Mailbag: Why Coastal Commission staff oppose Banning Ranch

The staff of the Coastal Commission has written a strong report as the basis of an Oct. 7 hearing in Long Beach on the Newport Banning Ranch project.

Although the coastal commissioners may vote as they wish on the project, this report stands as a declaration of the importance of preserving lands that support natural processes and habitats.

The document also reflects the work of other agencies, such as U.S. Fish and Wildlife, in analyzing the functions of nature on this rare piece of open space, and most importantly, public involvement.

Below are a few excerpts from the report.

• Describing the ecosystem:

“Despite its history of oil development, the NBR site has an incredibly unique array of sensitive coastal species and habitats, including nesting habitat for the threatened California Gnatcatcher, a very rare vernal pool system, and one of the few remaining significant areas of native grassland in the coastal zone.

“Rare wildlife use these habitat areas, including California gnatcatcher and various raptors including burrowing owl. The site also provides habitat for other more common wildlife including birds such as osprey and animals such as bobcats, mule deer, coyote, and red fox, among others.”

• Putting Banning Ranch in context:

“There are very few sites along the Southern California coastline with the kind of diverse topography and habitat for wildlife found at this site.

“In fact, it appears the subject site is the only area like it anywhere within the Santa Ana River watershed between the sea and the Santa Ana Mountains located 20 miles inland. The remainder has been heavily urbanized.”

•And:

“The Commission’s staff ecologists have identified a significant portion of the site as Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Area (ESHA) based on the presence of the above-described rare plant and animal life. There are very few sites along the Southern California coastline with the kind of diverse topography and habitat for wildlife found at this site.”

•How the Coastal Act defines native habitat:

“Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Areas (ESHA) are areas in which plant or animal life or their habitats are either rare or especially valuable because of their special nature or role in an ecosystem and which could be easily disturbed or degraded by human activities.”

• Why the oil field cleanup benefit cited by NBR is, in my view, invalid:

“Without NBR’s current proposal to carry out commercial and residential development on the site, the oil field operator would be required to carry out oil field shut-down, infrastructure removal, and clean-up activities at a future date when it discontinues oil production.”

• Why the development should be denied by coastal commissioners:

“While the applicant has proposed mitigation for the impacts of the proposed project (including abandonment and remediation activities and proposed project development), the project may not be an allowable use in ESHA and Wetlands, and therefore, complete avoidance of these sensitive resources may be required, as opposed to mitigation for the projects impacts.

“The proposed project cannot be approved under Coastal Act Section 30240 and must be denied.”

Kevin Nelson

Founder of the Nature Commission

San Clemente

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Fight to preserve this space

How much are you willing to pay to avoid added congestion on our city roads and freeways and the pollution resulting from that congestion? How costly is it to keep Orange County beach roads and parking places relatively open compared to our neighbors in Los Angeles County?

Is it worth something to you to preserve one of the last large green areas on our coast and the wildlife found there? Are you willing to pay to avoid possible ocean run-off and to conserve our water supply in this era of drought?

If you answer yes, the price is small. Just one signature (details are at BanningRanchConservancy.org) and one visit to the Coastal Commission Meeting on Oct. 7 (free buses will be provided) might be all it takes to preserve Banning Ranch as open space for yourself and for generations to come.

Wouldn’t you be sorry if you had the opportunity to shape the future quality of your life by two simple gestures, and you didn’t take it?

Lynn Lorenz

Newport Beach