10/07

 

The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (Midpen) has been thinking of acquiring the land around Los Gatos Creek for a long time.  Now is the time to urge the District to proceed with the watershed acquisition.

 

As you may know, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) recently denied San Jose Water Company (SJWC)’s logging plan for the Los Gatos Creek watershed.  SJWC has already appealed the decision, and a public hearing on the appeal probably will be held in early 2008.

 

On the Dec. 1, 2006 Midpen sent a comment letter to CAL FIRE regarding the many shortcomings in SJWC’s logging plan.  The Sierra Club, Loma Prieta Chapter agrees with the District’s analysis of the plan, and with the District’s statement that “The area proposed for harvest under the NTMP would unquestionably be suitable as open space.  Maintaining the existing forest and watershed resources, without the proposed long-term timber harvest, is compatible with the protection of the public water-supply watershed of Los Gatos Creek, and should be considered a viable alternative.”

 

 

What You Can Do:

 

Please write a letter to the staff and board of Midpen ASAP!  Ask them if they are seriously considering the acquisition of the SJWC land around Los Gatos Creek.  Tell them you fully support this action, and would like them to proceed with it.  This would preserve the watershed once and for all, and create a permanent solution to the threats to fire safety, water quality and wildlife habitat posed by SJWC’s long-term logging plan.

 

In your own words, please voice your concerns about the watershed, its importance to the valley, and the urgent need to ensure future preservation of this fragile and irreplaceable natural resource as public open space.  Thank the Midpen folks for protecting watersheds and preserving open space, and for their efforts in helping to defeat the SJWC logging plan.

 

Mail your letters to:

General Manager Craig Britton

Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District

330 Distel Circle

Los Altos, CA 94022-1404

 

Also mail copies to Midpen’s Board of Directors: Pete Siemens, Mary Davey, Jed Cyr, Curt Riffle, Nonette Hanko, Larry Hassett and Ken Nitz

 

Or Email the staff and Directors via the Midpen Web site: http://www.openspace.org/about_us/contact.asp?s=board

 

Please send copies of your letters to bill.young@sierraclub.org, so we can track progress on this issue.

 

 

Resources:

 

To see Midpen’s comment letter to CAL FIRE regarding SJWC’s logging plan, please visit: ftp://thp.fire.ca.gov/THPLibrary/North_Coast_Region/NTMPs2006/1-06NTMP-012SCL/20061201_1-06NTMP-012SCL_PHI-Advisor2.pdf

 

To learn more about our friends at NAIL (Neighbors Against Irresponsible Logging), and their tremendous efforts to defeat SJWC’s logging plan, please visit:   http://www.mountainresource.org/nail

 

To learn more about the Sierra Club’s efforts to protect Los Gatos Creek watershed, please visit:

http://lomaprieta.sierraclub.org/ForestProtection/, or contact Bill Young at 650-390-8494, bill.young@sierraclub.org

 

Thanks!

 

Map of proposed SJWC logging area