City may alter Swainson's Hawk mitigation program
Council is looking for ways to lessen impact on small developers
By Bobby Wilson - Citizen Staff Writer
Published: Thursday, January 29, 2009 3:55 PM PST
The city of Elk Grove will likely tweak the way it mitgates development
on land used by the Swainson's Hawk, it was revealed at Wednesday's Elk
Grove City Council meeting.The possible move is viewed as unfavorable by at
least one enivornmental group, Friends of the Swainson's Hawk. Others
argue
that the mitigation is too costly for development on certain small parcels
zoned as agricultural/residential.
The bird is on the state's threatened species list, which means local
governments have to protect land used by the Swainson's Hawk. The region
has long been an attractive destination for the Swainson's Hawk.
Last year, the Elk Grove City Council asked staff to look at amending the
Swainson's Hawk Ordinance, with the goal being to provide financial
relief to small parcel owners. Council members received an update from
Taro Echiburu, Elk Grove's environmental planning manager, at their meeting
Wednesday Jan. 28. The city wants to amend the ordinance for some small
land considered agricultural/residential based on project distance from
a nest. Distance would be in half mile increments.
As it stands now, the city mitigates land
used by the Swainson Hawk by charging developers $18,325 per acre. Also,
developers can give the city one acre that can be preserved for the Swainson
Hawk for
each acre developed. Echiburu and other staff members will continue doing research
to ensure that the proposed amendment conforms to environmental law. Echiburu
will surely be talking to Friends of the Swainson's Hawk, he said.
Judith Lamare, president Friends of the Swainson's Hawk, attended the
meeting to express her group's concerns about the proposed amendment to
the ordinance. "The change proposed will reduce the Swainson's Hawk population
over time and is not part of a sustainable plan to protect this species,"
Lamare said in an interview. "Watering down mitigation requirements
city by city is no way to improve our economy and will degrade the environment
for all of us. Elk Grove took pride in its Swainson's Hawk mitigation
program but now is looking for ways to erode it." Lamare said the
city needs to do an environmental impact report before the council adopts
the proposed changes.
Gene and Bette Robinson also spoke to the council at the meeting. The elderly couple said they want to develop their property on Calvine Road, but the city's fees are too costly. "Environmental people keep adding more and more things that we have to do," Bette Robinson told the council.
City Council Members Gary Davis and Steve Detrick said the city has to strike
a fine balance between protecting endangered species and costs to business
in the city. Davis made a point after an attendee of the meeting said Swainson's
Hawks are hunted in Mexico. Davis noted that he took a trip to Hong Kong
a year and a half ago. During the trip, he learned that sewage is pumped
into the bay, air quality is horrendous and the oldest home in Hong Kong
was going to be knocked down to make room for a highway. "I point that
out, because I think we have been there." Davis said. "And there
are rules in place to keep us from getting to that point again. We got
to be aggressive in terms of incentivizing
economic development. At the same time, we are an advanced country. I think
we got to be looking a little more at the big picture in terms of taking
care of the whole community." Davis added: "So I hesitate to use those
arguments, because we are not Mexico. And besides that, because other
countries are not doing their part, doesn't mean that we shouldn't be."
City staff will draft an amendment and bring it back for council
consideration at a future meeting.