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Old Baldy, Canada | photo by Cameron Schaus
Conservation Issues of the Ventana Chapter | monterey county

Del Monte Forest / Pebble Beach

Issue Update

May 2012

In June 2007, the California Coastal Commission (CCC) denied the Pebble Beach Company's (PBC) plan to cut down nearly 18,000 trees and fill in some of the last remaining coastal wetlands in the state. Sierra Club opposed the project as unlawful under the Coastal Act, and damaging to the environment and many rare and endangered species including federally listed species such as California red-legged frog, Hickman's cinquefoil and Yadon's piperia.

Since 2007, representatives from PBC, CCC staff and Monterey County staff met regularly to see if they could agree on a project. The redrafted amendments to the PBC's LCP and Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) were released late last year and were reviewed by Chapter members. On Wednesday, May 9, the CCC approved the Plan as an amendment to the LCP. While overall the new Plan is much improved over the "Measure A" Plan from 2007, Chapter Ex Com member Kevin Collins attended the hearing and submitted our letter asking the CCC to deny development in Areas J, K, and L in the Seal Rock Creek watershed. These 3 Areas totaling 40 acres have 23 residential lots proposed. It is interesting to note that while the previous "Measure A" Plan had more development, these 3 Areas had cumulatively only 4 lots proposed (J had 3 and K had 1) in 2007. We requested that these Areas be preserved because they are prime ESHA, contain robust stands of rare Monterey Pine Forest, have been identified as the breeding center of a population of federally- protected California red-legged frog (2 frogs were observed in 2002) and contain federally- and state-endangered and special species plants including Yadon's piperia and Hickman's cinquefoil. Lengthier descriptions of these sites is contained in our attached PDF letter that was submitted to the CCC.

The Sierra Club's letter regarding Monterey County LCP Amendment No. MCO-1-12 Part 1 (Del Monte Forest LCP update and PBC Concept Plan)




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