May 7, 2002
Contact: Babak Naficy, Environmental Defense Center, 805 781-9932

OAK HABITAT PROTECTED AT SANTA YSABEL RANCH
EDC and PasoWatch Settle Lawsuit Against San Luis Obispo County

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA – The Environmental Defense Center, representing citizen group PasoWatch, settled a lawsuit today against San Luis Obispo County that challenged its approval of the Santa Ysabel Ranch development. The Santa Ysabel project includes construction of a 146-unit gated community on an 840-acre property on the south side of Paso Robles. The lawsuit filed in August 2001 was prompted by the County’s inadequate environmental review for the project, which was proposed for an area rich in oak habitat and home to several protected species. The settlement requires that the developer redesign the project to reduce impacts to oak trees and to pay $137,500 to a conservancy to preserve oak habitat in Northern San Luis Obispo County.

The County had approved a less stringent environmental review document, called a Mitigated Negative Declaration (ND), for the project rather than a more detailed Environmental Impact Report (EIR), despite the potential for significant impacts to oaks and oak woodland habitat, several species of concern (including golden eagles, southwestern willow flycatcher, least bell's vireo, southern steelhead, southwestern pond turtle, San Joaquin kit fox), wildlife corridors, wetlands, water supply, and waste water treatment.

The ND did not adequately describe the project, analyze the project’s environmental impacts or include adequate measures to reduce the extent of the project’s impacts. The issuance of a ND for the Santa Ysabel Ranch project was especially concerning, as it occurred right after San Luis Obispo County’s own Grand Jury criticized the County for issuing too many NDs when EIRs were warranted.

“We are pleased because we accomplished most of our goals, which included making sure that impacts to oak habitat are adequately mitigated,” said Babak Naficy, Senior Attorney with the Environmental Defense Center. “We also sent a message to the County that citizens care about land use and protection of resources and are willing to go to great lengths to ensure that the County follows the law.”

Since 1977, EDC has been serving California's Central Coast as the only nonprofit, public interest environmental law firm between Los Angeles and San Francisco. EDC represents citizen groups and educates the community on issues involving water quality and watersheds, biodiversity and endangered species, environmental health and justice, land use and open space, offshore oil and gas, and access to public lands. For more information, contact EDC at (805) 781-9932 or visit http://www.edcnet.org.

Paso Watch is a California non-profit corporation organized for the purpose of improving quality of life through land use planning and environmental awareness in San Luis Obispo County, especially in the northern portion of the County, within and near the town of Paso Robles. Call PasoWatch at (805) 237-4443 or visit http://pasowatch.org.