The Marina City Council is holding a special meeting this afternoon. If you'd like to attend you'll probably be able to get a free bus ride. To be safe, though, I would suggest having your own transportation as a backup. This special meeting will consist of a "tour" of the Cypress Knolls area, and will leave the Marina City Hall at 3:00 o'clock. The meeting not only involves the Marina City Council, but the Airport Commission, and the Marina Abrams B Non-Profit Corporation. Future development of the Cypress Knolls area is a "hot topic" in Marina, so if you have time to do it, think about taking in this tour.

Tomorrow, the Greater Vision series of public forums on topics relevant to agriculture will hold a session at California State University, Monterey Bay to discuss aspects of "Ag Sustainability." Craig Watson, Vice President of Sysco Food Services, will deliver a keynote presentation, speaking to the topic: "Social responsibility extends beyond the food chain." CSUMB President Dianne Harrison, Salinas Mayor Dennis Donahue, Seaside Mayor Ralph Rubio, and paving contractor Don Chapin will talk about how education, industry and government can cooperate and collaborate to address the challenges facing agriculture locally. The forum will get under way at 1:00 p.m.

There is more information on both these events below.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information

City of Marina Website
http://www.ci.marina.ca.us/

Tour Announcement
http://www.ci.marina.ca.us/CurrentEvents.aspx?EID=952

City Council Agenda, Special Meeting on October 12, 2009
http://www.ci.marina.ca.us/Archive.aspx?ADID=1835

Ag Sustainability Forum
http://csumb.edu/site/x24678.xml

Today, the Santa Cruz City Council is considering a Water Supply Assessment that says, "The City's water system is grossly inadequate to meet current demand under drought conditions." In view of that finding, should the Council really be promoting more growth that will place even more stress on the City's currently stretched water supply? That is what the City Council is proposing to do, seeking to expand the City's current Water Service Area to allow over 3,000,000 square feet of new construction on the UCSC North Campus.

The UCSC North Campus is not now within the City's Water Service Area, and the key question is whether or not there is adequate water to serve the proposed expansion. It would be pretty hard to overstate the importance of balancing water supply with the demand for water, where development issues are concerned. Residents and businesses within the City of Santa Cruz Water Service Area have a big stake in the ultimate decision.

Currently, the City provides water not only to the City of Santa Cruz, but also to Live Oak, Pasatiempo, parts of the City of Capitola, and to farmers on the North Coast. If you live or have a business within the City's current Water Service Area, I encourage you to get involved in this decision making process. Today's meeting is only one step in that process. You can get more information below.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information:

City of Santa Cruz Website
http://www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us/

Council Agenda Materials
http://64.175.136.240/sirepub/home.aspx

October 13, 2009 Agenda Materials
http://64.175.136.240/sirepub/meeting.aspx?cabinet=
PUBLISHED_MEETINGS&ftr=0&docid=106296

Water Supply Assessment [You must "sign in" to receive the WSA document, but no password is required]
https://cityofsantacruz.sharefile.com/d-se1d64233fd04b7fb

Could a proposal to build a sports stadium in the Los Angeles area have any impact up here in the Central Coast region? I'm afraid the answer might be "yes."

A billionaire developer named Ed Roski, Jr. heads a company called Majestic Realty. Majestic Realty is proposing to construct a 75,000-seat stadium in the City of Industry. This $800-million project would include restaurants, theaters, and shops, and would be built on a 600-acre property near a freeway interchange. Naturally, the proposed stadium project would have a lot of impacts, including a lot of traffic impacts, and the neighboring City of Walnut filed a lawsuit in March, alleging inadequate environmental review. A group called Citizens for Community Preservation also filed a lawsuit challenging the environmental study.

Majestic Realty attempted to settle the lawsuits, and apparently the City of Walnut and the developer did come to some sort of an agreement. The citizens, however, did not agree to drop their suit. Accordingly, the developer is now asking the State Legislature to exempt the proposed project from CEQA, the California Environmental Quality Act. If that works for this case, and the legislation passes, our most important environmental law will be up for grabs in Sacramento whenever a rich developer decides to pay for legislation overriding the CEQA process.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information:

San Gabriel Valley Tribute Article
http://www.sgvtribune.com/rds_search/ci_13479695?IADID
=Search-www.sgvtribune.com-www.sgvtribune.com

Text of ABX3 81, the CEQA Exemption Bill
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/postquery?bill_number=
abx3_81&sess=CUR&house=B&author=hall

Elkhorn Slough is the largest tract of tidal salt marsh in California outside of the San Francisco Bay, and it provides habitat for hundreds of species of plants and animals, including more than 340 species of birds. Located right next door to Moss Landing, it's easily accessible to both Santa Cruz County and Monterey County residents.

Today, I'm encouraging Land Use Report listeners to get "outside" and to experience our natural environment first hand. I never want you to forget how important all those "indoor" meetings are, since the land use policy and project decisions that determine the fate of our natural environment are usually made in such "indoor" environments.

But if you've been taking my advice to get involved in the "indoor" decision making process, you should treat yourself to some "outdoor" payoff, and Elkhorn Slough is a great place to see how important it is to protect and preserve our natural environment. Head to the Elkhorn Slough "Visitors' Center," located at 1700 Elkhorn Road, or get yourself on the email list of the Elkhorn Slough Foundation (which you can do whether you are an official member or not). If you become a member, you can go on special member only tours and excursions. But the Foundation also hosts tours and events that are open to the public. The next public walk is scheduled for November 7th. Get more information below.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information

Visitor Center Information
http://www.elkhornslough.org/vc.htm

Elkhorn Slough Foundation Website
http://www.elkhornslough.org/

Event Calendar
http://www.elkhornslough.org/calendar.htm

Friends, Artists and Neighbors of Elkhorn Slough
http://www.saveourslough.org/

I think it's important for the Central Coast Region to preserve and protect agricultural land, and to support agriculture as a business and as a way of life. Agriculture is an "industry," and while the lands used for agricultural production are not always completely "natural," they often do provide more natural resource benefits than other industries might. Protecting and preserving both agriculture and agricultural lands is one way to maintain a foundation for a healthy and diversified local economy.

One of the local groups I like the most is called ALBA, the Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association. ALBA operates a small farmer education program, and incubates new organic farms, and provides leadership and development for conservation and organic farming in the Central Coast Region. If you'd like to find out more about ALBA, please track down the transcript to today's Land Use Report, and explore the ALBA website.

Even better, you can personally participate in an Organic Harvest "You Pick" Day at the ALBA Training Center, located at 1700 Old Stage Road in Salinas. There will be live music and food, and you can pick your own Fall Crops, including vegetables, strawberries, tomatoes, pumpkins, and more. It's all organic, and it's a great family trip. It's happening tomorrow, Saturday, October 17th. Again, you can get more information below.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information

ALBA Website
http://www.albafarmers.org/