California Native Plant Society - Orange County

Current Report

Conservation Report: May/June 2012

Celia Kutcher

FOLLOW-UP: TRANSFER OF EL TORO FROM FAA TO FBI

In March, a Draft Environmental Assessment and Draft Finding of No Significant Impact, El Toro Custodianship Transfer was issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The document’s purpose was to assess impacts of the FBI’s taking custodianship of 900 acres on the northeasterly corner of the former El Toro Marine Air Base in Irvine. See the conservation alert on occnps.org/conservationfor background on this issue, and for how important the 900-acre site is for connectivity between the Central and Coastal parts of the Nature Reserve of Orange County.

The Draft Finding... asserted that “No changes in operations will result from this transfer.” Several conservation groups, including OCCNPS, asserted that the transfer WILL result in deleterious changes to the site’s role in the Nature Reserve, and made extensive comments to that effect. (Many thanks to all OCCNPS-ers who wrote comment letters, despite a short deadline.)

Thanks to Dan Silver of the Endangered Habitats League for updating the situation as of 4/2012: “EHL, other conservation groups, and the City of Irvine submitted extensive comments on the legal inadequacy of the Environmental Assessment and requested a full Environmental Impact Study. Very importantly, though, the City of Irvine also called for a Memorandum of Understanding with the FBI to establish use areas compatible with the NCCP/HCP and for joint management. Thus far, the FBI has rejected this constructive initiative, further breaking with the long-standing federal commitments. EHL fully supports the City in its efforts to protect the NCCP and to reach an accommodation with the FBI.” OCCNPS also supports the City of Irvine’s efforts.

ACTION NOW, especially if you live in Irvine: tell the City that you support protecting the NCCP and the City’s commitment to reaching an accommodation with the FBI that furthers that protection.

BANNING RANCH DEVELOPMENT HEARINGS CONTINUE

In March, the Newport Beach Planning Commission voted 4-1 in favor of recommending approval of the Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Newport Banning Ranch development. Two more public hearings have been held on whether to recommend approval of the development itself, with another scheduled for May 17. These recommendations will be the basis for the City Council’s decisions on the fate of the Banning Ranch property.

ACTION NOW, especially if you live in the Newport Beach area: contact the Banning Ranch Conservancy, banningranchconservancy.org, to find out how you can help with its campaign to preserve the entire site as natural open space. The Conservancy points out that there are two things to keep in mind:

—The hearings are an opportunity for the public to bring forth information that was lacking in the Draft EIR. Public comments made at the hearings (and written comments submitted during the hearing process) become part of the official administrative record.

—It is important to remember that the City of Newport Beach General Plan makes a priority of preserving Banning Ranch as open space. The Conservancy believes that preservation is possible using Measure M funds.

—Celia Kutcher, Conservation Chair

CNPS URGENT ALERT: Help stop bad solar project

administrator

Please help stop a bad desert solar project by stopping a bill in the State Assembly.

This Thursday, May 10, the State Assembly will vote on Assembly Bill 1073 that would allow the Calico Solar project to proceed by circumventing the normal environmental review by local and state agencies. The project would impact one of the last if not the last extant population of Penstemon albomarginatus (White-margined beardtongue, a CRPR/List 1B plant) in California, as well as acres of desert dry wash plant communities - many of which are rare or unique vegetation types. Additionally, the proposed project site is an important area for desert tortoise. AB 1073 represents a special gift legislative bill crafted specifically for this one project and would potentially provide grounds for other projects to follow its example.

The Calico Solar project (aka, K-Road Solar, Solar 1) is an example of the type of poorly-sited energy project we've been saying SHOULD NOT HAPPEN in California, and the kind of project that the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP), a desert-wide Natural Communities Conservation Plan (NCCP) is trying to avoid. National environmental groups have attempted to stop the Calico project by suing the California Energy Commission but have been unsuccessful. Click hear for a PDF of a letter summarizing the past 3-year effort to relocate this project.

You can do the following:

1. Find who your Assembly representative is for your area. Click here for a website that will identify your Assembly Member based on your zip code.

2. Call your Assembly representative's office on Wednesday and respectfully inform the person who answers that:
- you are a CNPS member and
- while CNPS supports the Governor's efforts to increase renewable energy generation in California, building big projects on environmentally sensitive lands CANNOT be part of the answer, and
- you want your representative to vote NO on AB 1073.
- You might also encourage your Assembly representative to support future legislation that encourages more rooftop solar development in California, and
- thank them for taking your comment to the Assembly Member.

Thank you in advance for any help you can muster in the next 24 hours! Let's see if we can help change the tide on this project.

Sincerely,
Greg Suba

CNPS Conservation Program Director

Conservation Alert: Crucial OC Wildlife corridor threatened

Celia Kutcher

Public Notice or Legal Notice #: 3238186

Notice of Availability: Draft Environmental Assessment

Notice of Availability: Draft Environmental Assessment and Draft Finding of No Significant Impact, El Toro Custodianship Transfer Agency: Federal Bureau of Investigation Public Comment Period: February 21, 2012 - March 22, 2012 Summary: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has prepared and issued a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) and accompanying Draft Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the custodianship transfer of an approximately 900-acre parcel of land, referred to as "El Toro," to the FBI from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The parcel is located in Orange County, California, and is situated between Irvine Boulevard and Route 241. No changes in operations will result from this transfer. Where Documents May Be Reviewed: The Draft EA and Draft FONSI can be reviewed at the following location: County of Orange, Irvine Heritage Park Library, 14361 Yale Ave, Irvine, CA 93604-1901. Comment Submittal: Written comments should be as specific as possible. Electronic comments are preferred and can be e-mailed to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Hard copy comments can be mailed to: Mr. Lawrence Ridings, 935 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Room 10254, Washington, DC 20535. Comments should be submitted only once by one of these mechanisms. Electronic comments must be received by March 22, 2012, and hard copy comments must be postmarked by this date to ensure consideration in the Final EA. For Further Information Contact: Mr. Lawrence Ridings, Senior Advisor, Finance Division, by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or mail at the address above. Publish: Orange County Register February 21, 22, 23, 2012 R-262 94543399

Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot story

More... 2011 article from Pat Brennan, OC Register

Comments are due March 22, 2012.

TO COMMENT ON EL TORO CUSTODIANSHIP TRANSFER FROM FAA TO FBI

Conservation Report: March/April 2012

Celia Kutcher

OC RESERVE LANDS FOCUS GROUP

Volunteers are needed to participate in focus group discussions about how restoration in the Nature Reserve of Orange County (NROC) affects communities and people on NROC’s borders. NROC, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and Irvine Ranch Conservancy (IRC) are working with a group of ecologists and social scientists to study alternative approaches to natural lands management and ecosystem restoration. The overall purpose is to develop a better understanding of how conservation lands are important to—and valued by—the general public.

Two sessions are scheduled: March 12 or 13, 5:30-7:30 PM, at IRC’s Field Office (4727 Portola Parkway, Irvine). Volunteers would attend either session, not both. The sessions will generally consist of informal discussion; some of it will involve reacting to a survey exercise. To participate, email the sessions’ organizer at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Indicate which session you can attend; if you can do either you will be contacted re which one to attend. If you are unable to attend either session but would like to be involved, ask to be advised of additional volunteer opportunities that will occur between now and the end of summer.

SOLAR ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

State CNPS is an active partner in the strong environmental coalition working to ensure that the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation plan (DRECP) and the BLM programmatic EIS for solar power fully acknowledge and protect California’s desert plants, animals and cultural heritage. Greg Suba, CNPS’ Conservation Program Director and representative to the coalition, recently updated all chapters on the current state of solar and wind project development in California’s desert regions. He included an outline of CNPS’ positions and comments to date, extensive background on solar energy development, and links to several very important online petitions. See all of this on our web page and on OC Facebook. ACTION NOW: Sign the petitions ASAP, and read the info.

Desert Solar and Wind

administrator

Greg Suba, CNPS Conservation Program Director, has provided us with a lot of information on the conservation concerns with Desert Solar & Wind Projects:

Desert Solar & Wind Development Links

Take Action

CNPS asks you to consider signing a petition, created by desert conservation groups, to elevate BLM land management protection for the whole of Ivanpah Valley, in CA and NV. The Ivanpah Solar project represents a "threshold" project heralding the review and possible approval of more massive projects in the area. To prevent further ecological damage to this desert valley identified as core, intact desert habitat by recent studies, there is a petition to nominate the valley as a BLM Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC). There are significant rare plant populations and plant communities threatened in this valley, and these are described in the ACEC petition. This nomination campaign needs individual signatures, which can be provided on-line. Please consider signing the petition, ...

Thank you,
Greg Suba

LINK to ACEC petition language

LINK to ACEC nomination sign-on campaign

There are 2 other important online petitions to support rooftop solar.