Illegal Grading at the Proposed Clear Creek Gun Club
While not directly affecting native plants (due to prior vegetation removal), the landowner west and uphill from Horsetown-Clear Creek Preserve has illegally graded a hilltop ridge and established “Clear Creek Gun Club” on their property, without authorization, indirectly affecting the entire surrounding natural environment, including native plants. In addition, photos on the gun club’s website show someone with a rifle pointed toward the Preserve property (which will host school children in April). During a recent storm, due to lack of erosion control measures, a significant amount of sediment ran onto the Preserve and into Clear Creek, where an important fisheries restoration project has been ongoing for over 20 years.
Shasta County Resource Development has already levied $119,000 in fines and penalties against the owners. In addition, California Department of Fish and Wildlife has filed 15 violations against them. A trial is set to start in about 45 days.
Riverfront Specific Plan
By the time you read this, Shasta Chapter CNPS will have submitted comments on the Riverfront Specific Plan. We focused on protecting native plants in riparian areas, establishing a significant setback from the Sacramento River, and protecting both shrubs and trees. The leaves and woody debris that fall in the river are the basic building blocks of the riverine food web, from Redding to the San Francisco Bay.
Extensive Solar Projects Planned in Shasta County
Based on reliable sources, PG&E is incentivizing solar projects near its high voltage powerlines in southern Shasta County. One project on file with the Planning Department is for 950 acres in southern Millville Plains, next to Millville Plains Road. Many landowners there have been approached about leasing their land for solar projects.
One 25-acre project that was approved by a 3 to 2 vote by the Planning Commission will take out 14 acres of blue oak woodland on a 377-acre parcel, much of which is grasslands, with no trees. This project is being appealed to the Board of Supervisors by many nearby landowners and Battle Creek Alliance (and myself, personally), based on an inadequate Biological Assessment and inadequate mitigation for the removal of blue oaks. The original Biological Assessment listed 4 birds and less than 20 plants, including two manzanitas that do not even grow in Shasta County. After complaints, the solar energy company conducted a more thorough biological review but did not adequately address the removal of narrow-leaved milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis) on the parcel, a species important to monarch butterflies.
Two silver linings did arise from this shady project. First, mitigation was required for the removal of blue oaks at a ratio of planting one tree for every two trees removed, but not to exceed $5000 per acre. Not adequate, but the mere requirement of any mitigation for tree removal is significant in Shasta County. The other silver lining was that two long-time conservative Planning Commissioners voted against the project because it removed important blue oak woodland, and made extensive statements on this issue. One Commissioner even stated that the County needed a stronger tree ordinance. ~ David Ledger
Photo taken by Ryan DiGuadio on February 12, 2015.