Tejon Ranch Company (TRC) has received the Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award (GEELA) for their PR scheme designed to distract the public from their condor-killing real estate development plans.
Apparently, in Schwarzenegger’s California, the development of a luxury mountain resort in the middle of designated California condor habitat is somehow construed as protecting the environment.
The “Tejon Ranch Conservation and Land Use Agreement” – winner of the GLEEC – is actually a deal that was cut with several large environmental organizations (“Resource Groups”)as part of TRC’s PR scheme, cleverly presented as “Tejon Preserve.”
In exchange for use of “some” of the land, the “Resource Groups” have agreed not to oppose Tejon Mountain Village – or the other development projects planned by TRC.
Opposition. The Resource Groups will refrain from opposing the entitlement and permit applications and approvals for the three development projects.
Permit applications refer to TRC’s pursuit of an “Incidental Take” permit. That makes it OK for TRC’s real estate development activities to kill critically endangered California condors.
And the PR scheme? “Tejon Preserve” is TRC’s mandatory “Habitat Conservation Plan” (HCP) – which the company was required to submit in hopes of receiving an “Incidental Take” Permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).
TRC applied for the “Incidental Take” permit in order to develop “Tejon Mountain Village” – an exclusive gated community featuring luxury homes, golf courses, and hotels in the middle of designated California condor habitat.
Pumping up the economy
In a press release, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger praised TRC’s development project.
This historic agreement to protect a California treasure illustrates something I have stressed since taking office – we can protect California’s environment at the same time we pump up our economy.
Unfortunately, critically endangered California condors will be the ones paying for a “pumped up economy” – with their lives.
The development of Tejon Mountain Village is likely to reverse decades of dedicated California condor conservation. Here are just a few of the problems:
- Increased amounts of microtrash
- Project location
- Human disturbances
- Wind turbines
Let’s take a look at how each of these issues will harm California condors.
Buildup of microtrash
“Microtrash” consists of bottle caps, pop-tops, small pieces of glass, plastic and metal (including pennies, etc.). Biologists believe that these items are mistaken for bone chips by adult condors who feed them to their chicks.
Adult condors usually regurgitate these materials, but it is another story with condor chicks. The baby condors cannot digest or regurgitate microtrash, and are dying of microtrash impaction.
Ventana Wildlife Society reported in July that a condor chick was found dead from ingesting microtrash. The chick’s stomach was clogged with shards of glass, a metal fragment, and a penny.
Appendix C of the “Tejon Ranch California Condor Conservation and Management Plan” prepared for Tejon Mountain Village LLC and TRC by Bloom Biological includes the following carefully-worded gem:
Development and ongoing operations of TMV could result in the buildup of microtrash associated with the development of residences and other structures within condor foraging areas. Associated Ranch activities such as film production, passive recreation, repair and maintenance of roads, and visits to backcountry cabins in areas of the Ranch outside of TMV after initial project development could also result in the leaving of microtrash that could be ingested by adult condors in areas frequented by the species. An increase in microtrash in areas accessible to condors would represent a potentially significant impact under CEQA and could result in take (harm) of condors. Measures are included in this plan (discussed further below) that would avoid and/or minimize impacts and potential “take” due to microtrash.
And those “included measures”?
TMV LLC will retain, or cause to be retained, professional environmental education specialists to create and disseminate a condor educational curriculum that will include information concerning the life history of the California condor, where condors potentially occur within TMV, prohibited behaviors related to condors such as the pursuit, capture, harassment, and all other potential direct interaction of the species. The information will also identify types of microtrash that could be ingested by adult breeding condors and describe measures to eliminate microtrash on and near all construction sites, recreational areas, outdoor filming projects, roads, and back-country areas where human presence has occurred. The education program will include training of key personnel at the Ranch, appropriate signage at trailheads or entrances to Open Space areas, and dissemination of pertinent information at on-site nature centers or other public areas.
And if hiring consultants to tell the residents and guests of Tejon Mountain Village not to litter condor habitat with microtrash doesn’t work?
If it is determined that condors are either ingesting microtrash within TMV or elsewhere on Tejon Ranch, Tejon Ranch and the FWS shall evaluate potential remedies to reduce, and, if possible, eliminate microtrash ingestion. Such remedies may include increased education and awareness to Tejon residents, guests, staff, and workers regarding the dangers of microtrash, increased monitoring of events and activities that are potential sources of microtrash, and more frequent collection of microtrash.
More people = more microtrash. More microtrash = more dead condor chicks.
Project location
The location of Tejon Mountain Village in relation to condor feeding and nesting areas is a probelm.
A study by Dr. Christopher Cogan – California Condor Activity in the Tejon Ranch Region – confirms that the Tejon Mountain Village is planned in a condor “commute” area – a flight path that connects condor feeding grounds with nesting areas.
Human disturbances
Nesting condors are extremely sensitive to human activity. Dr. Cogan also cited the following from an earlier research report:
One man can keep a pair of condors from the egg all night or prevent the feeding of a chick for an entire day merely by exposing himself within 500 years of a nest for a few minutes at one or two critical times of the day. Loud noises can alarm condors at distances of over one mile. Individuals or groups of persons moving about must keep at least one-half mile from condor nests in order to avoid disturbance of the parent birds.
Referring again to Appendix C of the “Tejon Ranch California Condor Conservation and Management Plan” prepared for Tejon Mountain Village LLC and TRC by Bloom Biological, let’s look at “Human disturbances”:
The intentional or inadvertent harassment of condors feeding on carcasses, roosting in trees or on rock outcrops, or that are otherwise using areas within the TMV Planning Area or adjacent areas could cause significant disruption of normal feeding or roosting behaviors at temporary roost sites in individual condors. Such disruption could occur as a result of noise, nighttime lighting, and activities associated with film production, passive recreation, and occupancy of backcountry cabins. Human disturbances to condors would represent a potentially significant impact under CEQA and could result in take (harassment) of condors. Measures are included in this plan (discussed further below) that would avoid and/or minimize impacts and “take” due to human disturbances.
Again, TRC expects to “avoid and/or minimize the potential for human disturbances” with a “condor education curriculum.”
A condor educational curriculum, as provided above, will be created and disseminated that will include information concerning prohibited behaviors related to condors such as the pursuit, capture, harassment, and all other potential direct interaction of the species … Recreational activities, particularly organized events, and filming projects in areas where condors are known or expected to occur will be closely regulated to minimize any effects that could disturb feeding or roosting condors.
How will TRC ensure that “the potential for human disturbances” will be avoided and or minimized?
Compliance with condor protection measures will be enforced by means of CC&Rs …
CC&Rs!
Wind turbines
Prop-style wind turbines are killing birds at an alarming rate. Some biologists believe that even these numbers are underreported.
It has recently been estimated that the 13,000 wind turbines operating in Spain are killing nearly 2,000 Griffon vultures every year. 1
According to the Center for Biological Diversity, the Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area (APWRA) has caused a severe environmental impact to raptor populations due to wind turbines.
The APWRA has the highest numbers and rates of raptor kills of any wind facility in the world. The bird kill fiasco at Altamont Pass is a result of poor planning that allowed wind turbines to be built along a major raptor migration corridor in an area with high wintering concentrations of raptors and in the heart of the highest concentration of golden eagles in North America. Wind turbines at Altamont Pass kill an estimated 880 to 1,300 birds of prey each year, including up to 116 golden eagles, 300 red-tailed hawks, 380 burrowing owls, and additional hundreds of other raptors including kestrels, falcons, vultures, and other owl species. The APWRA is an ecological sink for golden eagles and other raptor species and may be having significant impacts on populations of birds that are rare and reproduce infrequently.
Biologist Jim Wiegand believes that several dozen missing captive-bred California condors have perished due to the Tehachapi Pass wind farm where 5,000 wind turbines are situated.
And according to Wiegand, wind projects are planned for property owned by Tejon Ranch Company.
It is called the PdV Wind Energy Project. A few miles away another new wind farm, the Alta Oak wind project is in front of the same planning department in Kern County that approved the PDV Wind farm. It too will kill free flying Condors. Several more undisclosed prop wind farms are also being planned for the southern slopes Tehachapi Mountains on land owned by Tejon Ranch Company.
Appendix C of the “Tejon Ranch California Condor Conservation and Management Plan” prepared for Tejon Mountain Village LLC and TRC by Bloom Biological does mention wind turbines.
No wind farms will be constructed anywhere on the Covered Lands (and TRC agrees to expand the ban to all Ranch lands). However, individual wind turbines, which have the primary purpose to serve electrical generation needs on site, may be constructed if, after review and approval by the FWS, such turbines are of a design and in a location that would not pose a threat to condors.
Tejon Ranch is sitting on one of the very best wind resource areas in California. The area has 2-3 times the wind speed and is more than 20 times the size of Altamont Pass.
Are we supposed to believe that TRC is just going to sit there on this potential gold mine of wind energy and do nothing with it?
How will they explain that to their shareholders?
Perhaps a loophole will be found in the “review and approval by the FWS.”
“A substantial positive impact”
Appendix C of the “Tejon Ranch California Condor Conservation and Management Plan” prepared for Tejon Mountain Village LLC and TRC by Bloom Biological concludes with the following:
Such a statement brings to mind a recent OnEarth Magazine article in which environmental consultant Robert Moran was interviewed. Moran used to consult for big mining companies, and now he works with the nonprofits fighting against them.
It’s a kind of natural progression you see in a lot of scientists. As you mature, you look a bit more carefully at the consequences of what you’re doing. When I said controversial things about projects I was working on, the companies would put them in reports and lock them in a safe somewhere, and they’d never see the light of day. I got tired of that. It was clear that the public-interest side was being outgunned time after time. So I did make a conscious effort to switch sides.
How to help California condors
The Center for Biological Diversity has set up a link for you to send a letter to the Kern County Board of Supervisors to stop Tejon Mountain Village.
On Monday, October 5, the Kern County Board of Supervisors will decide the fate of the condor in the southern San Joaquin Valley.
Please voice your opposition to this development to the Kern County supervisors. Ask them to deny the plan as proposed and get the development out of condor critical habitat.
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2167/t/5243/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=1519
For more information, visit:
Center for Biological Diversity http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/
Save Tejon Ranch http://www.savetejonranch.org/condors/index.html
- http://www.iberica2000.org/Es/Articulo.asp?Id=2968