Nevada City, CA April 9, 2008 - In a letter signed by nine Sierra organizations, leading conservationists today presented Placer and Nevada County officials with a set of principles to guide future development decisions on Donner Summit. The region is currently facing a major proposal to convert one of the most popular scenic landscapes in the Sierra Nevada into a series of high-end resorts.
"Donner Summit is one of the great iconic treasures of the Sierra Nevada," says Tom Mooers, Executive Director of Sierra Watch. "The planning principles are designed to ensure a better blueprint for Donner Summit, one that puts responsible development where it belongs and permanently protects the region's landscape for generations to come."
Representatives of the region's important conservation organizations (Sierra Watch; South Yuba River Citizens League; Tahoe Group, Sierra Club; North Fork American River Alliance; Snowlands Network; Sierra Foothills Audubon Society; California Native Plant Society; Sierra Nevada Alliance; and Forest Issues Group) signed the letter, demonstrating widespread support for conservation on Donner Summit.
The range of issues at play, from back country ski trails to downstream water supplies, demonstrates the importance of the Donner Summit Region to the Sierra Nevada and beyond. The future of the area and its resources, however, is less clear.
In 2006, after seeing an ad in the Wall Street Journal, developers Foster/Syme bought nearly 3,000 acres of Donner Summit land, including the existing Royal Gorge cross country ski resort, and immediately began to shape an ambitious development proposal.
That proposal, as outlined in initial planning documents, would remake the forested Donner Summit landscape into a series of high-end development projects, including 950 housing units, a new ski resort, and hotels. In order to service the new subdivisions, developers propose a string of new roads through local forests, new dams in Sierra headwaters, and 200 acres of sewage 'spray fields'.
The future of Donner Summit is fast becoming the most controversial development issue in the Sierra. Local homeowners have organized meetings and printed banners in an effort to "Save Donner Summit." Initial attempts at collaborative discussions stalled, and Foster/Syme is poised to file its formal application for development.
The nine Sierra conservation organizations say their planning principles are designed to elevate the current debate. Sierra Watch Field Director Peter Van Zant, who circulated the letter throughout the Central Sierra, says allies were eager to sign. "With this letter, we offer a coordinated commitment to conservation on Donner Summit."
The planning principles provide context for reviewing individual development proposals and, also, benchmarks for creating a blueprint for the region.
"The good news about the Foster/Syme development proposal is that it is raising important questions about the future of Donner Summit," says Mooers. "Our letter to Placer and Nevada County officials reminds us all what's at stake: one of the great and historic regions of the American West."
In the months ahead, Foster/Syme will likely work with Placer County planners and consultants to finalize a development proposal and create a Draft Environmental Impact Report, a key document in the environmental assessment process. Required by state law, it will provide more details about what the proposed project would mean to Donner Summit and the Sierra Nevada.
In the meantime, Sierra Watch and its allies will continue to generate support for an alternative conservation vision for Donner Summit. "Our ongoing success in nearby Martis Valley proves an important point," says Mooers. "We can work together to protect the places we love."
To see a copy of the letter and more background on the Sierra Watch Donner Summit Campaign, visit www.sierrawatch.org.
Sierra Watch is a non-profit organization working to protect the incomparable natural resources and unparalleled quality of life in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. For more information, call (530) 265-2849 or visit www.sierrawatch.org.
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