Santa Lucian • March 2007 RM Santa Lucian · Camping have already been released. Events. The...

Santa Lucian • March 2007 RM

I n s i d eI n s i d eI n s i d eI n s i d eI n s i d eJerry at bat 2

Code Pink lady in town 3

Paddlers Corner 4

Dalidio again 5

Paso v. Monster Winery 6

Classifieds 7

Outings 8

Protecting andPreserving theCentral Coast

The official newsletter of the Santa Lucia Chapter of the Sierra Club • San Luis Obispo County, CaliforniaApril 2007

Volume 44 No. 4

Santa LucianSanta Lucia Chapter of the Sierra ClubP. O. Box 15755San Luis Obispo, CA 93406

NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT NO. 84

SAN LUISOBISPOCA 93401

This newsletter printed on100% post-consumer recycled

paper with soy-based inks

Please recycle

Ag Land or Disneyland?

continued on page 4

General Meeting,April 27:

Hot Spots II: How to savethe south county

- see page 2

SantaLucian

Massive county ag policy changes must be thwarted

Attorney General Moves Against Nuke Waste

(If you are reading thisissue before the abovedate -- and we realizemost of you aren’t, suchis the lot of a monthlyprinting schedule -- readfast and get ready for ameeting!)

Many of us are con-cerned about the futureof our rural lands as thepressure to divide anddevelop them mounts. Incoming months, thefuture of our rural landswill be a major topicdiscussed by Countydecision makers.

After literally years ofeffort, the Cayucos viewshed ordinance, intended to protectthe pristine coastal hills and ridges of rural Cayucos, will

Call to Action for the Cayucos Viewshed: April 3

Multiply by hundreds... unless you speak up.

continued on page 4

Reverberations continue to be felt fromthe legal victory won last year by Moth-ers for Peace and the Sierra Club whenan appeals court found that the NuclearRegulatory Commission (NRC) erred inrefusing to consider the environmentalimpacts of a terrorist attack on theDiablo Canyon Nuclear Power plant’sproposed radioactive waste storagefacility. On March 16, the State of Califor-nia petitioned the NRC to undertakerule making that will do the follow-ing: “1) rescind NRC regulations thatdeclare the potential environmentaleffects of the approval, construction,and operation of high-density poolstorage of spent nuclear fuel are notand cannot be significant for pur-poses of NEPA (National Environ-mental Policy Act); 2) adopt and issue a generic deter-mination that approval of such stor-

age at a nuclear power plant or anyother facility does constitute a majorfederal action that may have a signifi-cant effect on the human environment;and 3) order that no NRC licensing deci-sion that approves high-density pool

California demands environmental protection from NRC

Not safe: Diablo Canyon.

by Sue LuftPresident, North County Watch

continued on page 5

San Luis Obispo County is facingmounting pressure to open its ag-zonedlands to more and more ag-tourismuses—events, camping, retail, inns andthe like. Why should this concern us,especially those of us who do not live inrural areas? We all need to be keenlyaware that such changes in land usepolicy will affect everyone in the county,reducing open space and threateningthe viability of our agriculture, ournatural resources, and the county’srural character. We need to move verycarefully in responding to this pres-sure—responding to the real needs ofreal agriculturalists but not allowingover-development thatwill trigger the trans-formation of our ruralareas into an agricul-tural theme park.

New Proposals areComing Down thePike. The SLO CountyAg Commission andPlanning Departmentare teaming up behinda series of very expan-sive proposed ordi-nances that will greatlyexpand tourist opportu-nities in our ag neigh-borhoods. There willbe individual proposals for Events,Camping and RuralRecreation, Lodgings, Retail and Pro-cessing. Proposals for Events andCamping have already been released.

Events. The Events proposal is ex-traordinarily expansionary. Today, wehave two types of events—wineryevents, which require the highest levelof permit, and temporary events, eachof which must receive its own discre-tionary permit. The new Events pro-posal creates three new categories ofevents—special, agricultural, and tem-porary—all available in most land use

categories, including land zoned foragriculture. Rules governing wineryevents remain as before. The proposalallows anyone receiving a discretionarypermit to host up to 40 days of eventseach year, with no limit on the numberof people attending and no restrictionson hours of operation. Those in activeagriculture (undefined at the moment)can host up to an additional 21 days of

ag related eventswith no discretion-ary permit, and thusno opportunity forneighbor input,and, beyond that, anunlimited numberof ag events withonly a minor usepermit. In addition,each parcel has aone-time opportu-nity to host up to2,000 people withno oversight what-soever. Problems withthe events piece ofthe Ag Tourismpackage are enor-mous. First, events,probably more thanany other accessoryuse, threaten neigh-bors’ well being andburden local roadsand parking. Thinkamplified music,

2 Santa Lucian • March 2007

SSSSSanananananttttta a a a a LLLLLuuuuuccccciiiiiananananan

EDITOR/LAYOUT [email protected] MerriamJack McCurdyEDITORIAL BOARD

The Santa Lucian is published 10 times ayear. Articles, environmental informationand letters to the editor are welcome. Thedeadline for each issue is the 7th of theprior month.

send to:Editor, Santa Lucianc/o Santa Lucia Chapter, Sierra ClubP.O. Box 15755San Luis Obispo, CA [email protected]

Santa Lucia Chapter

2007 Executive CommitteeKaren Merriam CHAIR

Committee ChairsPolitical Sarah Christie

Conservation Ken Smokoska

Membership Cal FrenchActing Program Chair Letty French [email protected] Andy GreensfelderDiablo Canyon Task Force Rochelle Becker [email protected] Task Force Jack & Bea MorrowOther Leaders

Open SpaceGary Felsman 805-473-3694Calendar SalesBonnie Walters 805-543-7051Chapter HistoryJohn Ashbaugh 805-541-6430

ActivitiesOutingsGary Felsman 805-473-3694

Canoe/KayakJoe Dickerson [email protected]

General InformationSanta Lucia ChapterP.O. Box 15755San Luis Obispo, CA 93406

Chapter DirectorAndrew [email protected]

Chapter office hours areMonday-Friday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.1204 Nipomo St.,San Luis Obispo 93401

www.santalucia.sierraclub.org

Change of Address? Mail changes to:

Sierra Club National Headquarters85 Second Street, 2nd FloorSan Francisco, CA 94105-3441

or e-mail:[email protected]

Visit us onthe Web!

w w ww w ww w ww w ww w w. s a n t a l u c i a .. s a n t a l u c i a .. s a n t a l u c i a .. s a n t a l u c i a .. s a n t a l u c i a .s i e r r a c l u b . o r gs i e r r a c l u b . o r gs i e r r a c l u b . o r gs i e r r a c l u b . o r gs i e r r a c l u b . o r g

Outings, events, and more!

Cal French MEMBER

The Executive Committee meetsthe fourth Friday of every monthat 4:00 p.m. at the chapter office,located at 1204 Nipomo St., SanLuis Obispo. All members arewelcome to attend.

John Ashbaugh MEMBER

[email protected]

COUNCIL OF CLUB LEADERSCal French

VICE CHAIRTracy Haydon

SECRETARY [email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

MEMBER

Richard Kranzdorf

[email protected]

2500

Santa Lucia Chapter General MeetingHot Spots, Part Two: South County & Beyond

Friday, April 27,7:00 p.m.St. Stephens Episcopal Church1334 Nipomo St., at PismoSan Luis Obispo

Enter parking lot off Pismo

Refreshments

Jack Morrow [email protected]

Steven MarxTREASURERCleve Nash

Andrew Christie

[email protected]

Boosterism BacklashTribune’s relentless development pressure galvanizes residents

Pay no attention tothat Supervisor behindthe easel: JerryLenthall surveys thefirst meeting of hisAvila Beach FossilPointe DiscussionGroup at the San LuisBay Inn, discussing thedevelopment of oil-contaminated land.Focus groups are usedby developers to createthe illusion of publicprocess and buy-in,helping grease thewheels for the devel-oper’s project in thepermitting process. At one point, aparticipant stated thatany developmentshould follow thepolicies of the AvilaBeach Specific Plan.The developer-fundedfacilitator replied thatthis was not necessaryand the plan couldsimply be “drawnupon for inspiration,”then cut off thespeaker as he said “Idisagree with you,sir...,“ and changed thesubject.

Outrage over the SLO Tribune’s cover-age of the massive proposed Heart Hillwinery project in Paso Robles and sub-sequent editorial endorsement (see“Taking Issue,” page 6) may have far-reaching impacts. The editorial was ill-received by localland use activists and citizens’ groups inPaso Robles and other North Countycommunities where rural and ag landsare under heavy development pressure.It followed by two days a Tribune edito-rial praising Supervisor Jerry Lenthallfor using his office to quarterback aprivate development in Avila Beach, ashe did previously for the Dalidio Ranchproject. “I have had it,” said North CountyWatch President Sue Harvey in cancel-ing her Tribune subscription and sum-ming up the general sentiment. “I can’tstand the Dalidio cheerleading, or HeartHill, or the five lunching ladies, or daysof Lohan on the front page. It takes me5 minutes to read it and a lot longer torecycle it.” Atascadero resident Stephen Tillmannnoted that when Ellen Beraud and MikeBrennler ran for Atascadero City Coun-cil on platforms of open governmentand a return to honest leadership in thewake of multiple development scandals

emanating from City Hall, the Tribuneendorsed their opponents. “The Tribshowed all of us in Atascadero that onlythe developer-sponsored candidatesneed apply for endorsements,” saidTillman. Industry’s apparent influence on theTribune’s attempts at opinion-making,and the influence of Lenthall and Super-visor Harry Ovitt, both with long votingrecords that attest to their seldom hav-ing met a development project theydidn’t like, came in for special mentionas e-mails flew in the response to theTrib’s one-two punch, with generalagreement on the solution to the prob-lem: We need to secure at least threereliable votes on the Board of Supervi-sors for smart growth and responsibleland use planning as soon as possible, orwe are well down the road to a wholenew county. The road to November 2008may be the last opportunity for resi-dents who care about the environmentto get very serious about getting thosethree votes and to step up, for the nextyear and a half, to support candidateswho will reverse the course we’re on. North County residents have started anew blog to deal with local issues andare looking for contributors. Go to:http://abovethegrade.blogspot.com/

What’s up with the Avila Beach tank farm site?Will Pismo suck the Oak Park aquifer dry?Can the Arroyo Grande rural fringe be saved?Will Carrizo Plain be grazed to stubble?Talk with the activists on theground, get the big picture onwhat the future holds for ourway of life, and ideas for whatyou can do where you live!

Santa Lucian • March 2007 RM3

Bob Hattoy, 1950-2007

Diane Wilson in Town for Earth Day

continued on page 5

One-of-a-kind environmental activistBob Hattoy passed away on March 4,one month after being named presidentof the California Fish & Game Commis-sion. Bob went to bat for San Luis Obispomore than once, fighting for the rightof the public to speak agaist the MorroBay Estuary waterfowl hunt at the Fishand Game Commission’s August 2005meeting in SLO, and spending most of2006 arguing for higher levels of pro-tection for Central Coast Marine Pro-tected Areas, newly decreed by theCommission. A collection of quotes once compiledby the California League of Conserva-tion Voters gives some of the flavor ofthe “Best of Bob:” “Substantive issues aside, naming anational forest after Ronald Reagan islike naming a day care center afterW. C. Fields.” On the Walt Disney Co.’s plan tobuild a Long Beach theme park: “If wehave to stand in line to ride theMatterhorn, Mickey Mouse shouldstand in line for a Coastal Commissionpermit.” On the loss of the Big Green initia-tive: “We were having a big environ-mental partyand then warand recessionshowed up. Ihate when thathappens.” On big busi-nesses capitaliz-ing on the envi-ronmentalmovement:“You can’t painta chain sawgreen and sayit’s good for theforest.” TarrenCollins, Chair ofthe SierraClub’s GreatCoastal PlacesCampaign andformer Chair ofthe Santa LuciaChapter, said“Bob was one ofmy best, mostbeloved friends.Consequenceswere not part ofthe equation for

D.C. “I really think he’s one of the mostimportant environmental political fig-ures in this country,” said his old boss,Los Angeles City Councilman Zev Yaro-slavsky. “That’s not an exaggeration.He’s credible in the halls of Congressand at City Hall. He’s definitely some-body you’d want on your side.” In 1992, Bob quit his job as our Re-gional Director in Los Angeles in orderadvise presidential candidate BillClinton on the environment. That year, Bob learned he had AIDS,helped get Bill Clinton elected, andwent to work in the White House.

The Los Angeles Times noted in1995 that, as associate director of WhiteHouse personnel, Hattoy shaped theClinton Administration’s policy on HIV/AIDS, and often clashed with politicallycautious colleagues. “I didn’t come toWashington to be a faceless federalbureaucrat,” he said. “I came toWashington to be a bureaucrat in yourface. If a foreign enemy were killing thatmany people, we’d be calling out theMarines.”

Bob was appointed to the CaliforniaFish and Game Commission in 2002.

Marcia Hanscom, Vice Chair of the

Bob joined with fellow CommissionerSam Schuchat to overturn a staffrecommendation that would onlydesignate a small part of the land as anecological reserve and that would havekept the public out of the wetlandsreserve. We met with Bob and Sambefore the Fish & Game meeting, rightafter the state finalized the publicacquisition of more than 600 acres ofland at Ballona. By the time of thehearing, Bob and Sam worked theirpolitical magic and by a unanimousvote, the Commissioner overturned thestaff recommendation. Nearly 600 acresof land at Ballona are now designated asthe Ballona Wetlands EcologicalReserve, including 83 acres in BallonaCreek and an adjacent area, which aDFG staffer told us would be only bedone ‘over [her] dead body.’ The StateCoastal Conservancy is working withstakeholders on a plan for sensiblepublic access at Ballona.”

“As President of the Fish & GameCommission and Chair of the Wild-life Conservation Board, I’m sure Bobhad plans for the Commission to revisitan issue he had championed but not yetfound a way to win -- to get the lead outof bullets hunters use; lead that has

proved lethal to theCalifornia Condorand other wildlife. “California isalready in a dimin-ished state withoutBob’s leadership,”said Hanscom. “Ihope the Governorrealizes he needs toappoint three goodCommissioners totake the place ofone Bob Hattoy.” “As an organizerand leader for theSierra Club, Bobwas an exceptionalpolitical strategist”said Warner Chabotof The Ocean Con-servancy. “Heworked, usuallybehind the scenes,on quiet campaignsthat put many bril-liant, talented anddeserving conserva-tion-minded leadersinto positions ofpower and publicservice. He com-bined courage,humor, politicalsavvy, passion

for the environ ment and people

in a wonderful, ethical, eclectic, outra-geous and fun package. “He drove his White House and Inte-rior Department bosses absolutelycrazy,” said Chabot, “because of histotal inability to do anything other thanspeak absolute truth to power.”

Bob. Anyonewho had thepleasure of hiscompany wouldnot be surprisedto know that heworked at the Comedy Store in L.A.prior to beginning his work on politicalcampaigns.” Bob’s was hired by the Sierra Club in1983. and became one of our strongestadvocates for the environment in LosAngeles, Sacramento and Washington,

Sierra Club’s Angeles Chapter Conserva-tion Committee and former member ofthe national Sierra Club Board ofDirectors, recalled Bob’s role in thestruggle to save the Ballona Wetlands ofwest Los Angeles.

“As a Fish & Game Commissioner,

Bob Hattoy, Sierra Club Great Coastal Places Campaign Chair Tarren Collins and friend in Shell Beach.

By David Weisman,Outreach Coordinator, Alliance for NuclearResponsibility www.a4nr.org

While the Alliance for Nuclear Respon-sibility is dedicated to making sure thatnuclear power is not foisted on the pub-lic as the solution to global warming,we must confess to heating things upwith what will surely be the “hot ticket”this Earth Day. Texas fisherwoman Diane Wilson --activist, author and co-founder of CodePink -- will make two local benefit ap-pearances on Sunday, April 22nd. She

will be at the San Luis Obispo City Li-brary from 4 to 5:30 p.m., and at a re-ception at a private home in San Luis tofollow at 6:30 p.m. Wilson, a fourth-generation shrimper,began fishing the bays off the Gulf Coastof Texas at the age of eight. By 24, shewas a boat captain. In 1989, while run-ning her brother’s fish house at thedocks and mending nets, she read anewspaper article that listed her home

of Calhoun County as the number-onetoxic polluter in the country. She set upa meeting in the town hall to discusswhat the chemical plants were doing tothe bays, and thus began her life as anenvironmental activist. Threatened bythugs and despised by her neighbors,Diane insisted the truth be told and thatFormosa Plastics stop dumping toxinsinto the bay. Her work on behalf of the people and

aquatic life of Seadrift, Texas, has wonher a number of awards, including Na-tional Fisherman magazine’s“Highliner” Award, Lois Gibbs’ Environ-mental Lifetime Award, and theBioneers Award. She received the BluePlanet Award for environmental servicein Berlin in 2006. As co-founder of CodePink, she continues to lead the fight forsocial justice. Her autobiography, AnUnreasonable Woman, published byChelsea Green in 2006, is Diane’s firstbook. Reached by telephone at the trailer inwhich she is currently living, in themidst of a Texas Gulf coast swamp (andguarded by alligators, she declares), Ms.Wilson said she is eager to visit theCentral Coast again, and looks forwardto sharing stories about her many ad-ventures over the last three years. In the early spring of 2006, Dianeserved nearly four months in a Texas jailfor her act of displaying a banner at aMonsanto facility in Texas holding themculpable for Bhopal. Her harrowingexperiences at the hands of the Texasjustice system have lead her to a newproject seeking justice for women inprison. In addition to her activities with CodePink, she did a 30-day hunger strike lastsummer across the street from theWhite House in order to bring aware-ness to demands for bringing troopshome from Iraq. Following the hungerstrike, and still in weakened condition,she undertook her own “fact-finding”trip to Iraq. Ms. Wilson will recountanecdotes from her many adventures,engage in a free-wheeling Q&A with theaudience, and sign copies of her autobi-ography. Having seen first-hand the destruc-tion of the bays of the Texas Gulf, Ms.Wilson offers some cautionary advicefor San Luis Obispo County, particularlywhen I informed her that a telephonepoll was being conducted in this areaabout the possibilities of building anLNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) tankerterminal off of Morro Bay, or the poten-tial of rebuilding the Morro Bay powerplant. “They’ve already issued permits forthree LNG terminals in the Gulf ofMexico” she commented, “and theproblem is that the cooling system tore-liquefy the LNG sucks up lots of wa-ter and kills lots of larvae, and that’s

Arbor DayEventsOn April 12th and 19th, , the city of SanLuis Obispo ’s Urban Forest Dept. willhave a booth at Farmer’s Market. Comecheck out the information and meetmascot Annie Oak Leaf. On Saturday, April 21, will be partici-pating in various activities in recogni-tion of Arbor Day. Events include aCommemorative Tree planting and anArts and Prose Awards presentation toelementary school students. Informa-tion on tree planting, tree identificationand illnesses will be available frommembers of the City’s Tree Committee.Mayor Dave Romero will accept thisyear’s Tree City USA Award presented bythe California Department of Forestry. Activities begin at 10:00 a.m. at La-guna Lake Park. Refreshments will beserved. For more information, contactthe City Arborist office at 781-7220.


Cayucoscontinued from page 1

soon be back at the Board of Supervi-sors for final action. Other issues willsoon follow. Taken together, these ini-tiatives will have profound effects onhow this county’s rural lands look andfunction in the future. They will deter-mine how much non-ag use (such asevent centers) we see in our rural areas,whether we have the will to conserveimportant scenic, ag and natural re-sources, and whether we can controlsprawl. Our rural areas have been under tre-mendous development pressure anddecisions on viewshed protection andthe other issues will be crucial to thecounty’s character for years to come.People who care about our rural landsare moving to join this important dis-cussion and they need to hear from you. All these efforts aim to balance thepublic interest of protecting productiveag land, open space and natural re-sources, with a land owner’s financialinterest in development. The commun-ity’s interest in this balance is reflectedin zoning laws and land use regulationthat have been in place for over 100years. Indeed, the balancing of commu-nity and individual property rights isone of government’s fundamental roles. The long struggle over the viewshedordinance has revealed a vocal minority

that holds extreme views on propertyrights. This group has loudly opposedmodest regulation of residential devel-opment, falsely claiming a threat toagriculture (when virtually all ag build-ings are exempt from this regulation).Their mission — promoting unre-stricted development rights over theinterests of neighboring properties andthe public at large — was on display intheir vehement opposition to the re-cently passed County trails plan. This19th-century view of property rightsposes a considerable threat to our rurallands as development pressure mounts. The viewshed ordinance is simply aset of standards for siting, sizing andscreening residential development inthe Cayucos rural area. Such standardsare universal in urban areas to limit theimpact of residential development onneighboring properties. It’s only due toincreasing population that such stan-dards are now needed in the rural areas.As many have noted before, 1) suchrural viewshed standards exist else-where in the County, 2) the standardsdo not prevent houses from being builton legal parcels, and 3) the standardsexempt virtually all ag structures. Since we have a fast-growing ruralpopulation, we need to carefully con-sider how development should proceed.

Upcoming decisions will have importanteffects on how this county looks in 10,20, and 50 years. Do we want hugehouses on our rural skyline? Do webelieve in smart growth? Do we careabout the protection of productive agland and important natural resources?Are we content to let the real estatemarket dictate the outcome? We need to express a vision for ourrural lands. We need to speak to theproper balance of the public good andindividual interests. We need to makeclear that we support reasonable regula-tion to protect the community interestin our rural areas. Many who live inthese areas support this 21st-centuryview of property rights; this view alsorequires the support of a strong com-munity voice. Support for effective viewshed protec-tion standards is important now, as aclear statement that we care about howour rural areas look. (See the box belowfor the details.) The viewshed effort is aprelude to upcoming (and significant)discussions about how we want ourrural areas to develop and function. Weneed to articulate the important ideathat the wider community has a legiti-mate interest in protecting the commonwealth represented in productive agland, open space and natural habitats.

This effort is crucial to our county’sfuture character.

TAKE ACTION:Speak up on the Cayucos ViewshedProtection Ordinance

A full public hearing on the ordinancewill be held April 3 at the Board of Su-pervisors. The staff ordinance coversviews only from Highway 1 and tworural roads. The Board needs to beurged to support staff’s recommendedordinance, with the addition that it bemade applicable to new structureswithin one mile of all public roadswithin the Cayucos rural area. CONTACT all five County Supervisorsexpressing your support for protectingviews from all public roads and places. ATTEND the April 3 hearing (checkthe posted agenda for approx. time).

Chairman Lenthall [email protected] Achadjian [email protected] Gibson [email protected] Ovitt [email protected] Patterson [email protected]

late-night noise, poorly monitored at-tendees, alcohol mixed with major in-creases in traffic on narrow countryroads. Lots more of these is lots worsefor us! Second, enforcement of the fewrules that might protect the neighborsis weak to non-existent. Third, thecounty is making no effort to evaluatethe cumulative impacts of this proposalcombined with those that will comebehind it. Camping. The camping proposal issimilarly expansive, opening the door tounlimited ag-related organizationalcamping with permanent structures onag land and up to 90 days of “incidental”camping (no special facilities permit-ted). In both cases, RVs qualify as“camping units.” Required acreagesand setbacks are modest. Again, the camping proposal posesenormous problems for our ag areas.Imagine being the neighbor as RVs setup with their generators and radios foran evening of fun on the other side ofyour fence line. Imagine the conse-quences as someone flicks a cigaretteinto the field in mid-summer. Imaginesharing a quiet country road with RVsand boat trailers, curve after curve aftercurve. How Should We Approach the Issueof Ag Tourism? Ag tourism must bean integral part of a healthy agriculturaleconomy. To protect our agriculture,we need to help make it pay, and thebest way for a real farmer or rancher tomake most types of agriculture pay isthrough direct marketing—on-site saleof on-site ag production. So the rulesshould permit activities that supportdirect marketing—processing, retail,tours, reasonable and related “events”like harvest festivals, etc. To preserveagricultural opportunities and limit thetroublesome impacts of ag-tourism,these activities should only be under-taken in direct support of on-site agri-culture. A few principles offer good guidancein deciding how far is far enough:

Expand land use opportunities for allagriculturalists [olive oil, meat, etc.] ;do not favor wineries.

Strictly limit accessory uses, makingthem available only to those activelyengaged in agriculture.

Appropriately scale accessory uses tomatch on-site agricultural productionand available infrastructure and

resources.

This approach benefits our county’sreal farmers and ranchers by directingopportunities for the accessory uses tothem. It protects our agricultural landsand rural character by strictly limitingaccessory uses to activities that directlysupport on-site agriculture. It is win-win for county agriculture and countyresidents. How Do Current Proposals MeasureUp? The Events and Camping/RuralRecreation proposals do not conform tothese principles. They offer a largemenu of commercial opportunities toall ag land owners, not just to activeagriculturalists. They expand uses—like camping and special events—thatdon’t relate to direct marketing or evento agriculture. They impose weak if anysize or density limits on the activitiesthey permit. They would serve to fur-ther stoke the feverish rise in landprices, the engine driving agriculturalloss, and strip all of us of our county’smost valuable and irreplaceable asset—its agricultural lands. Watch for the AgTourism Proposals.Although the components are integrallyrelated and have significant cumulativeeffects, the Planning Department willintroduce their AgTourism packagepiecemeal—with separate proposals forEvents, Rural Recreation and Camping,Accommodations, Processing, andRetail. They are beginning with theEvents proposal, which they are takingto the advisory and ag interest groupsand will probably take to the PlanningCommission in late spring. If you be-lieve this expansion is harmful, go toyour area Advisory Group to oppose theEvents proposal, and then join in op-posing it when it comes to the PlanningCommission. Find out your community advisorycouncil’s meeting times and locations:

· Avila Valley: http://www.avilavalley.org· Cayucos: http://www.cayucos-ccac.org· Los Osos: http://www.locac.us· South County: http://www.scac.ca.gov· North Coast: http://www.northcoastadvisorycouncil.org· San Miguel: [email protected]· Santa Margarita: http://www.smaaconline.org· Oceano: [email protected]· Shandon: [email protected]· Templeton: http://www.taaginfo.org

By Joe Dickerson

Well this was a strange outing, albeit alot of fun. First odd thing was that thechiefs outnumbered the Indians by aratio of two to one. We had only oneother paddler show up at the appointedplace and the appointed hour. But theweather was warm, lots of blue-sky over-head and a gentle breeze. So Ann &Ann and I set out to see what we couldsee. The aforementioned breeze pro-pelled the boats southward along thesand spit with very little paddling re-quired, and we all felt a bit like latter-day Huck Finns. It’s supposed to be a little late in theseason for the birds to still be in the baybut nobody has mentioned it to thebirds. All the usual suspects werepresent and many of them were activelyworking for their keep. The white peli-cans were mostly napping or preeningwhile the elegant terns were diving onfish, the willets, curlews, godwits, dow-itchers, et al were busily probing themud for whatever it is they probe themud for and the gulls were mostly pes-tering everybody. Ann and Ann were doing a little har-bor seal watching, who was doing a littlekayaker watching of his/her own and, toour great joy, joined our little flotilla fora bit. I spotted fins breaking the surfacenear Grassy Island and at first thought Ihad spotted a couple of small sharks. After a couple of minutes it becameclear that my pair ofsmall sharks was a fairlygood-sized bat ray withits wing tips nearly ayard apart. Very cool. We headed acrossthe bay to the beachbelow the heron rook-ery to eat lunch andstretch out the crampedleg muscles a bit. Bynow the wind was start-ing to blow, and as wehad launched at

Coleman Beach the paddle back to thecars was going to be all up hill. On the way back I played my usualmind game of which sailboat I’ll buywhen I win the lottery while Ann andAnn chatted and paddled and paddled

and chatted. None of us was in a hurry,which was a good thing as the wind wasreally starting to blow, so we took ourtime and watched an otter doing otterstuff and the Laser, Lido, and Day Sailorfolks having a very exciting regatta. Nothing is quite so nice as messingabout in boats. On a personal note, Ann and I arecurrently caring for her mom and I’mnot getting to my phone messages asoften as I should. Please use our E-mailaddress; [email protected] or my cellphone number (805) 235-1037 if youhave questions about our outings. See you out on the water.

Ag Landcontinued from page 1

The Adventures ofHuck Finns

Santa Lucian • March 2007 RM5

LettersSLO Library: San Luis Obispo PublicLibrary, Osos and Palm Streets

Fri April 6, 7pm: Hand of God $5Thurs. April 12, 7pm Born into Brothels(part of CalPoly’s Film Series $5Fri April 13 7pm: Black Gold (the storyof Fair Trade Coffee) $7Sat April 14 7pm: America: From Free-dom to Fascism (illegality of the IRS) $5Fri April 20, 7pm: Planet Earth (Part 1and 2) celebrating Earth Day! FREESat April 21 7pm Planet Earth (Part 3and 4) celebrating Earth Day! FREE

Looking for a real wilderness vacation?Come rent Canyon Creek Lodge.In the mountains near Smithers, British Columbia. Designedfor groups and families. Easily accessible by air, road or rail,

yet located in a true wilderness setting. Canoe, kayak, raft, bike, hike, fish, ski, or viewthe abundant wildlife. The Lodge accommodates up to 10 with 5 bedrooms and 2.5baths. It’s like your own private wilderness area, but with all the comforts of home. Alsogreat for retreats, seminars, courses or club outings. We can connect you to local outfit-ters, guides or instructors. Visit www.canyoncreekbritishcolumbia.com, [email protected] or call 250-847-4349 (Roger McColm). Mentionthis ad and 5% of your rental goes to the Santa Lucia Chapter.

Dear Editor, I prize good environmental quality justas much as I prize business prosperityand a robust economy. I’ve been a sup-porter of Ernie Dalidio and his family,from the day I met him (and wifeChristy) five years ago. I’m a member ofthe Santa Lucia chapter of the SierraClub (just as I was in years past, in theMt. Shasta area of Siskiyou County, CA). I do not personally believe the SierraClub (or kindred organizations) has anybusiness in getting tangled up in theDalidio project, as is now occurring.The project is little different, but just asbeneficial to the community and theeconomy, as the Madonna project onLos Osos Valley Road. I never saw thislevel of intensity directed towards theMadonna family…it is simply unfair,inconsistent, and unkind for this Chap-ter to go down this road, now, with thisproject. Where was this chapter whenthe car dealerships were approved nextdoor? Have you ever heard the term“light pollution?” Are you aware of howmuch asphalt and concrete rests be-neath an auto dealership, thus prevent-ing soil absorption of storm runoff?Where did our chapter stand on that?Did we say anything at all? I still view this as an “infill,” ratherthan a “sprawl” project. I also veryfirmly believe in the freedoms possessedby an individual in America today, tohave the right to do anything he or shewishes with their personal property,provided laws are not broken, andpeople are neither deprived of theirpersonal and legal rights, nor sufferfrom damaged health. I don’t think the initiative to placethis on the ballot was illegal; everyother avenue and solution was explored,publicly debated, blocked or exhausted.This was just another option, and onethat Ernie shouldn’t have been boxedinto taking, in the first place. I will remain as a member of theSierra Club and this chapter, but weabsolutely part ways with respect to thechapter’s stated, public position on theDalidio Project. Thank you very much. Lee FerreroLos Osos, CA

Would that there were enough activists,enough resources, enough time, andenough concerned and aware citizensto besiege our city councils, planningcommissions and the County Board ofSupervisors over every one of the hun-dreds of dubious development proposalsthat come down the pike every year! Our position on Measure J is basedon the sound principle that if success-ful, it invites “single-issue” spot zoninginitiatives that make a mockery of com-prehensive planning. Here’s the thing: If you wanted to putin a deck, or a swimming pool, or asecond unit, how would you like to walkinto County Planning and be told thatyour project and your property wereexempt from any “developmentplan...plot plan approval, zoning clear-ance, site plan approval, site planreview...or any other review or entitle-ment purporting to regulate or guideland use or development”? What if your project could harmwildlife habitat, impair views, drainageconditions and the value of historicstructures on the site, but whateverconditions of approval were initiallyrequired could never be changed, evenif they were found to be insufficient —and there would be no way to makethat finding? Your development will besubject only to “ministerial actions,” soplanners, the city council or board ofsupervisors simply have no say. If that sounds like a pretty good dealto you, how would you like to be the

going to ruin your fishing industry.Even the Governor of Louisiana is op-posing it. Then they are going to haveto dredge all these ship channelsdouble-wide for the tankers. What arethey going to do with the dredgingspoils? And what about terrorism?” She adds, “I’ve been there, livedthere, and seen what happens when youbring in a plant or industry and say thisis the hope for your community and theeconomic bo-nanza that isgoing to makeyour communitygrow and createjobs. They onlysee the initialinvestment, butthen we end upwith chemicaldischarges, lar-vae kills, mer-cury pollution,the plant goesbankrupt, thejobs are lost.We’ve killed offthe fishing industry and we’ve ruinedour chances for ecotourism because wedestroyed the bay that would have cre-ated and sustained it.” She concludes ruefully, “The bonanzaof short term economic goals is so veryshort, and the price is so high. If youwant to destroy your bay, just inviteindustries…and if you want to see howbadly it can end up, come look at us inTexas!” As someone concerned with thehealth of bays, Ms. Wilson realized earlyon that fishermen could be her bestallies. As she says, “Even though I do alot of environmental work, I have noproblem swinging with a bunch of fish-erman,becausefishermenare mypeople,and be-cause it’swho I am,and I amcomfort-able beingwiththem. Ittakes in-depen-dence to

be a fisherman, and sometimes thatattitude makes some folks nervous—and the fishermen pick up on it—but Iam comfortable. You have to make theeffort to meet them on their turf, putdown the PhD-generated data and re-ports, and just listen to them. When itcomes to protecting the bay and the sealife from industry and power plants, youcan find common ground.”

Come share conversation and inspira-tion with Diane Wilson. See and hearher at the SLO Public Library from 4 to5:30 PM on Sunday, April 22nd. Thesuggested donation is $20 for adults; $5for students with I.D. For a more inti-mate discussion, join the Alliance forappetizers, wine, hors d’oeuvres anddesserts at a private reception to follow;suggested donation $40 per person. Alarge turnout is expected for both eventsand seating is limited, so guaranteeyour reservation by calling (805) 772-7077 or [email protected] All proceedsbenefit the Alliance for Nuclear Respon-sibility.

applicant who comes in after the guywho gets that deal, and be told “Sorry,you have to play by the rules”? That’s what Measure J did, for asingle project. It’s likely that most ofthe people who voted for it didn’t knowthe above-quoted provisions were in it.We were told it was “the fair solution.” Measure J has made the County’sGeneral Plan — our constitution forland use planning — inconsistent, inco-herent, and contradictory. It also pre-sumes to exempt itself from state law.That’s why the court needs to deter-mine whether Measure J meets thecriteria of an “individual’s right to doanything he or she wishes with theirpersonal property, provided laws arenot broken, and people are neither de-prived of their personal and legal rights,nor suffer from damaged health.” Thelegal arguments in Citizens for Plan-ning Responsibly and ECOSLO v.County of San Luis Obispo are clearlystated, well written and worth a read.You can access it at www.ecoslo.org/cprfinalpetition022707 . Others who feel as you do have ob-jected to the legal action on the

grounds that Measure J passed with65% of the vote. But if 100% of thevoters vote for an illegal initiative, it isstill illegal. Measure J will now get itsday in court. If it is ruled to be invalid,the developers are free to go throughthe normal planning process with aproject that is capable of being condi-tioned and approved. (Its previous in-carnation was rejected by the SLOPlanning Commission, as well as by thecity’s voters.) That project should be onan appropriate scale, provide for ad-equate open space, and not dump atraffic nightmare on local residents –things that the planning process canprovide, and ballot-box planning can-not. That’s why we shouldn’t heed theTribune’s call to “throw in the towel” orCity Councilman Paul Brown’s urgingto “let this wound heal.” Measure J hasbroken the General Plan. Healing willrequire removing the foreign objectfrom the wound and setting the bone. Itmay be a painful process, but it’s prefer-able to infection and a permanent limp.

-Ed.

Diane Wilsoncontinued from page 3

Nuke Wastecontinued from page 1

storage of spent nuclear fuel at anuclear power plant or other storagefacility may issue without the prioradoption and certification of an environ-mental impact statement that complieswith NEPA in all respects, including fullidentification, analysis, and disclosureof the potential environmental effects ofsuch storage, including the potential foraccidental or deliberately caused releaseof radioactive products to the environ-ment, whether by accident or throughacts of terrorism, as well as full andadequate discussion of potential mitiga-tion for such effects, and full discussionof an adequate array of alternatives tothe proposed storage project.” The petition, filed by Attorney Gen-eral Jerry Brown, notes that “the NRChas not properly evaluated the signifi-cance of storing spent fuel assemblies inpools that were designed for a muchsmaller number of spent nuclear fuelassemblies, thereby greatly increasingthe possibility of catastrophic accidentsinvolving fire,” and that the agency alsoneeds to acknowledge that our under-standing of threat has changed sinceSeptember 10, 2001, and since the NRCregulations were written.

Contrary to popular belief, the “drycask storage facility” at Diablo Canyonwill not empty the plant’s spent fuelpools; it will merely make room formore spent fuel rods to be stored in thepools before they are ultimately movedinto cement casks.

“The Alliance for NuclearResponsibility had requested thatCalifornia’s Attorney General support asimilar Petition for Rulemaking filed bythe Massachusetts Attorney General,”said ANR Executive Director RochelleBecker. “The Alliance is pleased to seethis independent action by our AttorneyGeneral to ensure that issues of secu-rity, both of pools and dry casks storedon our coast for an indeterminatelength of time, are fully addressed andall safety issues are resolved. We lookforward to working with Attorney Gen-eral Brown’s office and other state legis-lators and agencies on the economicimpacts of California’s dependence onaging nuclear reactors and onsite stor-age of highly radioactive waste on ourpriceless coast.”

No one turned away for lack of funds.For information, call 788-0929. ForHopeDance film schedule, go towww.hopedance.org


Taking Issue“Have a heart, allow the permit,” The Tribune, Mar. 4, 2007.

problematic environmental coverage & commentary in our local press

Summary: The Tribune endorses the issuance of a development permit for the proposed HeartHill winery in Paso Robles.

Is this agri-culture ortourism? TheDepartmentof conserva-tion, whichoversees theWilliamson Act, notified the county that thehospitaltiy building, commercial kitchen, and pro-posed events with amplified music at Heart Hill arenot consistent with the Williamson Act.

It should be remembered that eachof those wineries and each acre ofvineyard have changed the com-plexion of the land. And, given thatour county‘s economic vibrancydepends increasingly on tourismdollars, we see the value in thisevolution.

No doubtthat un-happinesswas validated when the Fransicans beganto exploit, enslave and slaughter them.

Understandingthe impacts of aproject is re-quired under

the California Environmental Quality Act, and manag-ing change is what land use planning is all about. theproject will clearly have a negative impact on watersupply, water quality, traffic, scenic resources and com-munity character.

At its March 8meeting, thePlanning Commission rightly chose to continue the itemin order to get more information on its impact to groundwater supply and traffic safety, and its implications forlocal Williamson Act contracts.

Many of the area’s vineyards areowned by corporate entities,such as Gallo, who choose toprocess their grapes at existingfacilities out of the area, wherethey also have distributionfacilities for a global market.This makes better economicsense for them than buildingadditional wineries locally.Other growers have lucrative

contracts with Napa and Sonoma vintners, and have no desire toprocess their grapes locally. Still others grow grapes not of suffi-cient quality for premiun appellation status, and require blendingwith grapes grown out of the area. There is no data to support thestatement that grapes leave the area due to lack of processingcapacity. It is unreasonable to expect that all grapes grown locallyshould be processed and sold locally.

We fully understand that change can feelthreatening. No doubt the Chumash andSalinan natives who lived here weren’thappy when the Franciscans took upresidence in the 1700s

And we know ranchers who wouldrather see cattle on the westside’s hills rather than grapevines. But trying to preventchange is ineffective.

Because of a lack of pro-duction capability, almost60 percent of the grapesgrown within the PasoRobles area are sold outof the area.... This meansfewer people nationwidewill be exposed to a finePaso wine.

We believe staff is correct in itsassessment and the PlanningCommission should approve thepermit at its March 8 meeting.

The orginal negativedeclaration, with theviewshed impacts“mitigated to a levelof insignifigance,”was found to be soinadequate as torequire an amend-ment and recircula-tion of the document. The revised project proposes to use 45,000 cubicyards of dirt from the site to construct earthen berms to screen the visualimpacts. If impacts were “insignificant” before, why would they require sucha drastic re-design?

The Morro Group found in its report thatthe visual impacts of the Heart Hillproject can be softened to a level of in-significance - through landscaping, re-planting and restoration of graded areas,use of earth tones on buildings, and un-obtrusive signs and lighting. It found -and county planning staff agrees - that afull environmental impact review is un-necessary.

If Paso isinterestedin in-creasingits statusas a premium wine region, the largeamount of poorer quality grapes that areshipped for processing at large facilitiesout of the area would not help improve itsstatus. Paso could become known as pro-ducing a lot of poor quality wine.

Although the size of theoperation would be com-parable with many otherwineries and wine pro-duction facilities aroundthe county, it would dwarfits immediate neighborson the west side.

Yet, if the Paso Robles Ap-pellation is to gain more na-tional prominence and mar-ket share - which will bringmore wine-tasting tourists -more production facilities likeHeart Hill are needed.

It wouldbe by far

the biggest wine production facilityon the west side of Paso and one ofthe largest in the county.

“Diablo to get ready for the heavy lifters,” David Sneed, The Tribune, Mar. 4, 2007.

Summary: The Tribune does some heavy lifting for PG&E by printing a story affirming that everything is full- speedahead for the utility’s plan to replace the steam generators at the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant and there’s nota hitch in sight, saying:

The work will begin withinthe next month or so, oncefinal permits are receivedfrom the Coastal Commis-sion.

and:

Only one aspect of the replacement project remains unresolved. TheCoastal Commission has required PG&E to spend $300,000 to allowvisitors to the nearby Point San Luis Lighthouse to bypass armedguards at the plant’s entrance.

Mysyteriously missing from the story is the fact, previously reported, that the lawsuit CLEAN v. California Coastal Commission,filed on January 11, directly challenges the Commission’s decision to issue permits to PG&E to replace Diablo’s steam generators. TheCommission voted to issue the permits without requiring mitigation measures for the destruction that will be done to the marine environ-ment by Diablo’s cooling system once the generators give the plant a new lease on life. (One of the attorneys for CLEAN is the CoastalCommission’s former senior counsel.) More than “only one aspect of the replacement project remains unresolved.”

Santa Lucian • March 2007 RM

ClassifiedsMay issue ad deadline is April 12.To acquire a rate sheet or submityour ad and payment, contact:Sierra Club - Santa Lucia ChapterP.O. Box 15755San Luis Obispo, CA [email protected]

Local Government Meetings

City of SLO--1st & 3rd Tues., 7:00 p.m.; 781-7103

Arroyo Grande--2nd and 4th Tues., 7:00 p.m.; 473-5404

Atascadero--2nd & 4th Tues.; 466-8099

Cambria CSD -- 4th Thurs.; 927-6223

Grover Beach--1st & 3rd Mon., 6:30 p.m.; 473-4567Grover Beach Planning Commission-- 2nd Tues.

Morro Bay--2nd & 4th Mon.

Paso Robles--1st & 3rd Tues., 7:00 p.m.; 237-3888

Pismo Beach--1st Tues., 5:30 p.m.; 773-4657

Los Osos CSD board-- 1st Tues. & 2nd Mon., varies

California Coastal Commission-- 3rd Tues., varies

SLO County Board of Supervisors-- every Tues.; 781-5450

SLO Council of Governments; 781-4219 SLOCOG Citizens Advisory Committee--1st Wed. every other month, 6:00 p.m. SLOCOG Board--1st Wed. every other month, 8:30 a.m.

OUR MARCH APPEALDon’t you love getting all those letters fromworthy causes constantly appealing for funds? No, huh? Well, that’s why the Chapter onlysends you a letter once a year asking for finan-cial assistance. We need the money to chal-lenge bad development projects and policyproposals, advocate for clean energy, keep tell-ing you about the great hikes and outdoor op-portunities here, do-nate to wonderful landconservation projectslike the Union Pacificproperties andBrughelli Ranch, andbring you this newslet-ter every month. If you already re-sponded to our letter,thank you! If youhaven’t, any amount iswelcome. Please thinkabout the differenceyou can make, andwhat we could do ifeach of our membersgave just $100, once a year!

.

To order, call(805) 541-1360

11


Photo by Joaquin Palting

Outings and Activities Calendar

Hiking Classifications:

Distance: 1 = 0-2 mi., 2 = 3-5 mi.,3 = 6-9 mi., 4 =10-12 mi.,5 = 12 mi. or more.

Elevation Gain: A = 500',B = 1000', C = 1500', D = 2000',E = 2500', F = 3000' or more.

All of our hikes andactivities are open to all Clubmembers and the generalpublic. If you have anysuggestions for hikes oroutdoor activities, questionsabout the Chapter’s outingpolicies or would like to be anoutings leader, call OutingsLeader Gary Felsman (473-3694). For information on aspecific outing, please contactthe outing leader. OutingsLeaders please get your outingsor events in by the 1st for thenext month’s outings.

This is a partial listing ofOutings offered by our

chapter.Please check the web page

www.santalucia.sierraclub.orgfor the most up-to-date

listing of activities.

April 1st, 2007, Sierra ClubSpecial Event, Widlfowers will beinvilved more details to follow.

APRIL 1st, 0930, Sun. BIKETOUR of WOODLANDS: We’llbicycle about 8 miles the roads &golf trails of this ‘instant city’.Meet at junction of Willow &Albert Way. A “city” replacing a1,000 acre “euke forest”——youhave to see it to believe it——amazing. Who said water islimited on the mesa? Call 929-3647 or <[email protected]> afew days before to confirm and fordetails.

April 6, 7 & 8, Carrizo PlainOuting: Join our group for aweekend of either relaxing orhiking in one of our county’s mostprecious places. Hopefully therewill be some wildflowers to see.We will stay at Selby Camp or atthe visitor center Friday, andSaturday nights. This is a publiccamp with no fees. It has nodrinking water, so you must bringyour own as well as your own foodand camping gear. Saturday wewill meet there at 9 AM to do agroup hike to a yet to be deter-mined place. Rain cancels. Formore info call Carlos at 546-0317

APRIL 8th, 0930, Sun. BLACKLAKE CANYON Meet at junctionof Leguna Negra & Guad. Rd.which is just notyh of Hwy #1 &Willow Rd. Dogs OK. An easy hike.We’ll see a former lake, eukeforest and oak woodland. Call 929-3647 or <[email protected]> afew days before to confirm and fordetails.

Sat., April 14th, 8:00 a.m.Machesna Mountain Hike: Cometake a 12 – 15 mile, with 3000 footelevation gain, hike through theMachesna Wilderness. Startingfrom American Canyon Camp-

ground, we will climb 1500 to anopen meadow and pond belowMachesna Mountain itself. Afterlunch we will climb anotherseveral hundred feet to a ridgeover looking the Carrizo Plain. Wewill soon start our descent to alush green valley, before climbingup to our final rest stop. Weshould have plenty of wildflowers,and pleasant weather. Bringlunch, water, sturdy hiking shoes,and plan to be out all day. Some ofus may go to the Pozo Saloonafter if open. Meet at PacificBeverage Company in SantaMargarita. This is not a beginner’shike. Limit 20 people. For details,reservations and meeting placecall Gary (473-3694)(5F)

Sat.-Sun., April 14-15, Birdsand Beat the Tamarisk. Serviceand carcamp. Help remove theinvasive salt cedar on the wetlandsalong the shore of Owens Lake atthe base of the spectacular easternSierra Nevada scarp. Work severalhours each day, probably, and taketime to enjoy the birds and scenicattractions. We’ll car camp at DiazLake just south of Lone Pinewhere birds congregate. Thenwatch the migratory birds on there-watered part of the OwensLake. Can also visit the new LonePine Film History Museum andManzanar N.M. Bring campingessentials (though motels areclose), food, water, work clothesand gloves. Resource specialist:Mike Prather. For more informa-tion and to sign up for trip contactleaders: Cal and Letty French,14140 Chimney Rock Road, PasoRobles, CA 93446. Prefer [email protected] CNRCC/SantaLucia Chap.

APRIL 15th, 0930, Sun.POINT SAL. Meet at west end ofBrown Rd which is 2 miles southof Guadalupe. We’ll hike 2.5 mileswith 1K ft elevation change toridge & then decide. Dogs OK.Bring lunch, water & windbreaker.Call 929-3647 or<[email protected]> a few daysbefore to confirm and for details.

SATURDAY, APRIL 21BIRDING ON OSO FLACOLAUNCH AT OSO FLACO: OsoFlaco is a small freshwater lakenestled in the Guadalupe Dunes. Astopover on the birding flyway weexpect to find American bitterns,ruddy ducks, .ring-neck ducks,white pelicans, Virginia rails, sorarails, and raccoons. NOTE: Thereis a parking fee of $5.00 per carand a short portage from theparking area to the lake. We willhelp you portage your boats.Please allow an extra hour for theportage. Bring your boat andequipment, PFDs, binoculars andyour picnic lunch that you can eatin your boat. LAUNCH OSOFLACO CAUSEWAY PUT IN 10:00AM FOR DETAILS PLEASE CALLJoe Dickerson 693-9534

Sat., April 21, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Cambria HistoryWalk: Learn how Cambria got itsname and see some of Cambria’shistoric buildings. Enjoy thecommentary from a long timeCambria resident. Meet across thestreet from the Olallieberry Inn,which is at 2476 Main St. Some ofus may be going to lunch follow-ing the walk. For info, call Jesseat 927-3096

Sat., May 5, 7:30 a.m. Hikethe Santa Lucia Trail toPimkolam (Juniperro Serra)Peak. Join the leader on thisannual hike to the highest peak inthe northern Los Padres NationalForest. This is a very strenuoushike and not for beginners. Wewill cover 12 miles and gain 3800ft in elevation. We will beginhiking through a meadow withwonderful rock formations andthen transition through a forestwith blue oaks, followed bymanzanita, chaparral, and finally apine forest near the summit. Theview from the top is fantastic andthere is an old fire tower at thetop. Bring plenty of water, lunch,snacks, and dress for the weather.The weather at the top can beunpredictable. Meet at the LasTablas park and ride in Templetonwhich is just west of Highway 101

April 13-16 May 4-7 July 20-234-day, 4-island cruises visiting SanMiguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz &Anacapa Islands. $775

August 25-29 September 15-19 5-day, 5-island cruises visiting allfive islands included in Channel Is-lands National Park: San Miguel,Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Anacapa, &tiny Santa Barbara Island. $925

All cruises depart from Santa Bar-bara. Prices include assigned bunk,All meals, snacks, beverages, & ser-vices of a ranger/naturalist whowilltravel with us to help identify,seals & sea lions, birds & wildlife,plants & flowers, whales & othercreatures of the sea. We’ll also seeremnantsof the rich culture of theChumash people who lived on theseislands for thousands of years. Each island is unique & offers itsown special charm: San Miguel forits white, sandy beaches and hugecongregation of elephant seals; SantaRosa for its rare Torrey Pine forest;Santa Cruz for high mountains, deep

at the Las Tablas exit inTempleton. Plan to be out all day.To confirm and obtain info, pleasecall Chuck at 805-441-7597. (5F)

MAY 6, 0930, Sun. BIKETOUR of WOODLANDS, We’llbicycle about 8 miles the roads &golf trails of this ‘instant city’.Meet at junction of Willow &Albert Way. A “city” replacing a1,000 acre “euke forest”——youhave to see it to believe it——amazing. Who said water islimited on the mesa? Call 929-3647 or <[email protected]> afew days before to confirm and fordetails.

Whales, Pinnipeds & Wildflowers:Channel Islands National Park

with colorful wildflowers. In sum-mer, the enticing, pristine waters ofthe Marine Sanctuary, churning withcolorful fish and sea lions, will delightsnorkelers and swimmers.

These cruises are fundraisers to ben-efit Sierra Club political programs inCalifornia. To make a reservation,send $100 check payable to SierraClub to leader Joan Jones Holtz,11826 The Wye St., El Monte, 91732.(626-443-0706; [email protected]).Website:www.truthaquatics.com/hiking.htm

valleys & the famous Painted Cave,Anacapa for the west coast brownpelican rookery, steep cliffs, a pictur-esque lighthouse and excellent snor-keling waters, Santa Barbara Islandfor pristine waters and a friendlycolony of frolicking sea lions. Allislands have rugged shorelines, dot-ted with sea caves, & inhabited by anabundance of wildlife. Activities in-clude hiking, kayaking, snorkeling,beachcombing, or just relaxing at sea. In spring the islands are ablaze

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