EHL Newsletter, Fall 2008 Vol 18 No 4

At a September 22, 2008 public hearing, thousands of citizens showed broad opposition to running the Foothill toll road through San Onofre State Beach. EHL and other groups also sued the US Fish and Wildlife Service over its permitting of the route.

EHL’s 18-month effort to monitor the compliance of the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) Regional Transportation Plan with federal clean air law has led to a lawsuit by EHL and other groups.

Slowly, “core areas” for the California gnatcatcher and other coastal sage scrub species are being pieced together south of Carlsbad and north of Murrieta.

EHL is coordinating a coalition effort to save the El Toro portion of the Orange County Central-Coastal Natural Community Conservation Plan (NCCP) from broken federal government promises.

Burrowing Owl

Whenever I see a burrowing owl, I am reminded of nothing so much as a 19th century caricature of a doctor in frock coat, standing tall and bandy-legged. A being of consequence.

From fire management to the toll road to land acquisitions, EHL helped educate the public on conservation issues.