Jamulians Against the Casino Newsletter
 February 7, 2012
 
Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom
 
 
 
Urgent News
 from
Jamulians Against the Casino
Your help is needed - Public funds used for special interest, Planning Group petition

In 2008, the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) approved the California Envirnmental Quality Act (CEQA) report for the Hollenbeck Canyon Wildlife Area (HCWA). Problem is none of the surrounding property owners were notified. In the Hollenbeck Canyon Wildlife Area Land Management Plan (LMP) a special interest group, the San Diego Wildlife Federation (SDWF) was given 100 plus acres of public land on the Honey Springs Ranch to be used for hunting dog training. In the plan, the SDWF proposed the construction of ponds to train these dogs. Again none of the surrounding homeowners were notified as required by state law. Also public funds have been approved over the last three years to the SDWF for these ponds.

 

How does SDWF plan on filling these ponds? The LMP stated rain run off. Supervisor Jacob was told by the DFG and the SDWF that it would fill the ponds with runoff. But why did the DFG call a local water well pump installer for a quote in October 2011 to install a 100 gallon per minute pump on the well in Honey Springs?
 
In reading through the CEQA report "No Impact" was reported on every groundwater question. Click on the LMP link above to see for yourself.

 

Also, East County Magazine has published the third article covering this issue. This time it looks like public funds have been funneled to the (private) hunting consortium to pay for engineering, surveying, permitting, pond design, well restoration & water system, 10 HP 90 GPM pump, drip irrigation, tree removal, tree planting. http://eastcountymagazine.org/node/8626

 

Email and links to DFG and CEQA
Director DFG Sacramento - Charlton Bonham director@dfg.ca.gov

Secretary of Nautral Resources - John Laird secretary@resources.ca.gov

San Diego DFG - Regional Director Ed Pert AskR5@dfg.ca.gov

 

CEQA Website http://ceres.ca.gov/ceqa/

What aspects of CEQA compliance is the Secretary for Resources responsible?
In addition to adopting the CEQA Guidelines and amendments thereto, the Secretary for Resources possesses the following responsibilities:

 

1) Makes findings that a class of projects given categorical exemptions will not have a significant effect on the environment;

 

2) Certifies state environmental regulatory programs which meet specified standards as being exempt from certain provisions of CEQA;

3) Receives and files notices of completion, determination, and exemption; and

4) Provides assistance in interpreting the provisions of CEQA and the CEQA Guidelines. 
 

From our community friends in Deerhorn Valley...
This is a big issue and residents are speaking with one voice to stop the Honey Springs Dog Ponds Project in its tracks. The Jamul/Dulzura Planning Group has provided a forum for residents to speak out and has communicated citizen concerns to the Dept of Fish and Game. Now we find that on February 29 the Board of Supervisors will vote on a proposal to completely eliminate all local planning groups  and silence the voice they give to their communities.

Backcountry residents are a special group of people. City-folk may gripe about rates and limited schedules for watering lawns, but seldom do they face turning on a faucet to hear the sputter of a well that has reached its limit. Nor do city-folk worry about the tens of thousands of hard-earned dollars needed for a new attempt at a well. No guarantees you'll get water either.

So plans to create an artificial wetland out of dry chaparral for private hunting groups has met with stiff, backcountry opposition. Backcountry dwellers immediately realize that pumping millions of gallons of groundwater is foolhardy in the extreme. What in the world are these city folks thinking? We worry about and deal with drought conditions year after year... and these city-folk want to create 7 artificial ponds for... training their dogs?  

But... residents were able to come together at Oak Grove Middle School, where the Jamul-Dulzura Planning Group meets monthly. One resident after another spoke out against the plan: Why weren't we notified? Why use public resources for the exclusive use of private clubs? Why make wetlands where they have never been before?

The Planning Group is the single forum available... the ONLY place these arguments could be heard.  

On February 29, the Board of Supervisors will vote on eliminating all community planning groups in the county. This ill-considered proposal is coming from developers who have stacked the "Red Tape Reduction Task Force."

Danielle Cook from Jacumba has posted an online petition. I have signed it, and I urge all of you reading this to do the same.

The Jamul-Dulzura Planning Group may not be able to vote on these projects... but the twice monthly meetings are where we learn about such flawed projects as the Honey Springs Dog Training Ponds.

 

Here is the link to the petition. Please forward this link. Dissolving local Planning Groups will take away your voice. Thank you for your support.

 


Please send your donations for the JAC legal fund. Write to your local government officials.

 

JAC

PO Box 1317

Jamul CA 91935

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