Wild Ways

January 2008

"Dedicated to education, exploration and advocacy for wild rivers and wild lands in the San Diego region"

Eagle Peak proposed wilderness
(photo: Geoffrey Smith)
click to enlarge

Wild Threat

Sunrise Powerline Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIR): 7,000 pages of ... what?

The 7,000 -- that's seven thousand -- page document disclosing the potential impacts of San Diego Gas & Electric Company's (SDG&E) 100-mile long 500 kilovolt electric transmission line from near El Centro in Imperial County, through Imperial and San Diego county state and federal public lands, to the Penasquitos Substation on Carmel Mountain... has been made public. To properly document the impacts that this project could have on existing and proposed wilderness areas such as Fish Creek*, Coyote Mtns*, San Felipe Hills, Eagle Peak Complex, Hauser Mtn, Hauser Canyon*, Pine Creek* (* denotes existing federal wilderness) will require the coordinated efforts of many volunteers like you.

To that end, the Sierra Club San Diego Chapter Land Use Committee is conducting a workshop and training session to assist us in the review, and the preparation of written comments for this DEIR. There is strength in numbers! Why not come down and learn from the experts...

From: Linda Briggs
Subject: [Conscom] PLEASE RESPOND: Sunrise Powerlink DEIR review training

I’ve contacted Diane Nygaard and she has agreed to hold a training session for us on Saturday Jan. 19 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – a full day at our Ray St. office. The Chapter's headquarters, bookstore, and library are located at 3820 Ray Street, San Diego, CA 92104. This is one block east of 30th and one block south of University Ave. in the beautiful community of North Park.

We’ll start with training on how to review an EIR, then move to specifics on reviewing / dividing up the Sunrise Powerlink DEIR among volunteers. We have a single copy of the DEIR at the office, as well as some DVDs that we will share / distribute.

You’ll leave the meeting with a basic understanding of how to review an EIR, as well as an assignment to review a manageable chunk of the Sunrise DEIR itself. Our goal is to complete our reviews of the document no later than end of February.

The DEIR is a huge document and we need as many competent hands as possible to pitch in. Also, this is a great opportunity to learn the basics of reviewing an Environmental Impact Report from a pro, Diane Nygaard.

** So that we can plan the session, please respond to this email to LET ME KNOW (just respond to this list message) if you plan to attend, and who from your committee can attend as well. If you know of others we should invite, please let me know that as well.

Thanks in advance for your help on this critical project.

-- Linda

Linda Briggs, Chair, Conscom
(619) 528-8545

Wild Outings

Join a few of us for informal outings this coming weekend as we explore proposed wilderness areas in Riverside County. These lands are part of Congressperson Mary Bono's and Senator Barbara Boxer's California Desert and Mountain Wilderness Act. Part of the nearly 200,000 acres proposed in the legislation we'll be exploring are ...

Beauty Mountain Saturday, January 19

Beauty Mountain proposed wilderness serves as a critical bridge for migrating wildlife in the rapidly urbanizing region and contains fascinating rock formations and oak woodlands, all overlooked by the majestic 5,548 peak of Beauty Mountain itself. We'll be hiking to the summit of Beauty Mtn on this hike.

Joshua Tree Sunday, January 20

Joshua Tree proposed wilderness additions: Joshua Tree National Park’s sweeping valleys, craggy peaks and narrow canyons provide refuge for bighorn sheep and desert tortoise, as well as diverse cactus gardens and the distinctive Joshua tree. Call for details about our destination.

To join us on these informal outings, contact Geoffrey Smith, 858.442.1425.

(Thanks to the folks at the California Desert and Mountain Wilderness Campaign for text and information about these two areas!)

Wild Land

Eagle Peak Preserve

A big part of federal wilderness protection involves the acquisition of lands in and around our potential and proposed federal wilderness areas. In the upper headwaters of the San Diego River there lies a beautiful protected landscape called Eagle Peak Preserve. The San Diego River Park Foundation's Rob Hutsel is leading the effort to build the preserve, and is asking for our help now to expand this preserve by 200 acres. Please join me in opening your pocket book, and telling your friends to open theirs, to support this important effort:

From: Rob Hutsel

We have less than $2500 to raise to complete our fundraising effort to add 200 acres to Eagle Peak Preserve.

Can you make a donation to help make this happen?

Here are some of the details:

We have until the end of this month to close escrow. We are trying to get all of our funds together by January 15th

We have raised more than $800,000 by donations and grants so it would be a shame if we don't complete this transaction. The land is the largest remaining piece to add to the Presere and has both biologicial and cultural resources. It will also be a trailhead for the San Diego River Trail and Trans County Trail. If you are feeling that you want to help out more, we have 6 acres available for donation ($3000 or more).

Donations can be made online or by mail with a check. Here is a link to the info:

http://www.sandiegoriver.org/articles/urgent_habitat_acquisition.html

PS, please forward this to others or call me if you have any suggestions on how we can get this done. Thanks

Rob Hutsel

Executive Director
The San Diego River Park Foundation
619.297.7380

Wild Information and Discussion Lists

This Wild Ways newsletter is sent on occasional basis to members of the Wilderness4All announcement-only mailing list. If the subject of this email message did not begin with the text '[Wilderness4All]', then you received this message as a courtesy. You can join the list by clicking here.

We also host a discussion forum, which you are invited to join so you can participate in open discussions on wilderness issues. You can join this open forum by clicking here.

I'll see you in the wilderness!

Geoffrey Smith

(photo: Camille Armstrong)