More un independent news:
http://www.independentnews.com/news/....html?mode=jqm
The Altamont Open Space Advisory Committee has scheduled a retreat. The group will work with a consultant to go through data that will be used to establish the criteria to highlight properties where good conservation opportunities exist.
The Committee also heard an update on pending legislation regarding the off-road vehicle park proposed for the Alameda-Tesla Expansion Area .
The retreat will be held Feb. 8 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. either at Dublin City Hall or The Heritage House on the Alameda County Fairgrounds. It will be open to the public.
Funds for acquisition of open space lands in eastern Alameda County are available as part of a legal settlement in connection with expansion of the Altamont Landfill. The Committee, composed of representatives from Alameda County, the City of Livermore, the City of Pleasanton, and the Sierra Club, decides which properties receive funding.
According to the settlement, biological diversity and habitat are the top focus for areas to be acquired, followed by scenic views and recreation.
Van Butsic, consultant from U.C. Berkeley, asked to be able to contact committee members to narrow down the criteria.
Shawn Wilson, Chief of Staff for Supervisor Scott Haggerty, proposed holding a retreat as a way of providing the information requested by the consultant. At the end of the retreat, an ad hoc committee will be established to continue narrowing the list of priorities.
OFF-ROAD LAND
The Committee also heard an update on pending legislation that would allow the state to sell the portion of the Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area known as the Alameda-Tesla Expansion Area in order to permanently preserve that land for conservation purpose.
Celeste Garamendi from Friends of Tesla Park told the committee that State Senator Steve Glazer is in the process of drafting a bill similar to the one that failed last year.
It is expected to be introduced next week or the following week. The deadline to introduce legislation is Feb. 22.
The state plans to add 3,100 acres in the Tesla area to the 1575 acre Carnegie Off-Road Vehicle Park. Both sites are owned by the State. Both the General Plan and Environmental Impact Report for Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area have been approved.
Garamendi said the bill would authorize the California Department of Parks and Recreation to make a determination that selling the land would be in the public interest, in conjunction with a public hearing and consultation with stakeholders.
She said she would be asking for a letter of support from the Committee for the legislation.
Shawn Wilson asked the committee also to authorize a generic letter. The letter would be a general statement of support based on an understanding of what the legislation contains, as well as the fact there is money available to purchase the property.
He said he has been asked for information by both the new Governor Gavin Newsom and new Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan. He said there will be a meeting with the governor during which the letter would be presented.
Nancy Rodrigue from Friends of Tesla Park issued the following statement regarding the legislation, “We are very grateful for Senator Glazer's and Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan's commitment to preserve Tesla Park. With our state level representatives, Alameda County and the City of Livermore, and so many more local agencies, organizations and officials, we believe we will succeed this year to pass this legislation and have it signed into law. Tesla's extraordinary biological, cultural and scenic resources must be forever protected.”
The plan to expand off-road use has been controversial. Environmentalists oppose building trails for motorized vehicles into an expansion area that has habitat for rare species, including the California red-legged frog, sacred cultural sites for Native Americans, scenic hillsides, and remnants of a coal mining area.
Off-road vehicle advocates say the area expands recreation opportunities for the growing number of users of dirt-bikes, All Terrain Vehicles and other motorized vehicles meant for use on trails.
LITIGATION
In an interview after the meeting, Garamendi provided an update on ongoing litigation.
A first action, an ultra-vires challenge, focused on the authority of the Off-Road Vehicle Commission to certify an environmental impact report and approve a general plan. A hearing is scheduled for March 15 in Sacramento Superior Court
Garamendi said that if they lose the challenge, the next step would be to target the CEQA process on the grounds that it was not properly followed. If they win the ultra-vires, the item would be returned to the Off-Road Commission for correction.
Carnegie AB2019.jpg
