Sierra Conservation Groups Push for Land Swap to Preserve Whitney Portal Property Inyo County Set To Reconsider Mount Whitney Development Proposal Published on Jan 15, 2009 - 3:18:05 PM
Bishop, Calif. Jan. 15, 2009 - As the January 21 deadline for comments on the 'Whitney Portal Preserve' development proposal approaches, local conservationists and regional organizations are stepping up their efforts to stop the project and protect the threatened land.
"The proposed development would set a dangerous precedent for the Owens Valley and Eastern Sierra," says Christine Hancock of the grassroots SRVA Advocates for Smart Growth. "Whitney Portal is the gateway to Mount Whitney, and it deserves better than a sprawling subdivision."
Conservationists have long considered the Whitney Portal Preserve proposal the most important land use issue facing the Owens Valley region. The project calls for a remote subdivision of 27 luxury homes along Whitney Portal Road, the sole paved access route for the tallest mountain in the continental United States and four miles from the nearest town.
Inyo County approved the project in 2005, and conservationists filed suit to stop the proposal. After a series of court proceedings, in 2007 the California Court of Appeals agreed that Inyo County had violated state law and overturned development approvals.
In late 2008, Inyo County and project proponents completed a 'Revised Environmental Impact Report' in order to meet state standards for environmental review. But according to counsel to the conservationists, the document fails to consider alternatives to the project and downplays the project's role in an era of climate change.
"The revised document still fails to meet the basic standards of state law," says Tamara Galanter of Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger. "For example, it does not correct the greatest shortcoming of the initial environmental review; it does not adequately consider viable alternatives that provide great opportunities for responsible growth and minimize the subdivision's impact on the environment."
According to conservationists, better alternatives do indeed exist. "Our goal has never been to simply win a lawsuit and stop the proposal," says Christine Hancock of local SRVA. "Our goal is a collaborative, win-win resolution that puts development where it belongs and protects critical open space areas."
Originally proposed in 2003, the project faces increasing opposition. Conservationists argue that Sierra land use decisions are moving away from the sprawling subdivisions and leapfrog developments of the past and into a new era of responsible growth - especially at a time when the state is enforcing its new policies on climate change.
Sierra Watch, based in Nevada City, California, is submitting its own letter from a regional perspective. "The future of the Sierra Nevada is determined by individual land use decisions like this one," says Tom Mooers, Executive Director of Sierra Watch. "We need to learn from past mistakes and ensure what we do today protects the Sierra for generations to come."
SRVA Advocates for Smart Growth is a non-profit organization working to promote sustainable development in the Eastern Sierra region. For more information, call 831-644-0924 or visit http://srva.net/cms/.
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