Condor-Killing Development Company Receives Governor’s Conservation Award?
Tejon Ranch Company (TRC) has received the Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award (GEELA) for its PR scheme designed to distract the public from 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 an award-winning event.
The “Tejon Ranch Conservation and Land Use Agreement” – winner of the GEELA – 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 Tejon Ranch Company’s 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 – and how TRC addresses the issues in its California Condor Conservation and Management Plan.
Image source: Save Tejon Ranch
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A sickening abuse of power. When will America finally understand that second rate actors make second rate politicians?
Projects like this on the surface will not help the condor. Of course more details woulkd be appreciated.
Speaking of surface…what is the area footprint of the impacted area (building support roads)versus the set aside area on the private property in acres? Also has the developer granted conservation easements to the public good for these acres?
Regardless of the answer….a poorly located project can damge the condor’s recovery.
tks Fv
de area to be On articles like this I always like to see These things alwa
Get a life! When are you people going to start thinking about humans before vultures? Not all species are meant to live forever.
“Take” under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act can mean more than just killing an individual of a species (in this case, a condor). For the HCP, the obtained “take” permit is to allow the “harassment,” i.e., incidental interaction between human and condor that causes nest abandonment, and only allows 3 “takes” over about 30 years. The “take” permit explicitly does not allow the killing of an individual condor.
TMV does not have wind farms, and there are no wind farms on Tejon Ranch Company property. The wind farms are already in existance in the Tehachapis, so that is a moot point for the HCP. There is an agreement in the HCP that specifically forbids wind farms as part of TMV or any other endeavor on the Ranch in the future.
Just want your readers to have the full story.
Projects like this on the surface will not help the condor. Of course more details woulkd be appreciated.
Speaking of surface…what is the area footprint of the impacted area (building support roads)versus the set aside area on the private property in acres? Also has the developer granted conservation easements to the public good for these acres?
Regardless of the answer….a poorly located project can damge the condor’s recovery.
tks Fv
de area to be On articles like this I always like to see These things alwa
From the author:
Thank you for your comments.
Fair Trade – I agree with you on both points.
Fv – Tejon Ranch Company’s PR site is located at http://www.tejonpreserve.com/index.php … the “Historic Agreement” spin machine is prominently displayed. Pretty clever, eh?
crankpin – the topic of wind farms vs. individual wind turbines is already addressed in the article. Individual wind turbines will be allowed as part of the project – therein lies the loophole.
crankpin – We have done our homework. The first condors that will die on Tejon Ranch from prop turbines will probably be from the new PDV Wind Farm. Tejon Ranch owns some of the land in upper expanse of this project. Prop turbines will be soon spinning on the ranch. Tejon Ranch has entered into the Prop wind turbine wind business and few are aware of it.
Fair Trade said on October 2nd, 2009 at 10:09 am..
“A sickening abuse of power.
When will America finally understand that second
rate actors make second rate politicians?”
GOOD ONE, Fair Trade !!!
O..soooo RIGHT !!!
CHEERS
[...] In an effort to distract the public from its bid to destroy critically endangered California condor habitat, Tejon Ranch Company concocted an elaborate PR scheme called “Tejon Preserve”, which (ahem) won a conservation award from environmentally-unconscious California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. [...]