URGENT Golden Eagles need you to comment by MONDAY! 

GOLDEN EAGLES NEED YOU! 

Please comment on Village 14 DEIR by MONDAY April 16^th no later than 4:00 PM

A proposed development project in South San Diego County called Village 14 would likely extirpate (make impossible for their return) one or more nesting areas for the Golden Eagle. The project, ‘Village 14’, will place 1,119 homes and destroy or disrupt 1,284 acres of golden eagle habitat in the middle of the sensitive Proctor Valley.

Until, 2007, eagles had nested in this area at least since 1920.  Although, the 2007 fire destroyed the nest location, over 10 Golden eagles have used this area for foraging continually since that time.  This area is critical for Golden eagles in our county and should not be destroyed.

In spite of a scientific report on the status of Golden eagles in that area and recommending protection, the County of San Diego is fast-tracking this devastating project.  Please read this excellent report here http://www.sandiegoeco.org/wp-content/uploads/BBI-Letter-Rancho-San-Diego-GOEA-Territory-Status.pdf

The Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) assessing the project fails to protect current and future use of the area by Golden eagles and other at-risk species in the Village 14.

Please write the County by April 16^th at 4PM to Gregory.Mattson@sdcounty.ca.gov and register your objection to any project that threatens Golden Eagle territories in our County.

Here is a sample letter but it is better to use your own words.

Dear Mr. Mattson,

I am writing today to comment on the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the Village 14 project in South County. The Proctor Valley parcels are among the most ecologically important in San Diego County, essentially inholdings within the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge, and need maximum care and protection.

Among the many deficiencies of the document which must be corrected, these are among the most significant.

1. While parts of the proposed project were anticipated for development in the MSCP, other parts were instead included in the MSCP preserve.  This places the entire MSCP assembly and mitigation program in jeopardy.
2. The DEIR wrongly applies the Biological Mitigation Ordinance to such parcels, violating the MSCP.
3. Impacts to the golden eagle, quino checkerspot butterfly, and spadefoot toad were not disclosed or mitigated. Quino habitat extent and quality were incorrectly portrayed, spadefoot toad impacts are much more severe than described, and habitat loss due to edge effects were not disclosed for the eagle.
4. Impacts from pollution to the Otay Lakes drinking water reservoirs were not disclosed or mitigated.
5. GHG mitigation relies upon a fatally flawed carbon offsets scheme that will not address impacts.
6. Visual impacts to an important scenic landscape only analyzed in a cursory, inadequate manner.
7. The DEIR fails to disclose serious fire hazards and the inability to evacuate residents on overcrowded roads in the very foreseeable event of a wind-driven wildfire.
8. Of great concern to me, the DEIR fails to protect current and future use of the area by Golden eagles in the Village 14 area through avoidance.
9. Taken in whole, this inadequate assessment is unacceptable and fails to utilize all relevant data available to the County and the developer about the past, present, and future use of Golden eagles and other at-risk species in this area.
10. These failures are significant and the County must require a significant change in the project to avoid impacts to Golden eagles and other environmental impacts.

Comments due by MONDAY, April 16, 2018 at 4:00 PM to Gregory.Mattson@sdcounty.ca.gov (858) 694-2249

Here is a link to the DEIR https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/pds/ceqa/OtayRanchVillage14.html

Also, please contact your County supervisor and let them know you support Golden eagles in the region and ask them to direct that Village 14 be significant reduced or relocated.  Ask them to be an Eagle Champion.  Email them here:

Supervisor Greg Cox  Greg.Cox@sdcounty.ca.gov  (619) 531-5511

Supervisor Dianne Jacob   Dianne.Jacob@sdcounty.ca.gov 619-531-5522

Supervisor Kristin Gaspar Kristin.gaspar@sdcounty.ca.gov  (619) 531-5533

Supervisor Ron Roberts Ron.Roberts@sdcounty.ca.gov  (619) 531-5544

Supervisor Bill Horn  Bill.Horn@sdcounty.ca.gov (619) 531-5555