in Consumer Reports articles and ARB's fact sheet entitled "Air Cleaning Devices for the Home: Frequently Asked Questions," are accessible at: http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/indoor/ozone.htm.

Further, a list of air cleaners to avoid is available at: http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/indoor/o3g-list.htm.

More information about ozone-emitting air cleaners and the Air Resources Board regulation can be seen at http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/indoor/aircleaners/aircleaners.htm or call the ARB indoor air hotline at 916-322-8282.

The Air Resources Board is a department of the California Environmental Protection Agency. ARB's mission is to promote and protect public health, welfare, and ecological resources through effective reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and considering effects on the economy. The ARB oversees all air pollution control efforts in California to attain and maintain healthAA based air quality standards.

Cold Creek Preserve in Santa Monica Mountains
May Become Federal Parkland

The 1000+ acre Upper Cold Creek Watershed - the watershed for the Cold Creek Preserve — is a Los Angeles County Significant Ecological Area. This designation has helped encourage state parks, national parks, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, and — at one point — the Nature Conservancy to buy portions of the upper watershed. The Mountains Restoration Trust — a local land trust — took over the Nature Conservancy holdings and has managed the preserve since then. The Trust has now fallen into financial difficulties, and has already had to sell off one of its properties. Since they are a private organization, they apparently have to pay property taxes on their holdings, and they are now apparently not sure they can keep up the payments and are asking public agencies to take over the land.

This is one of the risks of using a private land trust to preserve land in perpetuity.

Looking To Green the California Budget
by Paul Mason, Sierra Club California Deputy Director

With the state’s finances in, well, a bad state, California’s legislative Republicans recently presented their proposals for saving greenbacks. Right now, the California Legislature is holding hearings on this plan.

Sierra Club California and other environmental groups want to make sure the state’s budget protects California’s families and wild places alike. Here’s a quick look at some of these Republican proposals – and our ways to make them greener.

Proposal: Eliminate state funding for transit agencies ($459.6 million).

Make It Greener: Many California families depend on public transit to get to work, school and everywhere else they go. Instead of dropping this fee, California’s leaders could advance a “fossil fuel fee” that would help fund public transportation and reduce the pollution that causes global warming.

Proposal: Extend deadlines for critical greenhouse gas and key engine retrofit requirements.

Make It Greener: Delaying greenhouse gas and engine retrofit deadlines won’t help the state meet its goal for reducing global warming emissions — or help California’s economy take advantage of the green jobs potential from both pioneering regulations. Novel ideas, like auctioning greenhouse gas emissions allocations to help consumers and small businesses pay for any energy cost increases, will keep California at the forefront of the green economy.

Proposal: Lengthen the amount of time between reviews of timber harvest plans.

Make It Greener: Alternatively, state water and wildlife agencies could charge fees for reviewing the plans, similar to the fees they charge hunters, anglers and developers. This would provide new revenue to make sure logging won’t put animals in harm’s way, or choke streams and rivers.

Proposal: Roll back California Environmental Quality Act protections for massive road-building and levee projects.

Make It Greener: These proposals actually have nothing to do with the state budget. They are an attempt by some to use the state’s dire budget circumstances to achieve rollbacks in environmental protection that they have not been able to win through the regular legislative policy process, and could result in poorly planned development.

Paul Mason has been a legislative representative for Sierra Club California since 2002. Posted on December 21, 2008.

Clean Water Victory

Environmental groups celebrated their victory on January 7, 2009 as an appeals court vacated a US Environmental Protection Agency rule that has allowed pesticides to be applied to US waters without a Clean Water Act permit. On November 27, 2007, the EPA issued the final rule, which states that pesticides applied in accordance with the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act [FIFRA] are exempt from the Clean Water Act's permitting requirements.

The Clean Water Act regulates the discharge of pollutants into the nation's waters by, among other things, requiring entities that emit pollutants to obtain a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System [NPDES] permit. For nearly 30 years before adoption of the rule, pesticide labels issued under the FIFRA were required to contain a notice stating that the pesticide could not be "discharged into lakes, streams, ponds, or public waters unless in accordance with an NPDES permit." Two different groups of petitioners, one representing environmental interest groups and the other representing industry interest groups, for different reasons opposed the rule as exceeding the EPA's interpretive authority. The EPA defends the rule by arguing that the terms of the Clean Water Act are ambiguous and that the rule is a reasonable construction of the Clean Water Act. In their decision, a three-judge panel of the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals wrote, "We cannot agree. The Clean Water Act is not ambiguous. Therefore, we hold that the EPA's Final Rule is not a reasonable interpretation of the Act and vacate the Final Rule." "The decision January 7 is a victory for clean water, and for fish and wildlife," declared Charlie Tebbutt, Western Environmental Law Center attorney and lead counsel for the environmental organizations and organic farms that challenged the rule. The organizations bringing the case include Baykeeper, National Center for Conservation Science and Policy, Oregon Wild, Saint John's Organic Farm, Californians for Alternatives to Toxics, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, Waterkeeper Alliance, Environment Maine, Toxics Action Center, Peconic Baykeeper and Soundkeeper."

This decision is another in a long line of rebukes to the Bush administration policies that overstepped their statutory authority and to the chemical manufacturers who peddle their poisons without concern to the effect onhuman health and the environment," said Tebbutt. "We look forward to working with the new EPA to protect the environment rather than the chemical industry." The industry petitioners were the Agribusiness Association of Iowa, BASF Corporation, Bayer Crop Science, Crop Life America, Delta Council, Eldon C .Stutsman, Inc., FMC Corporation, Illinois Fertilizer & Chemical Association, The National Cotton Council of America, Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment, Southern Crop Production Association, and Syngenta Crop Protection, Inc. With the intention of broadening the EPA exemption, they argued that the EPA rule is "arbitrary and capricious" because it treats pesticides applied in violation of the FIFRA as pollutants, while it treats the very same pesticides used in compliance with the FIFRA as non-pollutants. The court denied their claim and ruled that pesticide residues and biological pesticides constitute pollutants under federal law and therefore must be regulated under the Clean Water Act in order to minimize the impact to human health and the environment. "This decision will help ensure, in communities across the country, that aquatic pests are addressed in ways that protect both water quality and the public health," said Chuck Caldart of the National Environmental Law Center, one of the attorneys representing the plaintiffs. "We're thrilled by the court's decision — particularly in providing clarity on the aerial applications of pesticides over navigable waters for mosquito control," said Peconic Baykeeper Kevin McAllister." Ensuring that the required discharge permits have been obtained provides for greater protection of our water resources." "Time and again during these past eight years EPA has walked into federal courts and tried to defend absolutely indefensible rules like the one vacated today," said Waterkeeper Alliance Legal Director Scott Edwards. "And time and again they've been sent back to the drawing board to rewrite these unlawful rules. Hopefully, EPA's days of pandering to industry and other polluters and wasting taxpayers dollars in illegal rule making are drawing to a welcome close." "This is a significant victory for our nation's waters. More than eight million pounds of pesticides are applied each year in the Bay Area alone," said Sejal Choksi, program director for San Francisco Baykeeper." These toxic chemicals enter our creeks harming numerous species of fish, frog and other aquatic life and will now be regulated under the Clean Water Act." "Pesticides have been documented as the most pervasive group of toxic pollutants in our waterways. This decision is a significant step forward in protecting and restoring our seriously degraded fisheries," said Bill Jennings, chairman and executive director of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance. Steve Pedery, Oregon Wild conservation director, said, "When it comes to toxic pesticides and their effects on our rivers and salmon, we need to be certain that good science is being used and those resources are protected. This ruling is a victory for clean water and fish, and a victory for Americans who care about healthy rivers and streams."

Sierra Club CA Opposing Schwarzenegger's
CEQA Rollback Proposal

Sacramento, January 8, 2009 — With state government careening toward what Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has warned could become a “financial Armageddon” and negotiations over a budget-balancing package now back at square one following Schwarzenegger’s veto of a Democratic-backed plan, an obvious question arises: What’s the holdup?

Principals on both sides spent much of the past days trying to spin their case that the other side is obstructing a solution by being unreasonable.

Instead, Schwarzenegger complained the Democratic spending cuts didn’t go far enough and the plan fell short of meeting his demands for “economic stimulus” measures, including an expansion of public-private partnerships in state construction projects and exempting 10 highway expansion projects from full environmental review.

Desperate Economic Times

That last provision — the idea of loosening environmental laws — is a major sticking point. Environmental groups have loudly protested, and Steinberg, saying he is willing to make some concessions, complained Schwarzenegger’s proposal goes so far it “would make President Bush blush.”

Schwarzenegger counters that desperate economic times call for extraordinary measures. “It’s about jobs, jobs, jobs,” he said. “That’s why I’ve been adamant about streamlining environmental regulations.”

The Schwarzenegger proposal identifies 10 specific highway projects, totaling about $1.2 billion, to be exempted from the California Environmental Quality Act, the state’s landmark law that requires agencies to prepare extensive environmental impact reports on any project proposed by the public or private sectors.

In addition, he proposes an expedited permitting process that would allow a panel of three of his Cabinet secretaries to override conditions imposed by various state agencies in such areas as wetlands preservation and water quality protection. Under the proposal, decisions made by the Cabinet secretaries could not be challenged in court.

“We think that’s a terrible precedent,” Steinberg said.

Will Kempton, director of the Department of Transportation, said the permit provision was “a big stumbling point” in negotiations over the past two weeks.

“Both sides worked very hard to come to an agreement on these issues,” Kempton said. “We were very close.” Environmental advocates say Democratic leaders went too far in making concessions.

“The governor is insisting on these unwise rollbacks,” said Bill Magavern, director of Sierra Club California. “That puts these legislative leaders in a tough position. They’re doing a good job of delicately balancing the concerns, but they’re willing to go further than we’d like them to.”

Magavern said the CEQA exemptions sought by the administration are unrelated to solving the state’s budget crisis and should not hold up a solution that could prevent the state from running out of cash next month.

“The state is in desperate shape, the legislators are trying to find a solution, and the governor is holding the process hostage over these extraneous matters,” he said. “The budget is no place for this discussion.”

Kempton and construction industry officials counter the proposals would have a significant, positive effect on the state’s economy. They say the exemptions could speed up construction of these 10 projects by three months to up to a year, thus putting people to work and paying taxes.

“If we can get some of these moving in six months or nine months, that’s light speed for these projects,” Schwarzenegger said.

The only real game in town

Jim Earp, executive director of the construction industry trade group Alliance for Jobs, said unemployment in the industry is at 20 percent and only projects such as these can prevent it from climbing higher.

“The only real game in town for us is public works, because everything else is dead,” he said.

Earp said the 10 projects, all but two of which are in either the San Francisco Bay Area or the Central Valley, are “all going to get built. It’s not a matter of there being any environmental questions that put any of them in jeopardy; it’s just a question of speeding up the process.”

Kempton said the administration’s objective is to streamline the process so construction on all of the selected projects could begin in the 2009-10 fiscal year. Not only would that create jobs, he said, but it would also be a benefit to taxpayers.

Because there are so few private construction projects right now, there is “a great bidding environment” for the state, he said. Caltrans is receiving eight or nine bids for every project, and the competition is yielding winning bids that are an average of 21 percent under the state’s cost estimates.

“Anything the state can get on line right now, they’re going to get a big bang for the buck,” Earp said.

Magavern of the Sierra Club said Schwarzenegger could achieve his objective of creating jobs and stimulating the economy by pursing environmentally friendly projects such as retrofitting buildings to make them more energy efficient or upgrading state parks.

“There are scores of other projects that could put people back to work,” he said. “These exemptions would jeopardize our air and water quality and not improve our economy.”

Kempton notes that many of the highway expansion projects are part of Proposition 1B, a transportation bond that voters approved in 2006. “This is exactly what we need to do,” he said.

Earp said the highway projects would produce a lot of jobs fairly quickly.

“At some point, these environmental groups are going to have to take some heat,” he said.

“When people are out of work, some of these concerns about environmental regulations begin to wane.”

San Onofre State Park Saved From OC Toll Road
Bush Administration Rejects Toll Road Agency Appeal
by Robin Everett

December 18, 2008—“The Sierra Club applauds today’s Commerce Department decision. The decision is a victory for our coast and our state parks.” “Today’s decision by the Commerce Department is a victory for the thousands of Californians, from Eureka to San Diego, who have spent years fighting this rogue toll road agency and its army of high-priced lobbyists.”

“The Commerce Department decision lowers the boom on the TCA’s consistent misrepresentation of the toll road as essential to national security and the only viable transportation alternative. Even the Bush administration has rejected the toll road agency’s ridiculous arguments.”

“The Sierra Club began fighting this toll road over ten years ago, starting with a march of 40 people in downtown San Clemente and ending with thousands of people at the final hearings. The TCA has tried at every turn to block public involvement, but the Coastal Commission and now the Commerce Department heard Californians and protected our coast and our park.”

“We call on the TCA, whose financial house is in deep disorder, to give up its scheme to replace a state park with a toll road and come to terms with the reality that outside of their agency bubble no one supports their plan.”

Go Green Expo will host the nation’s most invigorating and diverse eco-friendly event of its kind at the Los Angeles Convention Center from January 23 to 25. Featuring a wide variety of green products and services, including everything from solar panels and hybrid cars to organic food and wine, Go Green Expo is sure to have something for everyone. In addition to the various green businesses exhibiting at the show, Go Green Expo will have over 10 seminars with leaders in the green industry, local politics, and community organizations discussing subjects including innovations in transportation, emerging energy sources, conservation, eco-entrepreneurialism, & much more. There will also be an eco-film festival at Go Green Expo LA; for information and updates about film dates and times visit GoGreenExpo.com. Don’t miss LAs ultimate eco-extravaganza! Limited booth space is still available, contact Chris Colihan-Grillo at 212-655-4505 x224 or ccolihan@gogreenexpo.com today.

Chapter Conservation Committee Draft Agenda
Chair: Judy Anderson <judyanderson@earthlink.net> Conference call access (866) 501-6174; Code: 1000400#
Note: Meeting will be digitally recorded for preparation of minutes. Meets at Chapter Office, 3435 Wilshire Blvd Ste 320, Los Angeles 90010-1904. Parking at Equitable Building, enter off Mariposa between Wilshire and 6th St - one block east of Normandie. Meeting will be digitally recorded for preparation of minutes.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009 — 7:00 pm

Agenda on http://angeles.sierraclub.org/environmental/AngelesAgenda.asp

Orange County Conservation Committee Draft Agenda
Bob Sieberg, Chair <eesolar@sbcglobal.net> Website: http://angeles.sierraclub.org/ocosc/
Meets at the Inn at the Park, 10 Marquette, Irvine. Take the 405 to Culver and go west towards the beach. Follow Culver past Michelson and University and turn right on Harvard. Take Harvard to Marquette and turn right. It's on the corner of Harvard and Marquette on the right hand side.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009 - 7 pm

Agenda is posted on http://angeles.sierraclub.org/environmental/AgendaOrangeCounty.asp

Conservation Reports for 2008

Coyote Hills TF Griffith Park Working TF San Gabriel Valley TF Santa Monica Mtns TF Save the Montebello Hills TF

Forest Committee International Issues Committee Chapter Water Committee   Santa Clarita Group

Coyote Hills Task Force
Diane Bonanno, dianebon@earthlink.net
http://angeles.sierraclub.org/ ocosc/coyote_hills.htm    www.coyotehills,org.

West Coyote Hills is located in north Orange County at the border of Los Angeles County in the city of Fullerton. It is a rectangular 510-acre parcel with an adjacent 72- acre nature park. The site has two mitigation areas for prior development by the owner: a section 4D and a section 7 totaling 34 acres. However, the EIRs name another 30 acres which we are investigating.

The flora and fauna are unique because this is one of the last intact parcels of Coastal Sage Scrub remaining (95 percent of this ecosystem has been destroyed by development). The site has four very threatened habitats, a California Fully Protected Species (White-tailed Kite), a Federally Threatened Species California Gnatcatcher (60 pairs, 212 birds at most recent count), a healthy population of Coastal Cactus Wrens which are presently in rapid decline (69 family groups at last count). The Cactus Wren is one of 13 California Species of Special Concern in the West Coyote Hills. It is on the Pacific Flyway and 160 species have been recorded by one individual. Plant surveys have been perfunctory and lacking in protocol but still 91 native species have been counted. Animal surveys have also not been scientifically conducted, but the Coyote is present as the keystone species. The site is connected by the Brea Creek Corridor (no culverts) to the Puente Hills.

Property is owned by Chevron Corporation fully-owned subsidiary Pacific Coast Homes (PCH). PCH has submitted a proposal to build 760 units plus commercial which would level the heart of the site. This was one of the richest oil extraction sites in California. Chevron ceased all operations by 1994. There are 230 well sites plus other toxic areas.

We have been working to preserve West Coyote Hills since 2001. Three Draft EIRs have been issued, in 2003, 2006 and 2008. The 2003 DEIR was superceded by the 2006 Revised DEIR which had four sections revised in the 2008 Revised Recirculated DEIR. The Task Force hired Shute Mihaly and Weinberger (SMW) to respond to all three along with various experts in biology, hydrology, etc. We also visited various state and Federal agencies and asked them to submit comments. Some of these were the AQMD, Toxic Substances Control Board, USGS and California Earthquake Safety Board. We are told that the Final EIR should be out any time which means that it will go to the Planning Commission for a recommendation and then to the City Council for a vote.

Most recently Chevron submitted an application for a 404 Permit from US Army Corp of Engineers to fill the ephemeral creeks on the site. We also hired SMW to respond. When we requested to see the ACE response to the comments submitted, we were happy to find that the EPA submitted a strong response requesting that the permit be denied due to noncompliance with the Clean Water Act.

Currently Fullerton is revising its General Plan and the Planning Dept. did not include Coyote Hills as a focus area. It is currently zoned Oil and Gas and as part of its development application Chevron has requested rezoning. We have been lobbying from the beginning to have Coyote Hills included as a Focus Area. Citizens attended the input sessions and asked that this area be preserved—to no avail. Finally, the General Plan Advisory Commission (GPAC) has put this issue on the agenda and is supposed to discuss it on December 1.

Right along we have been visiting our legislators from city council members to our county supervisors (Coad then Norby), to Ackerman (state senate) and Dunn, Duvall and Corea (state assembly).

West Coyote Hills is included in the Orange County Green Vision Plan. It is targeted for acquisition in the Coyote Creek Watershed Plan, which was developed by Orange County in partnership with the US Army Corps of Engineers, the L.A. Dept. of Public Works, and many other stakeholders. It was completed and distributed on March 23, 2007, at a cost of $480,000. The San Gabriel Rivers and Mountains Conservancy supports saving it as a nature reserve as does the regional office of the California Department of Recreation and Parks. We have had support, not only from the Angeles Chapter but also from Friends of Harbors, Beaches and Parks, Sea and Sage Audubon and the Center for Biological Diversity.

For many years we have offered monthly hikes led by a naturalist. Please come and join us: dates and times are at www.coyotehills,org.

Griffith Park Working Task Force
Delphine Trowbridge and Joe Young
http://www.gmrnet.com/ GPTFVolunteerRegister.html

The year 2008 has been a busy year for the Task Force in Griffith Park. I will touch on some of the highlights of our activities.

We have supported the Working Group that was chosen to rewrite the original Master Plan for the park. They have now completed their work and have submitted a large document to the Department of Recreation and Parks of Los Angeles. We hope that this document will be used as a Master Policy in guiding future use of the park. Also we support the formation of a group to oversee the park.

We have supported the Wildlife Study work lead by Dan Cooper and George Grace. We obtained a conservation grant funding for the study. Carol Henning is participating in an on-going bat study. We have worked on a survey to count users, both human and animal and their habits.

The Task force has opposed the expansion of The Autry National Center. They want to add 129,000 sq. ft to their current size. The Sierra Club is against the taking of parkland for non-park purposes, which includes museums. We attended meetings and have written letters but at this point I think the expansion will probably become a reality.

We have also been working to fight Global Warming by having the LADWP Festival of Lights become a pedestrian-friendly event by walking or bicycling the event. As currently configured, the 30-day event promotes the generation of toxic greenhouse gases by idling engines, encourages inefficient use of fossil fuels. We were given 5 days last year to walk and they have expanded it to a few more this year. We had a walking night in the Schedule of Activities for December 3. Some other groups, non-Sierra Club, have called and asked to join us. We hope 2008 will be the last year for driving this event.

The Task Force supports the petition to have Griffith Park be listed as a Historic-Cultural Monument. This would give the park an added measure of protection. This would not prevent further development, it would help ensure that historical aspects of the Park are preserved and that the people of Los Angeles have notice and opportunity to be heard on significant developments.

On October 30th the Cultural Heritage Commission approved the application by a 3-1 vote. The next step in the Historic-Cultural Monument designation process is the Planning and Land Use Management Committee (PLUM), which is composed of City Councilmembers Reyes, Huigar and Weiss. If approved, the nomination will be sent to the City Council, probably in a few months. It is the City Council, which ultimately makes the decision.

It has been mostly successful and there is still a lot of work to be done.

San Gabriel Valley Task Force
Joan Licari, Chair, Don Bremner, Vice Chair

Joan Licari began as chair in spring of 2008. The Task Force began meetings again in June 20, 2008 and since has had two additional meetings. During the five months since reorganizing, we have determined active membership, usual meeting dates (third Friday of the month), rewritten the mission statement and set voting rules on issues that come before the Task Force. There are currently 6 active members plus attendance at our meetings by Conservation Staff members Jennifer Robinson and Maddalena Serra.

Current projects being monitored include the progress of the proposed Discovery Center in Whittier Narrows. The delayed release of the DEIR is now expected in January 2009. When this becomes available we will submit comments on this project. Don Bremner of our Task Force is an active member on the Discovery Center Stakeholder Advisory Committee.

A second proposal that has Task Force attention is the Pacific Heights Housing development planned for Hacienda Heights. This project proposes to build 47 homes on 114 acres of open space in the Puente Hills. The property is adjacent to Schabarum Regional Park on the east and open space of the wildlife corridor managed by the Native Habitat Authority to the South. If permitted, 126 oak trees as well as a grove of sycamore trees will be removed and there will be extensive modification of the topography. The property is included in an SEA and is deemed a fire hazard area by the State.

The Task force favors purchase of this property and its addition to the local wildlife corridor as land under management of the Native Habitat Authority in the Puente-Chino Hills. A resolution was submitted to and approved by the Conservation Committee supporting the preservation of this land. A letter has been submitted to the Los Angeles County Planning Commission asking for delay of approval of the DEIR (expected to be submitted by the developer in December) until release of the revised Hacienda Heights Community Plan (expected in January, 2009). Contacts have been established with the Puente-Chino Hills Task Force of Sierra Club, the Hacienda Heights Improvement Association, the Native Habitat Authority, and local residents, all groups with potential interest in stopping or modifying this development.

A third project we are currently interested are plans to be developed for preservation and development of Cattle Canyon located in the San Gabriel Mountains for recreation by the Watershed Council.

Letters of support have also been sent by the Task Force to Rivers and Mountains Conservancy supporting grants to the City of Duarte and City of El Monte for trail projects within the Emerald Necklace. Visits to the sites of these projects were made by members of the Task Force prior to submission of letters.

Planning for 2009

Activities that will engage the Task Force will be commenting on the DEIRs of the Whittier Narrows Discovery Center and the Pacific Heights proposal. We will be attending public meetings and hearings concerning these projects and working toward preservation of the open space in Pacific Heights. The latter will probably involve engaging the local residents, public officials and acting with other concerned groups hoping to stop this project. Activities that might be appropriate will be providing information about the project of residents of Hacienda Heights.

Other activities, just getting started, that we will be following are the development of a plan for a greenway and multi-purpose trail along San Jose Creek extending from Claremont to the City of Industry and planning for the Whittier Narrows Recreation Area. Initial public scoping and informational meetings associated with these projects have been attended by the Chair of the Task Force and further public meetings and planning will take place in 2009.

Santa Monica Mountains Task Force
Mary Ann Webster, Chair

1) COASTAL SLOPE TRAIL – Joined with the Santa Monica Mountains Trails Council and several local conservation and trails groups to appeal to the Malibu City Council the Malibu Planning Commission’s approval of a subdivision on the crest of a very scenic coastal mountain and its refusal to require the developer to dedicate a key segment of the proposed Coastal Slope Trail.

Outcome: we refused to make concessions demanded by the developers and were successful in persuading the City Council to require an EIR for the subdivision. The developers, a world famous rock group, ultimately abandoned the project.

2) CORRAL CANYON – Supported the use of Proposition 84 funds by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and State Parks to purchase 800 acres of Corral Canyon in Malibu, designated by the Chapter as a high priority park acquisition in 1995.

Outcome: the land has been purchased. Over two-thirds of the Corral Canyon watershed is now in public ownership.

3) SOKA/KING GILLETTE – 600 acres of oak woodlands and meadows is a spectacular mountain setting recognized by all park agencies as the premier site for a visitor center and interpretive facility for the Santa Monica Mountains park system. The Task Force and the Chapter took a lead role in the struggle to block major urban development here and find the funding to acquire this very costly property. It was a long struggle that included successful lawsuits against Los Angeles County and the Coastal Commission, but we finally prevailed when the land was acquired three years ago by a consortium of the National Park Service, State Parks, and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. The park agencies have now started the process of public outreach and planning for future uses of this crown jewel of the Santa Monica Mountains. The Santa Monica Mountains Task Force is taking a major part in these planning sessions to ensure that the 4000 oak trees on the property and the abundant and very visible wildlife are protected, but also to ensure that the highest and best use of the property remains as an overnight outdoor education facility for urban schoolchildren.

Outcome: this planning process is just beginning this week, and will take up a lot of our attention in coming months.

4) TRANCAS LAGOON – We are supporting efforts by park agencies to acquire 7 acres just north of Pacific Coast Highway at the mouth of Trancas Canyon in West Malibu which will help protect and restore a small wetland and provide a trail linkage between heavily used Zuma County Beach and the National Park Service’s 7000 acre Zuma-Trancas unit in the mountains to the north. The property is a 1995 Chapter priority acquisition and a National Park Service priority for acquisition. The Santa Monica Mountains Task Force has sent letters to the Santa Bay Restoration Commission and the State Rivers and Parkways Grant Program urging them to allocate Proposition 84 funds to acquire the 7 acres.

Outcome: this matter is still pending.

5) MALIBU VALLEY FARMS – The Task Force submitted lengthy testimony to the Coastal Commission this year and last year opposing Coastal Commission approval of a large, open-ended horse facility virtually on the very banks of a stream draining directly into Soka and Malibu Creek State Park. This approval violates water quality and riparian habitat protection policies in the Coastal Act and the Local Coastal Plan, but the Commission approved it nonetheless. The Santa Monica Mountains Task Force has offered to help finance litigation to overturn this outrageous decision and to assist efforts to persuade the Coastal Commission to revoke the permit approval.

6) TEMESCAL CANYON – This canyon in Pacific Palisades is the most heavily used trail access into the Santa Monica Mountains from the Los Angeles Basin. Public access is now threatened by aggressive, pre-existing private uses. The Task Force has testified in support of restricting these private uses in order to maintain pubic trailhead parking and trail access from the Basin into the Mountains.

7) TRAIL ACCESS – Subdivision and mansion development has long threatened to block trails which have historically provided hikers access to various parts of the Santa Monica Mountains. The Task Force has taken a lead role in efforts to keep these trails open to the public, specifically in the Westwood area.

8) LOWER TOPANGA – The Task Force was active a few years back in supporting acquisition of this valuable property by CA State Parks. Throughout this year, our Task Force volunteers have spent many hours/days removing non-natives from this land, watering the new plantings, and joining in clean-up efforts. This activity is on-going.

9) OUTINGS PROGRAM – We have continued to have a very successful hiking program in the Santa Monica Mountains. The hiking schedule is coordinated by Howard Kayton, Outings Chair of the SMMTF. In 2008 we had 38 active leaders who led 330 hikes and related events.

10) TRAIL WORK – The Sierra Club Volunteer Trail Crew is led by Ron Webster. The crew worked on a variety of trails in the Santa Monica Mountains and adjacent areas. We had 40 volunteers who participated in 2800 hours of work in the maintenance and refurbishing of trails.

Save the Montebello Hills Task Force
Linda Cuyama, Co-Chair   Lindacuyama@aol.com
http://angeles.sierraclub.org/environmental/CampaignsLAC_ MontebelloHillsTF.asp

In 2008 the Save the Montebello Hills Sierra Club Task force remained very active and faced numerous new challenges as the city began preparing the draft EIR for the developer's proposed 1200 dwelling unit project on the last remaining open space Montebello Hills.

Our accomplishments and activities included:

1. We participated in 8 Festivals/Tabling events in Montebello, and three such events outside Montebello, providing task force and other Sierra Club literature at our booths, collecting sign ups for our supporters' list and acquainting the public with the threat to Montebello's undeveloped hills.
2. We held an educational & outreach event called the "Hillapalooza" at a local public park in which we and other environmental or local groups had booths providing information to the public. This event included a slide presentation, a display by a ranger and other activities.
3. We distributed literature at 8 city summer outdoor concerts as well as at other public gatherings.
4. We conducted regular twice a month task force meetings open to the public, notifying our supporters by email of each upcoming meeting.
5. We attended every single regular city council meeting, as well as some city Planning and Investment Commissions' meetings.
6. We submitted numerous public records requests to the city, asking for documents & other information.
7. We met with representatives of outside agencies which have some involvement in the proposed development, including US Dept. of Fish & Wildlife, Montebello Unified School District, and the San Gabriel Valley Water Company.
8. With their permission, we left our literature at approximately 15 local businesses as well as at local libraries.
9. We researched environmental issues pertaining to the proposed project and addressed the City Council regarding these issues on different occasions.
10. We provided information to representatives of the press, resulting in several newspaper articles being published about this issue, as well as numerous blog entries on this subject.
11. We submitted scoping comments to the city regarding the Draft EIR. We also notified our supporters and other agencies by email and phone about the scoping meetings, and opportunity to provide comments, resulting in both meetings having standing room only and numerous individuals and agencies providing comments. We also attended the scoping meeting for the city's new draft general plan and are in the process of providing comments.
12. We maintained and continued to develop a supporters' list of (at the present time) between 500 and a thousand supporters. We utilized this list to keep supporters informed by email, and to notify supporters by email and phone of upcoming meetings, important events and opportunities to participate in the city's process. In several instances we were the primary means by which the larger community was made aware of city meetings and other actions regarding this proposed project.

Challenges facing us in 2009 include the release of the city's draft general plan and the release of the draft EIR for the Montebello Hills Specific Plan. In addition to responding to those events, we will continue with our outreach and public notification activities as well as with our numerous other activities in this effort as listed above.

Forest Committee
Don Bremner, Chair

Public programs four times a year at Eaton Canyon Nature Center in Pasadena have drawn audiences ranging from 50 to 90 people, providing information and attracting new people to forest action.

Programs in 2008

January 23, 2008 —“The Lure of Wilderness and the San Gabriel Mountains” — Doug Scott, policy director of Campaign for America’s Wilderness, has played a leading role in shaping the nation’s wilderness protection over four decades. He brings a unique perspective to current efforts by the Sierra Club and others to have Congress preserve more of Angeles National Forest as wilderness.

March 26, 2008 — “Canyoneering: Top to Bottom in the San Gabriels.” — Christopher Brennen, professor of mechanical engineering at Caltech, has rappelled down dozens of waterfalls while traversing parts of canyons most hikers never visit. His photos provide a colorful view of a special way to experience the beautiful, seldom visited wildlands of the San Gabriel Mountains.

May 28, 2008 — “Forest Food and Wilderness Survival.” — Christopher Nyerges has conducted hundreds of classes, lectures, outings and field trips in outdoor skills, Native American themes and wild plants. His program offers innovative ways to feel more confident in the wilderness or at home in an emergency.

September 24, 2008 — Celebration of Wilderness Bill. A landmark bill before Congress would designate two new wilderness areas in the San Gabriel Mountains. Activists who have worked to preserve these areas mark the success, and look ahead to passage of this and other wilderness legislation.

The Forest Committee has continued its hikes to forest areas that deserve wilderness designation and protection. These include Pleasant View Ridge, north of Angeles Crest Highway near Mt. Williamson (this area is included in the wilderness bill now before Congress); Condor Peak — potential route of tunnel/highway from Palmdale to LA area; Ice House Canyon (Cucamonga addition) and San Gabriel River (Sheep Mt. Addition). Several Sierra Club entities have helped with these hikes, including Wilderness Adventures, Pasadena Group, 20s & 30s Singles, and the Southern California Forests Campaign. Hike participants write postcards with brief messages to forest officials or local congress members urging wilderness designation for the area

The Forest Committee also conducted training sessions to encourage more outings leaders to lead hikes to these sensitive areas and promote wilderness protection.

And the committee holds regular organizing meetings to plan programs and other events, and to discuss training and strategy.

In 2009, the Forest Committee will plan hikes to other areas in Angeles National Forest that merit wilderness protection, including Condor Peak, and will urge officials and legislators to support wilderness designation. We encourage other Chapter entities to join the effort, and can offer advice and training to outings leaders.

International Issues Committee

This year's focus of the International Issues Committee was organizing an event at Eaton Canyon to call attention to the ramifications of an unsustainable global population. Several speakers from various parts of California and Washington DC were there to present and to distribute literature. We offered an early morning bird walk and lunch on the patio as well.

At our July meeting we reviewed a new power point linking US trade policy to energy and climate change.

With a new administration in Washington, we are hopeful for progress in trade policy and funding for international family planning. We will meet with our representatives to request attention to these areas.

Our next meeting will be held in January.

Chapter Water Committee
January Nordman

Water is the life blood of our world. Within this statement are critical questions: who has access and control of water resources, and how will water allocation and use affect each of us and the entire environment?

A group of us met to form a new Water Committee in July 2008. Some of us are water professionals. Many of us are interested citizens. We discussed the specific issues that seemed most urgent. We determined that water conservation, water quality, the California Clean Water Act, water pricing, and education of the public about water issues were the areas where, as a committee, we could make the most difference.

As a new committee, we addressed the usual internal organization of a mission statement, website www.http://angeles.sierraclub.org/water and other club business. We all have attended various water seminars and educational forums to familiarize ourselves with current local water issues and infrastructure. In short, we've gotten busy.

We have begun to take action. Some of the areas of our endeavor include:

• Public outreach at various events and festivals, including a survey of the public’s knowledge of and attitudes toward water conservation.
• Presented a response to the Regional Water Quality Board–Los Angeles Region’s request for comments.
• Networked and interfaced with LA River/San Gabriel Valley environmental groups to determine where we might best focus our energies in relation to what is already being done.
• Talked with educators and water agencies about developing curriculum for K-12 concerning water ecology and conservation.
• Strategized about how to produce materials and then make them available to schools throughout Southern California.
• Began to study the mechanism that allows industrial pumping of water for bottled water, and what impact this has on local water supplies, especially in times of drought. We are just getting started. There is much yet to do.

Please come join us. We meet at 7:00 on the 2nd Wednesday of the month at Chapter Headquarters 3435 Wilshire Blvd #320, Los Angeles.

For more information, contact Maddalena Serra at maddalena.serra@sierraclub.org

Santa Clarita Group
Katherine Squires

2008 has been a year of great success for the Santa Clarita Valley Group.

Members began the year organizing letter-writing campaigns and trips to the Los Angeles Planning Commission to voice concerns regarding the looming threat of the proposed Newhall Ranch. Although, the proposed Newhall Ranch project was not stopped — it has slowed down. This is especially true considering how the company backing this proposed development has fallen into extreme economic troubles. We have high hopes that this will translate into a serious delay of the project and more time to continue negotiating for smart growth.

We were also thrilled to see the years of work to stop the Las Lomas project pay off. Working with other Sierra Club members in the San Fernando Valley, we met with numerous neighborhood councils to explain reasons to NOT support the builder's project. We were also part of building a large coalition consisting of elected officials, individuals, neighborhoods, and groups to oppose the project. The proposed Las Lomas development would have sat in the Newhall Pass at the northeast corner of the Interstate 5 and State Route 14 interchange and would have been the epitome of SPRAWL. The 555-acre housing and commercial development project would have dramatically increased traffic congestion in Newhall Pass and would have destroyed a major wildlife corridor. With the additional concerns of building in a Fire and Earthquake Hazard Area, air quality, etc. the Los Angeles City Council, led by Greig Smith, stopped the Las Lomas project from moving forward.

Also, members of the Sierra Club (Angeles and Kern-Kaweah chapters), Audobon, NRDC, Endangered Habitats League, and the Planning and Conservation League worked together with the Tejon Ranch Company in a rare opportunity to preserve one of the most valuable unprotected natural resources in the state. Tejon Ranch, the largest contiguous privately owned portion of land left in California will now have an unprecedented 90% of its breathtaking scenery conserved for the future. Joel Reynolds, senior attorney and director of the Southern California Program of the NRDC stated, “This was an extremely complicated deal, but also a once-in-a-lifetime conservation opportunity.” Additionally, this agreement creates an independent 12 member Tejon Ranch Conservancy. These environmental partners will manage the preserved land in perpetuity.

We also successfully passed a motion recommending that the Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club support HR 5887 (McKeon), the Soledad Canyon Mine Act. In 1990, contractual rights to mine a site in Soledad Canyon for sand and gravel was granted by Bureau of Land Management (BLM). These would permit the current owner of the contracts, CEMEX, to extract 56 million tons of sand and gravel from the site over a maximum of 20 years. The City of Santa Clarita was joined in opposition by the Santa Clarita Group, as well as many other groups and organizations. Many lawsuits ensued over CEQA compliance, including air quality, nearness of local schools and housing, traffic and road damage, contamination of the Santa Clara River and local aquifers, and quality of life issues. This solution was crafted by the Secretary of the Interior, the City of Victorville, the City of Santa Clarita, and CEMEX. The bill will cancel CEMEX’s two existing Soledad Canyon mining contracts with the BLM. At the same time it will fairly compensate CEMEX by providing the company with designated BLM land of equal value in the Victorville area. No mining will be allowed on these Victorville sites. After receiving the land near Victorville, CEMEX has agreed to sell the land to the City of Victorville to be developed in accordance with local land use and economic development goals. We are actively working for passage of this bill which will be reincarnated next year.

We are also continuing to work on the Eastern Sierra wilderness Bill. Members have worked in the community to increase awareness, as well as lobbying in Washington DC. This bill will permanently protect over 470,000 acres wilderness and 52 miles of wild & scenic rivers in the Eastern Sierra and San Gabriel Mountains. We are still hoping for passage this year.

Another accomplishment of our group has been our continued work in the community. Many of our programs have been informational on local issues, such as MRFs, land use issues of the local hospital expansion, and Tejon Ranch. Our group also participates in community events such as the Annual River Rally, College of the Canyons Environmental Awareness Day, and partners with the local Community Hiking Club (offered through the Placerita Nature Center). We are constantly working to introduce families and members of the community to the joys of hiking an protecting nature.

For year 2009 we anticipate continuing to push the Wilderness and CEMEX bills in Congress in addition to fighting a number of proposed developments.

Sierra Club Angeles Chapter Conservation Committee
112 North Harvard Avenue PMB 297
Claremont CA 91711-4716

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