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Is duck-hunting training for dogs a wise use of public land and water, or just plain daffy?
By Miriam Raftery
January 23, 2012 (Jamul) – Last week, ECM reported on controversy surrounding sporting groups’ plans to create the Honey Springs Sporting Dog Training Facility in the Hollenbeck Canyon Wildlife Area, a state-owned preserve. Neighbors were shocked to learn that dog training ponds would be filled with 2.4 million gallons of groundwater a year. So was the local planning group and the area’s rural fire department, which relies on the same water supply to fight fires.
Now state and county officials have both confirmed that groundwater will be the key factor in determining whether or not the project moves forward.
A final California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) report had previously been approved on the largest of the ponds. But then residents and a hydrology expert pointed out that a former groundwater test run on the same site by a would-be housing developer before the property transferred from private to state ownership—and that neighbors’ wells reportedly ran dry merely from pumping during the test.
Terri Stewart, Environmental Program Manager for the California Department of Fish and Game’s (CDFG) South Coast Region, told ECM in an e-mail this afternoon that her Regional Manager, Ed Pert, has held a meeting with Supervisor Dianne Jacob, county staff, community planning group members and Jamul residents. 
While additional meetings are planned to address a range of concerns, she disclosed, “We have committed to working through each of these issues and agreed not to do anything that will have adverse affects on the groundwater situation.”
Rich Grunow, Chief of the Project Planning Division at the County’s Department of Planning and Land Use, confirmed in a letter dated January 20 that although the state has land use authority over the project, “CDFG staff further indicated that a groundwater analysis will be performed” and further, that “the project would only go forward if the analysis demonstrates that the project would not adversely affect neighboring groundwater supplies.” CDFG has agreed to share results of that analysis upon completion, he added.
The Jamul-Dulzura Community Planning Group has asked the County Hydrologist to review plans for the pond. “We welcome the hydrologist’s assessment,” Robert R. Smith, President of the San Diego County Wildlife Federation, a nonprofit hunting association partnering with CDFG on the project, stated in a recent letter to Janet Mulder, secretary of the planning group. He added that the association is confident that the report “will allay the fears of the neighbors at Honey Springs.”
“Worried residents from Honey Springs, Deerhorn, and Bratton Valleys have packed the last two meetings of the Jamul-Dulzura Planning Group to speak out against the plan,” wrote Kim Hamilton, Deerhorn Valley Antler editor.
Residents and planners contend that state law was violated by not notifying the key stakeholders, planners or fire officials.
Now, a focus group of representatives from the impacted communities adjacent to the site, the former Honey Springs Ranch property, has been formed. Meetings are planned in January and February with CDFG and SDCWF to look into potential solutions, such as locating the ponds elsewhere within the preserve where water is more plentiful.
Supervisor Jacob has stated firm opposition to use of any groundwater for the ponds. County hydrologist Jim Bennett has recommended new and comprehensive groundwater testing, but that can be a costly solution. Just who wound fund the tests remains unclear.
Residents have raised additional concerns, such as noise and safety issues posed by hunting. According to Hamilton, a woman was recently injured when the horse she was riding in the preserve was startled by a hunter’s gunshot.
Some have also alleged that century-old eucalyptus trees, shown in photo above, were poisoned. New seedlings also swiftly turned brown and died.
Concerned citizens are hunting for answers to these questions, too. What if a well pump is left on for too long by one of the volunteers that the plan relies on for maintenance of the ponds? What will the impact on wildlife habitat be? Is any taxpayer money being used for the project? Will the hours be restricted to limit noise and provide safe times for hikers and horseback riders? Will herbicides be used in the pond to stop weeds from growing and if so how will that impact groundwater used for drinking? Who will be liable if something goes wrong?
CDFG representative Stewart has indicated that she will work to provide answers to as many of these questions as possible in the near future.
While sporting groups eagerly await a place to train waterfowl hunting dogs locally, concerned residents in Jamul and vicinity continue to dog state and county officials and staff to come up with answers to those troubling questions.
View a map of the proposed dog ponds. Get additional information at :
DEERHORN VALLEY ANTLER
http://www.deerhornvalley.net/honeyspringsponds.html
NO. AMER. VERSATILE HUNTING DOG ASSOC.
Project Description and Plans
http://www.sandiegonavhda.com/annual_meeting/honey_springs_project_plan3.pdf
DEPT. OF FISH & GAME REVIEW
Hollenbeck Canyon Wildlife Area Land Management Plan
Mitigated Negative Declaration and Initial Study
Public Outreach Summary and Response to Public Comment
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/lands/mgmtplans/hcwa/docs/17-AppendixG.pdf
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