Land Use - the battle continues
Land Use - the battle continues
Preservation of wildlife is all about land use and preserving their habitats. Cities have progressively expanded into farmland and open space in California, destroying wildlife habitat and reducing opportunities to enjoy wild California and protect all its wildlife. Now green energy projects --wind and solar-- are claiming agricultural and natural areas for expansion, removing important wildlife habitat.
Friends of the Swainson's Hawk has been battling land use changes that hurt Swainson's Hawks since 1994, primarily in the Sacramento-Yolo-San Joaquin County core area of Swainson's Hawk reproduction in California. We have
• ensured implementation of required mitigation requirements when developer proponents and cities and counties have tried to evade or find loopholes to avoid their responsibility;
• reviewed and critiqued habitat conservation plans and evaluated mitigation programs;
• filed law suits when all else failed;
• achieved permanent protection of Swainson's Hawk habitat.
Our current concerns include:
Elk Grove's plan to expand into 8,000 acres of farmland with the highest density of nesting Swainson's Hawk in its range;
Solar and wind energy projects gobbling up foraging habitat and threatening migration corridors;
Our Latest Lawsuit - Sacramento County's faulty CEQA mitigation program for Swainson's Hawk impacts.
Greenbriar in 2008 Sacramento LAFCo permitted the City of Sacramento to annex 577 acres in North Natomas for urban development beyond the Urban Services Boundary for the County and outside the permit area of the Natomas Basin Habitat Conservation Plan. FOSH and ECOS have challenged the highly flawed environmental impact report. Expected court hearing is in August, 2012.
photo credit - Reis Santana