Sharp eyed land use activists in San Luis Obispo County are keeping track of land use issues to their immediate north. Environment in the Public Interest, based in San Luis Obispo, recently sent me an email alert about an item coming up tomorrow on the agenda of the Monterey County Board of Supervisors.

Regular listeners have heard a lot about Monterey County on this Land Use Report, not only because of my past connections with LandWatch Monterey County, but because Monterey County is really “where it’s happening” in terms of land use issues in the Central Coast Region.

One thing that is happening is a rush to subdivide rural and agricultural lands in Monterey County. Another thing is a community based initiative effort, which could prove that Newton was right about every action leading to an equal and opposite reaction. The Community General Plan initiative would accommodate the projected future growth of Monterey County, but would largely prevent the future subdivision of rural and agricultural land. Those who are in line to make money from the current development patterns are generally not supportive of the initiative. Those who are focusing mainly on the public costs and benefits tend to like the idea.

You can go to the KUSP website for more information about the initiative, and about tomorrow’s application to convert Rural and Permanent Grazing lands in Monterey County to low density subdivisions to serve as luxury home sites.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information

Monterey County Board of Supervisors Agenda
http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/cttb/agenda021406.htm.

The item mentioned in today’s Land Use Report is Agenda Item S-8.

The Monterey County Community General Plan Initiative
http://www.montereycountyfarmbureau.org/General%20Plan/
Community%20General%20Plan%20Initiative%20OCR.pdf

Listeners who would like to get bulletins from Environment in the Public Interest, based in San Luis Obispo, should contact EPI at the following email address: .

When I was a kid, one of my favorite poems was “The Blind Men and the Elephant.” A small committee of blind men inspect an elephant, and they come to quite different conclusions. Some think an elephant is like a rope; some think it’s like a wall. How true to life! Where we stand depends on where we sit, and all of that!

What you think about the upcoming construction at the “Fishhook,” on Highways 1 and 17, may well depend on what part of the project you seize upon. The project will cost about $42 million dollars, and the construction will span a rather large area. On Highway 1, construction will extend from Emeline Avenue, near the Fishhook, to La Fonda Avenue (past Morrissey Boulevard as you head south). On Highway 17, construction will begin at the Fishhook and extend to the Pasatiempo exit. Twelve sound walls will be constructed and hundreds of trees will be chopped down. The hope is that the project will ultimately result in smoother and safer traffic flows through an intersection that most agree is a dangerous bottleneck facing commuters every day.

Obviously, there are some tradeoffs here, and what you think about the project is likely to reflect your own individual relationship to this particular locale. Everyone should know, however, that the project is slated to take at least three years to complete, so things will probably be worse on the highway until the Spring of 2009.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information

Project Updates are online at
http://hwy1-17.caltrans.ca.gov

If you want to join an email notice list, send an email request to

You can call for traffic updates at 888-836-0866

The PVWMA has a new General Manager. For those not deeply steeped in the language of acronym, PVWMA is shorthand for the “Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency.” This is a governmental agency that has responsibility for groundwater management in the Pajaro Basin, which underlines agricultural areas in southern Santa Cruz County, and northern Monterey County. This area, along the coast, is in a condition of chronic groundwater overdraft, which means that extractions of groundwater from the underlying basin are systematically exceeding the recharge of the basin, so that the underground water level is dropping. Not only does this mean a problem in the long term (like when you finally dry up a bank account from which you keep taking more money than you deposit), the falling groundwater levels lead to saltwater intrusion along the coast, and this pollutes whatever water remains in the basin.

About three years ago, I discussed a proposal advanced by the PVWMA to build an import pipeline from the Central Valley to the Watsonville area. This is looking like an ever less satisfactory and more improbable solution. My best wishes go to Bruce LeClerque, who will move to the PVWMA General Manager position from a position with Santa Cruz County Government. The challenges he faces, and that we face, are enormous.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information

The Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency Website
http://www.pvwma.dst.ca.us/

The Land Use Report, February 13, 2003
http://landwatch.org/pages/kusp2003/
021003kusp.html#thursday

Peter Drekmeier, a newly-elected member of the Palo Alto City Council, was elected after a campaign that made environmental and land use issues a primary focus. I just got an email from Peter, and he is sending out a call for help. If you’re a Santa Clara County resident, or have an interest in the future growth of this dynamic and expanding business center, you might want to get involved.

A coalition of environmental organizations, coordinated by People for Land and Nature (PLAN for short) is launching a citizen initiative aimed at preserving the hillsides, ranchlands, and other agricultural lands that still remain in Santa Clara County. If it qualifies for the ballot, and is approved by the voters, and if it then survives the inevitable legal challenges, the initiative will protect open space by amending the Santa Clara County General Plan. Its provisions reduce the number of developable parcels, and prohibit industrial and commercial development in rural areas. The initiative also provides additional protection to scenic views, streamside corridors, and wildlife habitat. I hope you’ll give me the benefits of any comments or suggestions you may have, as well.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information

The PLAN initiative website
http://www.openspace2006.org

For more information, here’s an email contact -

My job these days is to head up the Planning and Conservation League. PCL works in Sacramento to strengthen the voice of the hundreds (or even thousands) of local environmental groups in California that are confronting important land use and other environmental issues at the local level every day. Helping to organize and amplify the voice of California’s grassroots environmental and environmental justice community is a very satisfying career assignment.

If you are interested in a career in the environmental movement, and particularly if you live in San Luis Obispo County, there is an upcoming event that could be of real interest.

On Tuesday, February 28th, the Environmental Center of San Luis Obispo County (ECOSLO) will hold its Fourth Annual Environmental Career Symposium. The Symposium begins at 4:15 in the afternoon, and will be over at 5:45, but will be followed by a reception that will continue till 8:00 o’clock. It’s free, and I encourage you to attend. The event is co-sponsored by the Cal Poly Wildlife Club and the Biological Sciences Department, and will feature a panel of guest speakers representing a wide range of environmental fields. Speakers will give presentations on their background and their organizations, and outline the ways they prepared for their current jobs, what their work entails.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information

The ECOSLO Website
http://www.ecoslo.org

More information on the Environmental Careers Symposium
http://www.ecoslo.org/news-and-events/career_fair