Los Angeles Times, 8-17-13, reported Whittier and the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority had reached a deal to allow oil drilling on land purchased with voter approved Prop A money to preserve open space countywide. Whittier received $17million from those funds to preserve 1,280 acres, 7 acres of which is proposed for oil drilling operations. The Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, the Times reports, filed a lawsuit opposing the oil drilling and gas exploration proposal. A deal brokered between the Authority and City provides exchanging 7 acres of the Prop A property for 17 acres in the same area. Additionally, the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority would receive $11.25 million a year to buy and preserve land elsewhere.
Whittier’s EIR lists project impacts:
- Industrial facilities in the Preserve and the potential impacts on biological resources
- Preservation of adequate movement opportunities for wildlife
The EIR also indicates San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers have jurisdictional interests. Have the impacts of this proposal on those two rivers been fully studied? How does this impact the Puente Chino Hills Wildlife Corridor? How does this relate/impact the current San Gabriel Watershed and Mountains Study that Congress Member Judy Chu is converting to legislation? Is this group of preservationists more interested in money than open space and wildlife protection?
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And my ultimate concern: Should voter approved bond money used to purchase property be used to broker deals not approved by the voters who are paying that bond off on their tax bills?
