Transcript Item 10a Welsh CCC Santa Cruz August 2012x - CAL

Unpermitted Mowing of
ESHA, done under False
Pretenses, in order to
Facilitate Development
Unpermitted Mowing of
ESHA, done under False
Pretenses, in order to
Facilitate Development
Unpermitted Mowing of
ESHA, done under False
Pretenses, in order to
Facilitate Development
Section 4.1.1 of the Newport Beach Coastal Land Use
Plan says the following:
Another important habitat within the City of
Newport Beach is coastal sage scrub
(CSS). Although CSS has suffered enormous losses in
California (estimates are
as high as 85%), there are still thousands of acres in
existence and this
community type is no longer listed as rare by CDFG.
Nevertheless, where CSS
occurs adjacent to coastal salt marsh or other
wetlands, or where it is documented
to support or known to have the potential to
support rare species such as the
coastal California gnatcatcher, it meets the
definition of ESHA because of its especially valuable
role in the ecosystem
Section 4.1.1 of the Newport Beach Coastal Land Use
Plan says the following:
Another important habitat within the City of
Newport Beach is coastal sage scrub
(CSS). Although CSS has suffered enormous losses in
California (estimates are
as high as 85%), there are still thousands of acres in
existence and this
community type is no longer listed as rare by CDFG.
Nevertheless, where CSS
occurs adjacent to coastal salt marsh or other
wetlands, or where it is documented
to support or known to have the potential to
support rare species such as the
coastal California gnatcatcher, it meets the
definition of ESHA because of its especially valuable
role in the ecosystem
or known to have the potential to
"......I have no
doubt that these areas would
be dominated by California
sunflower suitable for
gnatcatcher foraging and
possibly nesting without
continued mowing."
Coastal Commission biologist Dr. Jonna Engels
Unpermitted Mowing of
ESHA, done under False
Pretenses, in order to
Facilitate Development
.
.
o = Plant species native to Orange
County. Acceptable in all fuel
modification wet and dry zones in
all locations.
Fire Safety
Buck Gully
Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map for Newport Beach
Buck Gully
Buck Gully
Dry Summer vegetation in Buck Gully
Fire buffer between dense vegetation and homes in Buck Gully
Fire Breaks in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (Buck Gully)
Sunset Ridge and Fires
“The pampas grass went up like a torch and set the balcony
on fire.”
Sunset Ridge and Non-Fire
Resistive Plants
Buffers
100
foot
buffer
Photo from 2007 showing mowing limited to 100 feet from structures
“Park
development
clearing at
Sunset Ridge
Park” (not fire
safety)
Access for Emergency Vehicles
Hospitals
Olive View Hosptial
Mission Hospital, Mission Viejo
South Coast Medical Center, Laguna Beach
University of California San Diego (UCSD) Medical Center
Vegetation currently present near Olive View Hospital
Retirement Homes
Laguna Coast
Wilderness Park
Laguna Woods
(Leisure World)
Sports Fields
Between City of Newport Beach
parks and City of Costa Mesa parks,
and Newport Mesa Unified School
District school yards, there are 34
practice fields or game fields
available.
500
yards
500 yards away. One basketball, one baseball, one softball, three soccer and six tennis courts
are planned for a 15-acre sports complex
Summary
1.Allowing unpermitted mowing of
ESHA under false pretenses in
order to facilitate development
would be a bad precedent.
2.Park can easily be redesigned in
a manner to avoid Encelia scrub.
3.Deny project in its current form.