Newhall Ranch developers must not harm California condors, feds say.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Tuesday said it would not tolerate the harm or killing of an endangered California condor during construction of a proposed Newhall Ranch community of 60,000 residents along the Santa Clara River.

In a long-awaited, 178-page opinion, the agency also said, however, that it would allow the developer to capture and relocate one condor over the next 25 years, if necessary, according to agency wildlife biologist Rick Farris.

“We anticipate that there might some occasion over the 25 years in which a California condor may become attracted to some human activity such as construction of a house,” Farris said. “If it can’t be hazed off the property without hurting it, then they will have to capture it.”

“Additional condors that become habituated to such activities, however, would not be covered by the exemption."

The federal Environmental Protection Agency has questioned whether the  Army Corps of Engineers, which is set to permit the development's construction 35 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles, has adequately considered its impacts on an array of rare and endangered plants and animals.

The corps is expected soon to issue a Clean Water Act permit authorizing the developer, Newhall Land, to use 20 million cubic yards of excavated soil to fill in wetlands in areas to be developed over the next 20 to 30 years on the 12,000-acre ranch.

Of particular concern to the EPA are plans to fill in much of Potrero Canyon, which includes roosting and foraging grounds for condors.

Adam Keats, spokesman for the Center for Biological Diversity, said, “I’m pretty happy to hear that the agency will is not going to let them harm one of these magnificent birds.”

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-- Louis Sahagun

Photo: California condor. Credit: Ben Margot/ Associated Press

 

Comments

[Brandon]

The fact of the matter is that Newhall Ranch will get what they want for the most part. Let me tell you that they have GREAT respect for wildlife. I know this because I have worked on many of their developments, such as the river village project. And personally, I don't believe in stopping human development for the sake of animals. If they can't adapt to living in a different location, then they are not fit to live in this world, and well...that's the hard fact of evolution. Now I'm not saying we should go and shoot any animal that stands in our way, that's inhumane. I'd be willing to bet that most of you people that are bitching about this development live in a home, built somewhere that was once wildlife, and drive a car that was built in a factory that has undoubtedly forced the migration of some sort of species. Oh and what about the electricity you use to turn on the computer you are using to access the Internet to read this article? Guess what it very well could be supplied from the Hoover dam, which had no respect for MANY forms of wildlife. My point is that human evolution is what made life so great for all of us, and if a certain species can't evolve then maybe it's their time to be a memory. If we stripped everything from you that has affected a species in one way or another, then I'm sure your tune would be VERY different about this subject. Plus, this project will create many jobs for southern california.

[Adam Keats]

PJ Evans--you are absolutely right; the filling of Potrero Canyon is odious and the Newhall Ranch project will have devastating impacts on a host of species, including the least Bell's vireo, the unarmored three spine stickleback, the willow flycatcher, as well as the condor and others.

I want to clarify that although I am happy that FWS did not issue a permit for harming or killing of condors, that does not mean that I'm happy with the biological opinion overall or the Newhall Ranch project. This is a bad project for all sorts of reasons and needs to be stopped.

It is heartening that the EPA is still involved in the process and that it is still possible that the Clean Water Act permit sought by Newhall will (rightly) be denied.

Adam Keats
Center for Biological Diversity

[KJinCali79]

The other enviromental tragedy is this will be 60,000 more people in a suburban bedroom community that will have to drive into the San Fernando Valley or Los Angeles to find employment. Ridiculous!

[Aztec Prince]

Drill Baby Drill ! (Republican idiots)

[T Nguyen]

And who will have money to actually buy any of these houses? There are empty ones sitting in the Inland Empire and Arizona.........

[Brad Stein]

This project is to massive and harmful not only to the environment but humans as well.

[Lana]

This development should never have been approved in the first place. It is a natural wildlife corridor, not just for condors, but for hawks, mountain lions, bobcats, bears, and more. Being on the Santa Clara River, which is one of the last wild rivers in California, the development stands to destroy that river, along with everything down river through to Ventura County.

LA county only cares about itself, not the impact it will have on surrounding counties, the environment, or the future of Southern California. Shame on the supervisors for ever approving this development!

[Jim Ryan]

Don't make stupid comments if you don't even know what you are talking about.

[johnyd]

So what this article is saying is, F*CK the birds and other plant and animal life. Let put up a Parking lot.
'Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got
Till it's gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot'

[Brad Stein]

Kill this entire project!

[Perry Yoshida]

i'll eat the condors

[chad r]

Los Angeles county don't care. That's it.

[Max]

The Army Corp of Engineers can always be counted on to make the wrong decision or screw up something environmentally. Glad the EPA stepped in.

Unchecked CA development has got to be stopped! Do we actually all want to live in a state that looks the way these greedy developers want it to look -- one long stretch of concrete and cookie-cutter houses from border to border. The developers care only about the money they're going to make. Nothing else.

[Garen Yegparian]

Unbelievable!

These guys are going to fill in swamps (wetlands) and build on that fill in earthquake country?

Will the buyers of the new houses be told about this?

[P J Evans]

"plans to fill in much of Potrero Canyon"

This sounds like an excellent reason to NOT grant any permits.