News of the Arroyo
Title: | Sage Council Files Lawsuit Challenging Arroyo Seco EIR |
Subtitle: | |
Date: | 2003-05-14 |
Summary: | May 14, 2003 - The Spirit of the Sage Council has filed a lawsuit challenging the environmental impact report recently certified by the City of Pasadena regarding the Arroyo Seco Master Plan. Here is the official news release. |
Author: | NEWS RELEASE � PRESS RELEASE |
Publication: | |
Content: | NEWS RELEASE – PRESS RELEASE May 14, 2003 COPY OF LAWSUIT IS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST TO SAGE COUNCIL CONTACTS: Leeona Klippstein, Director 626-676-4116 Spirit of the Sage Council Craig Sherman, Legal Counsel 619-702-7892 Representing Spirit of the Sage Council Other Contact re Endangered Species – Ken Corey, Supervisor for LA and Orange counties, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 760- 431-9440 WATER WAR – Environmental Group Sues City to Protect Wildlife Habitat from Arroyo Seco Development This afternoon, a legal challenge to the City of Pasadena\'s \"Arroyo Seco Master Plan\" was filed in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. The lawsuit alleges that the City of Pasadena has violated the California Environmental Quality Act when adopting the Arroyo Seco Master Plan and the certifying the plan\'s Environmental Impact Report (EIR) on April 14, 2003. Representing, the Pasadena based nonprofit environmental organization; Spirit of the Sage Council, attorney Craig Sherman of San Diego stated \"It\'s quite remarkable that the City would approve a Master EIR for so many individual projects without adequate information and assessment for each of those projects.\" The Arroyo Seco Master Plan development project affects the entire Arroyo Seco watershed, from the Angeles National Forest all the way to South Pasadena, including the Rose Bowl area. Although the Master Plan consists of five components 1) Hahamongna Watershed Park (aka Upper Arroyo Seco), 2) Central Arroyo Master Plan, 3) Lower Arroyo Master Plan, 4) Rose Bowl Use Plan, and 5) Arroyo Seco Guidelines, there are dozens of associated projects that the City is approving through the Arroyo Seco Master Plan and EIR. The City claims in the Master Plan that a goal and objective will be habitat preservation and restoration. However, such habitat preservation is in direct conflict with the City\'s desire and Master Plan goal to expand infrastructure projects in the Arroyo Seco that will allow the City to sell more water to the sixteen member Raymond Basin Water District Board and Metropolitan Water District. According to the Hahamongna Watershed Park Plan, an element of the over 2000 page Master Plan, there will be grading of over 1,900-acres and removal of 3,000 cubic yards of soils every year that supports the formation of Riversidean Alluvial Fan Sage Scrub – a globally imperiled habitat that the State of California has designated as \"very threatened\" with a high priority for conservation. In addition, thirteen associated projects within the Arroyo will impact federally designated \"critical habitat\" for the endangered Southwestern Arroyo Toad. Spirit of the Sage Council is renowned for the organization\'s strong stance of endangered species protection in southern California and nationally. Having testified before US Congress regarding endangered species and habitat planning, the group\'s director Leeona Klippstein has also been an advocate for the rights of indigenous people to protect their culture. The Sage Council currently has numerous other lawsuits to enforce environmental regulations, including a case in the Washington D.C. federal court challenging endangered species policies made by the U.S. Dept of the Interior, another against the California Coastal Commission and City of Los Angeles regarding the Catellus Corp. development of the West Bluffs in Marina del Rey, and another challenge of the development of the Ballona Wetlands, and against the City of Claremont, CA for the approval of a park plan development. In 2000, the City of Pasadena and former Mayor Chris Holden presented the Sage Council with a Certificate of Recognition, during Earth Week, for all of their good environmental work. \"For years the Sage Council, including Chief Vera Rocha of the Shoshone-Gabrielino Nation has objected to the City\'s proposal to destroy the sage habitats and flood the Arroyo Seco. \"Hahamongna\" is the original name of the area, meaning fruitful valley of flowing waters. Regardless of our group\'s concern and the majority of the public that wants the Arroyo to remain wild, the City has gone forward with a Project and Plans that will rob the region, public and wildlife. Although our voices have been drowned by the City Council, we hope that the Court will here us loudly and stop the City from drowning the Arroyo Seco,\" stated Klippstein. --- |
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