By Kathy Price, President of Save the Mesa
Thank you for your continued coverage of the efforts by the Land Conservancy to preserve the natural beauty and habitats of Black Lake Canyon. Unfortunately, the work of such private nonprofits is made much more difficult when the County Planning Department itself does not follow established environmental laws, as recently happened to the detriment of the canyon.
To wit, a grading permit to dump 150 cubic yards of fill dirt was illegally issued to a property owner on Peanut Way in the environmentally sensitive canyon area. As county staff knows, according to the California Environmental Quality Act, grading permits in this Sensitive Resource Area (SRA-1) are subject to environmental review procedures. However, this grading permit application was not reviewed by the county's environmental coordinator as required by our local laws (Land Use Ordinance 22.05.036a.(1).
In addition, the application did not include a comprehensive erosion and sedimentation control plan required by the Grading Permit Standard for Black Lake Canyon. This plan requires the provision of a wildlife corridor of native vegetation extending from the canyon rim to the canyon bottom. Dept. of Fish and Game permits are also required as Black Lake Canyon is the home to the federally endangered Marsh Sandwort and Gambel's Watercress.
In spite of all these laws, and in spite of the vast, vocal desire and efforts of the community to preserve the precious resource that is Black Lake Canyon, an over-the-counter permit was granted to dump this massive amount of fill dirt into the canyon. This disregard by the county for preservation of our local treasure is most distressing.
Save the Mesa respectfully requests that County Planning Department makes a public clarification of the action it plans to keep land use permits from being issued which violate the Land Use Element of the San Luis Obispo General Plan. Δ
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Contact
Save the Mesa
PO Box 1481
Nipomo, CA 93444
805.489.8384
