Destruction of Wildliife Habitat Next to Laguna Coast Wilderness Park

Hello to all.

This past week I was contacted by Marcus, a concerned fellow resident of the area, who has become very concerned, frustrated, and saddened by the destruction of wildlife habitat just next to the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park.

His message was as follows: Hi, We live adjacent the end of the Lake Forest Road.
They bulldozed that area a couple of years ago to start to make way for the connection to the 133. Yesterday and moreso today they have been cuttin tall trees in a grove that does not block the road direction. Please see our site http://www.shinhill.com for the area. Tomorrow I will have pictures up of the current destruction.

There are three endangered species there among others:

Check this map for a map of the area that links these species:

http://imaps.dfg.ca.gov/viewers/cnddb_quickviewer/app.asp

I called the fish and game dept and got a run around. What can be done to stop it?

Unprocessed CNDDB Data for TUSTIN Quad (3311767) - 20 elements selected Record QUADNAME SCINAME COMNAME FEDSTATUS CALSTATUS 1 Tustin Ixobrychus exilis least bittern None None 2 Tustin Accipiter cooperii Cooper's hawk None None 3 Tustin Laterallus jamaicensis coturniculus California black rail None Threatened 4 Tustin Rallus longirostris levipes light-footed clapper rail Endangered Endangered 5 Tustin Calypte costae Costa's hummingbird None None 6 Tustin Selasphorus sasin Allen's hummingbird None None 7 Tustin Picoides nuttallii Nuttall's woodpecker None None 8 Tustin Eremophila alpestris actia California horned lark None None 9 Tustin Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus sandiegensis coastal cactus wren None None 10 Tustin Polioptila californica californica coastal California gnatcatcher Threatened None 11 Tustin Vireo bellii pusillus least Bell's vireo Endangered Endangered 12 Tustin Dendroica petechia brewsteri yellow warbler None None 13 Tustin Icteria virens yellow-breasted chat None None 14 Tustin Aimophila ruficeps canescens southern California rufous-crowned sparrow None None 15 Tustin Chondestes grammacus lark sparrow None None 16 Tustin Passerculus sandwichensis beldingi Belding's savannah sparrow None Endangered 17 Tustin Ammodramus savannarum grasshopper sparrow None None 18 Tustin Carduelis lawrencei Lawrence's goldfinch None None 19 Tustin Choeronycteris mexicana Mexican long-tongued bat None None 20 Tustin Calochortus catalinae Catalina mariposa-lily None None Results for EL TORO Quad (3311766) - 34 elements selected Record QUADNAME SCINAME COMNAME FEDSTATUS CALSTATUS 1 El Toro Anaxyrus californicus arroyo toad Endangered None 2 El Toro Spea hammondii western spadefoot None None 3 El Toro Elanus leucurus white-tailed kite None None 4 El Toro Accipiter cooperii Cooper's hawk None None 5 El Toro Buteo regalis ferruginous hawk None None 6 El Toro Athene cunicularia burrowing owl None None 7 El Toro Eremophila alpestris actia California horned lark None None 8 El Toro Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus sandiegensis coastal cactus wren None None 9 El Toro Polioptila californica californica coastal California gnatcatcher Threatened None 10 El Toro Vireo bellii pusillus least Bell's vireo Endangered Endangered 11 El Toro Icteria virens yellow-breasted chat None None 12 El Toro Aimophila ruficeps canescens southern California rufous-crowned sparrow None None 13 El Toro Ammodramus savannarum grasshopper sparrow None None 14 El Toro Rhinichthys osculus ssp. 3 Santa Ana speckled dace None None 15 El Toro Eumops perotis californicus western mastiff bat None None 16 El Toro Neotoma lepida intermedia San Diego desert woodrat None None 17 El Toro Actinemys marmorata pallida southwestern pond turtle None None 18 El Toro Phrynosoma blainvillii coast horned lizard None None 19 El Toro Aspidoscelis hyperythra orangethroat whiptail None None 20 El Toro Aspidoscelis tigris stejnegeri coastal whiptail None None 21 El Toro Salvadora hexalepis virgultea coast patch-nosed snake None None 22 El Toro Thamnophis hammondii two-striped garter snake None None 23 El Toro Crotalus ruber ruber northern red-diamond rattlesnake None None 24 El Toro Southern Coast Live Oak Riparian Forest Southern Coast Live Oak Riparian Forest None None 25 El Toro Southern Cottonwood Willow Riparian Forest Southern Cottonwood Willow Riparian Forest None None 26 El Toro Southern Sycamore Alder Riparian Woodland Southern Sycamore Alder Riparian Woodland None None 27 El Toro Southern Riparian Scrub Southern Riparian Scrub None None 28 El Toro Streptocephalus woottoni Riverside fairy shrimp Endangered None 29 El Toro Pentachaeta aurea ssp. allenii Allen's pentachaeta None None 30 El Toro Dudleya multicaulis many-stemmed dudleya None None 31 El Toro Nama stenocarpum mud nama None None 32 El Toro Nolina cismontana Peninsular nolina None None 33 El Toro Brodiaea filifolia thread-leaved brodiaea Threatened Endangered 34 El Toro Calochortus weedii var. intermedius intermediate mariposa-lily None None

Watch a little footage that Marcus took on September 22, 2009 (the movement that you'll see on your screen near the end may leave a cold, dark pit feeling in the center of your stomach - it did for me...) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_brrwOBgNZ4


After trying to find some contact information for Marcus, so that he could avoid getting the run-around and start getting results, I realized once again how tragic it is that we are unable to stop the destruction of our wild lands just by individually stepping outside, walking up to those "in charge" and speaking sense to them (yes - SENSE, not "cents"...). Yet perhaps even more tragic is my lack of a fully combative spirit/attitude, faced with this desolate news. Sure, I'm a dedicated naturalist and volunteer for the Laguna Canyon Foundation and the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, and I'll post this information on my blog tonight, hoping that those who follow it will become aware of this issue and make a difference in their own way - but will this actually change anything at all? Will I really have done "my part" in posting this information online? Will your awareness help our lands?

I could write paragraphs on the moral implications of the challenges that we face daily here in Southern Orange County in regards to our natural lands - but we all know what they are, and we all know what's gone wrong. So tonight, I leave you simply with a single question, one that I will ask myself as I get quietly into bed: What will it take for us to want to help Marcus in his search for justice, for protection of these lands? What will get us motivated enough to become the true authorities, the true stewards of the land?

Until next time...