This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
Page 10


County/conservancy team up to save canyon lands


By Janet Wilson A breathtaking 600-acre parcel


above the scenic canyons, put up for sale when its nonprofit owners fell on hard financial times, may get a chance at permanent preser- vation.


Supervisor Todd Spitzer, Da-


vid Myers of the Wildlands Con- servancy, and the Inter-Canyon League have been exploring real- istic sale options that would ben- efit all parties and the people of Orange County. There is hope that the Irvine Mesa can be permanent- ly preserved for the enjoyment of all. But it’s not a done deal yet. Concerned by “For Sale” signs


posted for the stunning mesa and neighboring natural lands above Silverado and Santiago Canyons, the Inter-Canyon League (ICL) dug into the situation and mobi- lized its members and others. Due to a financial shortfall, the nonprofit Wildlands Conservancy says it needs to sell its beautiful acreage, stretching from above the old Silverado School all the way to the national forest. Asking price: $7.8 million.


Buffer not bulldozers The conservancy, however,


has no desire to sell any of the property for tract homes. It is considering an offer from a reli- gious institution that would like to build a 60-acre meditation site, but would prefer to see the land protected and accessible forever. Conservancy Director Myers says he is willing to sell it to a public agency at a steeply reduced price if it is conserved. The conser- vancy is willing to work with ICL and county officials to make this happen, as long as it can be done in a timely manner. ICL directors, members and


many others reached out to Spitzer, who is known for his appreciation of the canyons. The directors met with officials from the Wildlands Conservancy, Spitzer’s office, OC Parks, the Transportation Corri- dors Agencies and the Conserva- tion Fund. Under direction from


Spitzer, OC Parks and TCA staff toured the lands to ascertain if they would be suitable additions to county parklands or to mitigate habitat destruction elsewhere. Agency staff was also asked to determine what funding is avail- able to purchase the acreage at the discounted price of $2 mil- lion. TCA indicated it has $2 mil- lion, and might want to purchase the land to bank it as an offset for possible bulldozing of similar habitat on future road expansion projects. In that case, the pro- tected land could be off-limits for public access.


Open or closed ICL and everyone it has sur-


veyed believes that the best plan would be to have OC Parks ac- quire this major acreage outright, with no bulldozing elsewhere, lengthy mitigation, or other re- quirements attached. This would fill a hole in the park wilderness system, sitting between the Lime- stone and Whiting areas on one side, and the Baker and Black Star areas on the other. Also, such a purchase would not enable fu- ture development on other fragile lands while locking people out of open space acquired with pub- lic dollars, as the road-building agency’s could. OC Parks would need to find


up to $2 million. No easy task. But parks officials acting under Spitzer’s orders could find $1 million in this year’s budget and $1 million next year when the county pulls out of bankruptcy and OC Parks, by law, has $11 million restored to its budget. If not all the land can be ac-


quired for recreation, perhaps half can, or at a minimum, conserva- tion easements can be structured to maintain public trail access. Spitzer’s continued leadership is pivotal. He appears to understand that scenic Santiago Canyon Road and the lands above it offer unmatched recreational opportu- nities for all county residents. Janet Wilson is an Inter-Can- yon League director.


Santiago Hills resident Dave Simpson was appointed


to fill the last empty seat on the Orange Planning Commission during the Sept. 8 City Council meeting. Simpson has lived in Santia-


named to commission positions “where politics meets public policy.”


go Hills for three years and has worked in Orange – at OCTA -- for 17. He is knowledgeable about government processes and regional planning and has spent much of his tenure at OCTA in


Free flu shots offered in Orange


Free seasonal flu shots for adults


and children three years of age and older will be offered at Gri- jalva Park in the City of Orange as part of a series of emergency pre- paredness exercises by the Orange County Health Care Agency. Vaccinations will be provided


on a first-come, first-served basis on Friday, Oct. 16 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Sports Center at Grijalva Park, 368 N. Prospect St. Drive-through and walk-up flu


shot locations will be available at the site. To receive a shot, par- ticipants should be feeling well on that day and must complete a brief health screening.


Foothills Sentry


Tuesday, October 6, 2015


Land Mechanics received first place awards for both lighting and landscaping for this residential project that included an outdoor living area with above-ground spa.


Land Mechanics wins awards Bryon Meyer of Land Mechan-


ics garnered six 2015 Beautifica- tion Awards at the recent Orange County chapter of the California Landscape Contractors Associa- tion (CLCA). The CLCA honors landscapers for their originality, creativity and quality of work. The six awards encompassed


four residential projects com- pleted in 2014. Land Mechanics earned an Outstanding Achieve- ment award for green landscap- ing installation. Meyer achieved a lush look for the client and in- cluded water savings with smart timers, artificial turf, raised-bed vegetable gardens and drought


tolerant plantings. Meyer also received a first


place award for landscape instal- lation for a large residential proj- ect and top honors for landscape lighting. The renovation project included an outdoor living area structure, replete with entertain- ment components.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24