6-18-07 - "We Won" email from David Dilworth with congratulations for those who have saved the Forest.
Date: Mon, 18 Jun 2007 16:37:23 -0700
From: "D. Dilworth" <Info7@1hope.org>
Subject: We WON. We WON, WE WON !!! Monterey Pine Forests Win !!!
r-----------------------------------------------+
| (c) Helping Our Peninsula's Environment |
| Jun 18, 2007 |
| Box 1495, Carmel, Ca 93921; 831 624-6500 |
| www.1hope.org Info7 at 1hope dot org |
+-----------------------------------------------+
Monterey Pine Forests Win !!!
We Won. We WON - WE WON !!!!!!!!!!!!!
The magnificent dark green cloak covering our
Monterey Peninsula is saved from Clint's and
Pebble Beach Company's Chainsaw Massacre.
Yet it happened in near silence.
Sounding somewhat like being in the forest itself,
the cavernous room, bristling with high powered
lobbyists, an 800 pound gorilla called the Pebble
Beach Company, national media, determined and
organized environmental protection advocates, and
California's most powerful land use agency staff
and officials, it was almost perfectly quiet.
==============
The only sound was the soft voice of the clerk
reading off names of the Coastal Commissioners so
they could vote on the rezoning of Pebble Beach
Company's (PBC) properties; and the Commissioners
single word responses - yes or no.
When I heard the 4th "No" I realized we had won.
Forests had won. We needed six votes, and earlier
debate had shown that we had at least two more
from those who hadn't been called yet. ... No, No,
Yes, No and No. That did it.
Pebble Beach Company's Reality Check bounced.
The final vote was 8 to 4 to save 17,000 trees
in our priceless, irreplaceable, imperiled
Monterey pine forest from being bulldozed into
yet another water wasting pesticide using,
natural landscape destroying golf course.
Forests had beaten back the most determined
effort of some of the world's most influential
people; and a billion dollar corporation that
had the audacity to falsely insist
"We are not developers."
But even after the result was announced the huge
room stayed silent. I got up and started hugging
people, but still no one was talking, or even moving.
Perhaps they didn't understand or were giving
spiritual thanks.
It wasn't as though they were stunned, just silent.
I had to leave the room to let out a whoop for joy.
(I heard later that broke some of the ice and some
people began speaking).
So What happened?
The rezoning, called Measure A (from year 2000,
not the recent General Plan Measure A) was voted
down. The project which showed up 4 years later,
finally admitting what the public didn't know
earlier (that 17,000 trees would be destroyed
for a golf course) was NOT voted on. But when
the zoning was rejected, the project was flushed
as well.
It wasn't as though they weren't warned. The
Commission staff had advised PBC for years to
get the rezoning (Measure A) Plan up to them
before they spent time and money on their
project. But the company and the County colluded
to keep the zoning from getting voted on for 7 years.
HOPE had planned from the beginning to not waste
time campaigning against Measure A, because it
was so fundamentally illegal. We decided to wait
and save our money to overturn it in Court.
The Commission debate was a cliff hanger. Even
though PBC wouldn't have let the Commission
vote on it without confidence they had the
needed 7 votes (we only needed 6 to block it) no
one knew where it would end up. The sentiment
swayed back and forth several times with Potter
leading the forest destruction and intentional
misrepresentation side.
Yes, Dave Potter (the contractor) showed his true
colors by forcefully trying to get the Commission
to approve the forest destruction.
Thankfully the Herald article finally made it
clear that Potter is not just on the bad side
he's the Quarterback for the forest destroyers!
We were all in for another surprise.
A few months ago the governor fired one of the best
Coastal Commissioners we've ever had, Meg Caldwell,
who runs Stanford's Environmental Law program.
Few public interest experts expected a good
replacement, since Clint is good friends with
the Governor and has contacted him recently.
In her stead Arnold appointed Steve Blank who
teaches entrepreneurship. Steve Blank gave (what
was later described as a dissertation) perhaps
the most rational and complete explanation
for a vote that I've ever heard.
He carefully described every step on the path to
his vote to find the Coastal Act mandates that
Environmentally Sensitive areas are dynamically
realized (as understanding and science advances)
and protected (not static and fixed in stone as
PBC insisted), and protect the forest. What a
treat when we realized he was voting for the
forest.
While many Commissioners voted against the golf
course for its environmental harm, the votes that
padded the vote were those concerned that Coastal
Plan Initiatives would permanently take away the
Commission's ability to "futz" (technical term)
with the details. Potter tried to obscure this,
but finally the Attorney General made it clear
saying - if you approve Measure A - you (the
Commission) never again get to make even small
changes - ever. Any changes have to go back to
the voters.
With that Mary Schallenberger called for a vote
and Potter's motion to destroy the forest was
rejected.
After the vote Potter joined the Pebble Beach
Company executive huddle with Tony Lombardo,
Alan Williams, Mark Stillwell and the company's
paid science twister Andrew Storer.
------------
What's next?
PBC has two options now. They can ask the Commission
to revote (called reconsideration) or they can sue
the Commission. While both have a faint possibility
of success, (and would make their lawyers rich)
with such a lopsided vote against them it would
cause bad will; and with such a clear pile of
evidence against them - a suit is a very expensive
bad bet.
Nevertheless, HOPE will be watching carefully
as will many others. Eternal Vigilance is what
will save our priceless forest. Our hope is that
the PBC owners will be annoyed that their money
has been wasted and design a project that doesn't
violate any laws, and genuinely protects this
breathtaking imperiled forest.
For more info:
www.1hope.org/pradiata.htm
www.1hope.org/pbc
============
Thanks to Many
It was 15 years earlier when I first went to
a meeting on the forest destruction golf course
project at the Pebble Beach Church in the Forest.
I was amazed that anyone could demand to destroy
a priceless forest for a golf course. I knew how
special the forest was since I'd grown up playing
in it as a youth.
Since that first meeting in 1992 I'd led some
800 people on hikes in the unspoiled native
forest to teach them about the native Monterey
pine forest ecosystem (believing that once you
see it, you'll love it too.); and collected
thousands of signatures to protect the
forest.
I'd attended every one of the hundreds of hearings
(except two where the County deliberately hid the
items from the agenda).
I'd written extensive comments on the 3 projects
(the first one for the Sierra Club) and provided
hundreds of pages of the best available science
for the three EIRs. I'd coordinated and helped write
the only lawsuit on the project, HOPE's. I organized
international concern; organized protests, and
hired "Mark Twain" (aka the amazing Taelen Thomas)
to describe to the Commission the value of California
red-legged frogs that would be killed by the
golf course project. HOPE even commissioned a song
called "Monterey pine" that was sung to the County
Supervisors by the inimitable Pat Clark of the
Cachagua Playboys, and it had as much effect on
them as a butterfly in Tibet.
In the intervening years I'd stopped Pebble Beach
Company when they tried to expand their driving
range. Their tactic then was to withdraw the
project so it wouldn't be voted down.
I'd essentially put my life on hold for 15 years
to protect this forest. What an eminently
worthwhile investment of my life.
But I sure as heck do not deserve all the
credit bestowed on me by Paul Miller's
"amusing?" Pine Cone editorial --
http://www.carmelpinecone.com/070615-7.html
To name just a few who helped protect our fabulous
forest: Janice O'Brien (with the Forest Committee)
and Corky Matthews (of CNPS) have also worked long
and hard to protect this priceless, irreplaceable,
imperiled forest. Sadly, we've lost a few on the
way including the wonderful lively Dee Olivetti.
If it wasn't for Mark Massara, the Sierra Club
wouldn't have been at the Coastal Commission
meeting at all. Mark organized dozens of speakers
at the Monterey meeting in March 2006 and led
a well reported hike in the forest. Among other
things he coordinated a Christmas tree giveaway of
baby Monterey pines to the Commissioners at their
December meeting.
Ted Hunter (who changed over from supporting the
project as President of the Del Monte Property
Owners Assoc.), Carl Nielsen and Bruce Belknap
organized many Pebble Beach residents to oppose
it.
Thanks to Pacific Grove City Council too.
One of the more amazing things involved the
Monterey County Herald. The Herald supported
Measure A when it was on the ballot in 2000.
Which was no surprise as the Herald had
supported every other controversial development.
And as far as we know they had never changed a
position on any subject.
But they reversed their position in 2006 and
opposed the forest destruction rezoning
suggesting the PBC strategy was bait and switch.
Thanks to HOPE's trustees (especially Vienna,
Terrence, Ed, Dena, and Holly), our members,
volunteers and donors for solid persistent support.
(HOPE again had the largest organized presentation
including Ben, Nancy, Arwyn, Maggy, Rebecca ...)
The Coastal Commission staff has to be commended
for their standing up to the relentless lobbying
of the Pebble Beach Company with their award winning
fish stories and "whoppers." The staff were
attacked by the extreme pro-growth media for
merely doing an objective report on the science
and law of this proposal.
But the biggest thanks must go to the voters of
California who approved what we now call our
Coastal (Protection) Act in 1976.
Without this powerful law, California's coast would
be paved over and our magnificent native Monterey
pine forest would be scheduled for wholesale
chainsawing...
Silence.
Now that I reflect on it, what a respectful way
to acknowledge protection of a dear forest.
HOPE will be organizing a couple of parties
to celebrate this landmark victory. (One may
involve tree hugging) If you do NOT want
to be invited, just let me know.
with all my best wishes,
David Dilworth, Executive Director,
Helping Our Peninsula's Environment
Carmel, California,
831 624-6500
www.1hope.org
Founded in 1998, and known for helping with hundreds
of environmental and democracy successes, H.O.P.E.
is an IRS 501(c)3 non-profit, tax deductible, public
interest group protecting our Monterey Peninsula's
natural land, air, and water ecosystems and
public participation in government, using science,
law, education, news alerts and advocacy.
* HOPE has achieved more environmental and democracy
successes than all other Monterey County non-profits
combined.
* HOPE participates in more governmental meetings
than any other Monterey County group.
* HOPE's website shows up as Number 1 in many Google
Searches and is Monterey County's largest democracy
and environmental website with more than 350 pages.
===============================
I think that I shall never see,
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest,
Against the earth's sweet flowing breast.
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray.
A tree that may in Summer wear,
A nest of robins in her hair.
Upon whose bosom snow has lain,
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.
-Joyce Kilmer
#################################################
NOTICE
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107
this material is distributed without profit to
those who have expressed a prior interest in
receiving it for research and educational
purposes.
HOPE - Helping Our Peninsula's Environment
provides this electronic version of HOPE NEWS free
of charge even though it costs the organization
considerable time and money to produce it. We
would like to continue to provide this service
free.
-David Dilworth, Executive Director
|