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Conservation Action Network
Sierra Club, San Diego Chapter
Email Alert #22
May 23, 2002

HELP NEEDED TO PROTECT HEDIONDA CREEK VALLEY IN SAN MARCOS

For almost three years, the Friends of Hedionda Creek, a group of concerned residents and environmentalists, have been fighting to preserve the Hedionda Creek Valley in northern San Marcos. The area is threatened by the San Marcos Highlands development, a project of 230 clustered dwelling units that is proposed to be built in the middle of this valley, which consists of undisturbed coastal sage scrub and riparian habitat. The final environmental impact report (EIR) for the Highlands project is due to be released to the public on May 23, and the project will go before the San Marcos Planning Commission on Monday, June 3, at 6:30 p.m.

The San Diego Chapter of the Sierra Club has supported the efforts of the Friends of Hedionda Creek (FHC) to preserve the Hedionda Creek Valley. Now they are asking CAN to write letters to the Planning Commission to protest the Highlands development.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Write a letter to the City of San Marcos Planning Commission in opposition to the San Marcos Highlands development.
There are two options for the communications to the Planning Commission:
1. Write directly to the City of San Marcos, Planning Commission, Attn: Cathy Kazebee, 1 Civic Center Drive, San Marcos, CA ,92069.  Letters should be posted by May 28 in order to get to the City in time to be put in the Planning Commissioner's packets.
2. E-mail your letters to Mary Clarke: ClarkeMH@aol.com. She will print them out and get them to the City in time to get into the packets. (It is not possible to send them by e-mail to the Planning Commission.)
In your letter say that you support the Friends of Hedionda Creek Valley in their call for acquisition of the wetlands and their watersheds in Hedionda Creek Valley by a public agency; for the preservation and protection of the wildlife corridor by a 1,000 foot wildlife easement on the north side of the property, running east to west; and for the elimination of roads through the wildlife corridor. Request the Planning Commission return this development proposal to staff to accomplish these objectives.   Additional talking points follow.  Mix and Match.  Use your own words if possible.   For those of you that like lots of detail see the background material at the end.  If there are any questions contact Mary Clark at 760-510-9684 or ClarkeMH@aol.com. Thank you!

TALKING POINTS

  • The Highlands development will cause tremendous environmental damage to an undisturbed valley of coastal sage scrub and riparian habitat.
  • The development proposes to remove over 40% of the coastal sage scrub on the property. This is the habitat of the threatened gnatcatcher, which have been sighted on and adjacent to the property. Also, the endangered least Bell's vireo has been sighted adjacent to the property. Numerous other species live in this Valley, due to its water supply and undisturbed habitat.
  • The Hedionda Creek Valley is the headwaters of Agua Hedionda Creek, which flows into Agua Hedionda Lagoon. The undeveloped open space in the headwaters of the watershed should be protected, restored and enhanced, as called for by the Carlsbad Watershed Management Plan, not developed. The Creek and its watershed should be put into public ownership for protection.
  • The Highlands development will cause increased pollution of the Creek through urban runoff and pollutants such as herbicides, insecticides, and fertilizers. Agua Hedionda Creek is already polluted to the point that it is a candidate for the List of Impaired Waters in the Region, due to Diazinon and other pollutants. Agua Hedionda Lagoon is already on the List of Impaired Water Bodies.
  • The Highlands development requires the extension of a major road, Las Posas Road, along the wetlands. This will be devastating to the wildlife in the area, which will have to cross the road to reach the wetlands. The road will also introduce air and noise pollution into a valley where none exist.
  • The Highlands development will completely block an important wildlife corridor consisting of the Creek valley and two mountain ranges. Continuing fragmentation of large areas of high value habitat in North San Diego County is contrary to the conservation efforts underway, such as the North County Multiple Habitat/Species Conservation Plan (MHCP)and MSCP). Blocking of a wildlife corridor will devastate the wildlife in the area.

    • BACKGROUND

    The Hedionda Creek Valley has high biological value because of its undisturbed coastal sage scrub (CSS) and riparian habitat. The threatened coastal California gnatcatcher has been sighted on and adjacent to the property to be developed. Also, the endangered least Bell's vireo has been observed adjacent to the property. The valley teems with wildlife, including mule deer, bobcats, coyotes, and a variety of amphibians, butterflies and birds, including the Cooper's hawk, a Species of Special Concern. Although the Highlands developer is proposing mitigation measures for the removal of over 40% of the CSS on the site, the fact remains that the wildlife in this valley will be devastated if this project goes through. (The mitigation will be offsite.)

    The Hedionda Creek Valley is the headwaters of Agua Hedionda Creek, which flows westerly, until it discharges into Agua Hedionda Lagoon. Agua Hedionda Creek is part of the Carlsbad Watershed, which has recently been extensively studied, and a management plan for the watershed has been developed. (Carlsbad Watershed Management Plan, prepared by KTU & Associates) The management plan calls for protection, restoration and enhancement of undeveloped open space in the headwaters of the watershed that will provide natural filtering capabilities for water runoff control and water quality improvements. Also, it calls for the purchase or transfer into public ownership or control of as many of these wetland resources as possible. This includes the Hedionda Creek Valley.

    Because of the tremendous loss of our wetlands, the San Diego Chapter of the Sierra Club has adopted the following policy:
    "In order to avoid continued loss of wetland areas to residential and
    commercial development, we propose that Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs), and other land-use/policy decisions throughout San Diego and Imperial Counties must contain provisions for acquisition and preservation of wetland habitats (and appropriate wetland buffers) in cases where avoidance of wetland impacts is determined to be infeasible due to economic constraints."

    The Highlands project will impact the wetlands. Although the developer has proposed mitigation for the impacts, the mitigation measures are vague, and the mitigation will most likely be offsite. Therefore, the Friends of Hedionda Creek Valleycalls for the acquisition of the wetlands and their watersheds.

    A an issue related to the wetlands impacts is the potential for increased pollution of the Creek. Substituting impervious surfaces such as streets, parking lots, driveways, etc. , for native vegetation and its buffering and filtering capacities will lead to increased pollution. Also, the introduction of non-native vegetation in landscaping in the development will lead to increased pollution because of the use of herbicides, insecticides, fertilizers, etc. Agua Hedionda Creek is already highly polluted and is being recommended for listing on the List of Impaired Waters for the Region due to Diazinon and other pollutants. Agua Hedionda Lagoon is already on the List of Impaired Waters. The Carlsbad Watershed Management Plan states, "Waterbodies within the San Diego region continue to be degraded and impaired at an alarming rate."

    The Highlands development requires the extension of a major road, Las Posas Road, along the wetlands. Roads and traffic are devastating to wildlife. The mitigation proposed by the developer in the draft EIR for the damage that this road will do to the wildlife is one 48" culvert under Las Posas Road. A 48" culvert would be totally inadequate for the wildlife in the area, which includes mule deer. The guidelines for the North County Multiple Habitat Conservation Program call for avoidance of roads through wildlife corridors, and where roads must cross wildlife corridors, they should have bridges of at least 20 feet in height to allow deer to cross.

    Finally, and very importantly, the Hedionda Creek Valley is a recognized wildlife corridor, connecting two of the important remaining large blocks of habitat in the northern San Marcos/San Diego County area. To the south and east of the Valley lie the San Marcos Mountains, and to the north and west, an unnamed mountain range. The Wildlife Agencies have pointed out that the Highlands project is located at a "pinch point" of remaining natural lands between the two mountain ranges. They have stated, "It appears that the proposed development would completely block this connection ..."

    We know that fragmentation of habitat is one of the major environmental concerns in North San Diego County. This proposed development will cut a major open space area in two and prevent wildlife from accessing the creek from the west. The impact on the wildlife will be devastating. The Friends of Hedionda Creek is calling for a 1,000-foot wildlife corridor along the north side of the Highlands property, from east to west. This will allow the wildlife to continue to cross the Valley to the mountains and will permit wildlife access to the creek. FHC also calls for the elimination of roads through wildlife corridors.

    Diane K. Smith
    Co-Chair, Conservation Action Network
    Sierra Club, San Diego Chapter

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