Dump Proposal for Gypsum Canyon
A dump in Gypsum Canyon would cover 500 acres, or one-half of Orange County’s rare Tecate cypress forest (“Supervisors Identify Four Possible Landfill Sites,” Aug. 17). Plans shown on county maps would cause Tecate cypress to diminish by a significant amount, not only for Orange County, but also for the entire species.
Additional rare plants and animals, some of them candidates for federal endangered species listing, would also dwindle considerably if this plan were put into effect.
At Tuesday’s Planning Commission meeting, a public hearing will be held to change present open-space zoning in Gypsum Canyon to 2,000 acres of public facilities zoning. Only one-fourth of this area is needed for the jail; the rest would be used for a dump.
If the Orange County supervisors are serious about preserving the Tecate cypress forest, they will reject the proposed Gypsum Canyon landfill.
CONSTANCE SPENGER
President
Friends of the Tecate Cypress
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
