Environment 11-20
An error in paperwork submitted by Santa Barbara County last month to the California Coastal Commission (CCC) has resulted in the controversial Naples development project returning to the Board of Supervisors this December. The CCC rejected the Notice of Final Local Action-a procedural requirement that must be filed and accepted before the CCC can consider a project-because it “did not provide adequate specificity” on major issues like size and location of residences, among others.
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The Conservation Alliance-a national organization of outdoor companies committed to land preservation-announced recently a grant of $13,000 to the Environmental Defense Center (EDC) to aid in the fight against Orange County developer Matt Osgood’s plan to put 71 mansions on the historic Gaviota Coast ranch. Horny Toad-a Santa Barbara clothing company and a member of the alliance-nominated the EDC for its work on the Naples issue.
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Congressmember Lois Capps this week announced her dissatisfaction with the 11/12 U.S. Supreme Court ruling against a ban on the Navy’s use of mid-frequency sonar off areas of the California coast. The court ruled that national security outweighed the value of protecting marine mammals the ban was designed to defend. Capps, however, noted that a balance between human safety and that of whales and dolphins would have been better.
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Based on their weekly water quality tests at 16 popular beaches throughout Santa Barbara County, Santa Barbara Channelkeeper announced this week that all area beaches surveyed well below state thresholds for bacteria. Tests were taken on 11/17 at El Capitan, Hammond’s, Summerland, Rincon, Arroyo Burro, Butterfly, Carpinteria State, Carpinteria City, Goleta, Refugio, Sands, Leadbetter, Hope Ranch, and East beaches. For specific test data, visit sbck.org
