Here’s a recent newspaper article in my local paper. I’ve been working pretty hard to come to a consensus with the regulatory agencies, environmental groups and my bosses. It appears we’ve got a deal. There are also articles in the Sac. Bee, SF Chronicle, Modesto Bee etc. if you want more info…not that I think you would though. 😉

Saturday, October 06, 2007

Merced Sun-Star

University scales back footprint for final campus

Move is to appease concerns about building on sensitive wetlands

By Victor Patton
UC Merced officials have scaled back their initial 910-acre plan by about 100 acres — a move they hope will appease the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and environmentalists concerned about conserving federally protected wetlands.

Friday’s announcement by UC Merced officials is the latest chapter in the university’s quest to obtain a wetlands development permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to expand the campus beyond its existing 105 acres.

The permit is needed because the footprint for those expansion plans includes building on top of vernal pools that contain endangered species like the fairy shrimp — pools that environmentalists say are some of the most rare and valuable of their kind in the world.

Under the university’s new expansion plans, 330 acres of land east of Lake Yosemite will be removed from the campus’ expansion plan, while 230 acres of land southeast of Bellevue and Lake roads originally designated for the campus’ university community will be added to the campus footprint.

In addition, 310 acres of grazing land will now be added to the 1,850 acres northeast of Yosemite Avenue and Lake Road that has been designated for the university community.

The updated plans mean the university’s campus will be 810 acres at buildout by the year 2035 — a campus that officials say will be slightly denser than the campus’ original plan, but will accommodate 25,000 students and will not sacrifice future academic programs or services.

University officials also say the 330 acres of land they are removing from the expansion plan will reduce the amount of environmentally sensitive wetlands affected by development from about 121 acres to 81 acres.

UC Merced also plans to permanently reserve the portion of land that it owns, which is being removed from the expansion plan, solely for environmental conservation purposes, according to Brad Samuelson, UC Merced’s director of environmental affairs.

The 2,160-acre university community will include an entertainment district, in addition to housing, commercial and retail development.

News of UC Merced’s updated expansion plans follows months of talks between university officials, federal officials, environmental groups and local community leaders.

Under the federal Clean Water Act, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers can only permit UC Merced to destroy vernal pools if the university agrees to take measures to mitigate or lessen any environmental impacts.

The new plan was devised after UC Merced Chancellor Steve Kang, who took the reins of the university in March, asked his staff to examine the main priorities of expanding the campus and what measures needed to be taken to ensure a clear resolution, according to Janet Young, assistant chancellor and chief of staff.

“We’re trying to plan ahead, knowing that this university will be here for centuries,” Young said. “We feel very strongly that we’re on a good course to achieve our objectives.”

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials reacted positively to news of the updated plans, while local environmentalists said they are cautiously optimistic.

“I really think they have worked very cooperatively with everyone, so I think it will help them out a lot,” said Dave Killam, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spokesman.

UC Merced officials have also consulted with the California Endangered Species and Habitat Alliance, made up of seven protection organizations.

“Anything that decreases the impacts to wetlands and endangered species is a step in the right direction,” said Barbara Vlamis, executive director of the Butte Environmental Council, an organization that has taken a primary role in protecting vernal pools. “We’re very happy they’ve been open to discussing these things with us before moving forward with the application process.”

Carol Witham, director of VernalPools.org, called the university’s updated plans a “good faith, consensus footprint,” although she would also like to see assurances the protected wetlands the university is setting aside will remain untouched by developers.

“I still wish that it could be moved even further, but I support the efforts they’ve gone through to get us where we are at,” Witham said.

“We look forward to seeing new plans and participating in the public review process on the new campus,” said Lydia Miller, president of the San Joaquin Raptor/Wildlife Rescue Center.

Less than 10 percent of the vernal pools that were once in California remain, Witham said. Vernal pools are unique because they house several species of plants and animals that have adapted unique mechanisms to deal with flooding that occurs in the winter and extremely hot temperatures during the summer.

“For the brief few weeks that most people would ever notice them, they are a unique California landscape,” Witham said.

The university will likely submit an application for the wetlands development permit with the updated expansion plans by the end of this year, according to Patti Waid Istas, UC Merced spokeswoman.

Members of the Merced County Board of Supervisors said the university still has to receive their approval for the new plan before it can move forward, with regard to 52 acres of county-owned property contained in the revised footprint for the campus. Supervisor Deidre Kelsey and County Executive Officer Dee Tatum said they had only found out about the new plans Friday from a university press release. He said the issue has yet to be agendized.

“Just like any other project, whether it’s UC Merced or any other, obviously the Board of Supervisors takes their role very seriously as it relates to local land use,” Mark Hendrickson, the county’s spokesman, said.

In response to the county’s concerns, Kang sent a letter to Board of Supervisors Chairman John Pedrozo reiterating the university’s pledge to work in “good faith” with the county to resolve any questions about the new expansion plan.

Killam, of the Army Corps of Engineers, said it is unknown when the Army Corps will release its draft environmental impact statement in relation to the project, or when the corps’ Col. Thomas Chapman will render a record of decision about whether to grant a wetlands development permit to the university.

The plan must also be reviewed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Department of Fish and Game before it can move forward.

Once the corps’ draft environmental impact statement is released, the public will have 60 days to comment.

After reviewing public comments, the corps will then release a final draft environmental report statement, followed by a 30-day public comment period.