Printer-friendly version
East County News Service
June 23, 2014 (Alpine) – A proposal before the San Diego Supervisors on Wednesday would weaken protections for federal forest lands by allowing development encroachment in East County. The plan could double the size of rural Alpine, putting forest lands at risks, conservationists warn.
Now Jack Shu, president of the Cleveland National Forest Foundation, has issued a plea for the public to contact Supervisors and urge them to support protections granted by the Forest Conservation Initiative that was approved by two-thirds of local voters but recently expired. Below is the letter he sent to conservationists countywide.
Over 20 years ago the people of San Diego voted to protect our local forest from encroaching urban development by enacting the Forest Conservation Initiative (FCI). Much of the support for this county wide vote came from urban residents who knew that our forests needed protection. They realized that the cost of developing the infrastructure to support rural development would be disproportionally paid for by tax dollars from urban communities. At a time when we are having difficulty finding funds to fill pot holes, building out into the Forest should not even be considered.
Our county Supervisors, particularly those representing urban areas, need to be reminded that nearly two thirds of voters wanted to preserve the Cleveland National Forest in 1993. Since then, we have become even more inclined to protect the Forest. We need to urge the County Supervisors to reinstate the FCI just like it has worked for the past 20 years. If what is currently being proposed by the county occurs, the country town of Alpine would grow into the Forest, doubling it’s current size. What would such development do to the I-8 commute during rush hour and who would be asked to pay for improving that roadway?
Here is the link to Wednesday’s Agenda
Link to Cleveland National Forest Foundation’s alert on this item
https://transitsandiego.wordpress.com/2014/06/16/the-cleveland-national-forest-needs-your-help/
We need individuals and organizations to adopt an action item for Monday, June 23rd and Tuesday, June 24th. Call and e-mail your County Supervisor before Wednesday and if you can, come to the Board Meeting on the 25th. Please ask your members and friends to call and/or email their County Board of Supervisor and ask them to support the Forest Conservation Initiative. Let them know that:
- The FCI worked well for the past 20 years and that there is no reason to change it.
- We need to use our resources for roads and other public services to improve the communities that are already developed not create new ones far from where most of us live.
- With impending climate change, we need to preserve our watershed, and our wilderness areas more than ever.
- We do not need to build into the Forest which will increase the use of our water and cause the production of more green house gases.
- Our local Forest has already suffered enough habitat loss for wildlife, reduced recreational benefits and open space vistas due to development, we need to hold the line at the Forest boundaries.
- The voters of San Diego expressed their desire to protect the Forest over 20 years ago and there no indication that has changed. As elected officials they should act to support what their constituents have already democratically expressed.
Thank you,
Jack Shu
President, Cleveland National Forest Foundation
CNFF.org transitsandiego.org
Contact information for County Supervisors:
District 1 Supervisor Greg Cox
e-mail: greg.cox@sdcounty.ca.gov
Phone No. (619) 531-5511
District 2 Supervisor Dianne Jacob
e-mail: dianne.jacob@sdcounty.ca.gov
Phone No. (619) 531-5522
District 3 Supervisor Dave Roberts
e-mail: dave.roberts@sdcounty.ca.gov
Phone No. (619) 531-5533
District 4 Supervisor Ron Roberts
e-mail: ron-roberts@sdcounty.ca.gov
Phone No. (619) 531-5544
District 5 Supervisor Bill Horn
e-mail: bill.horn@sdcounty.ca.gov
Phone No. (619) 531-5555
Comments
Of course, we must do
How much is enough