MISSION VIEJO : Brush Clearing Draws Protests

A local environmentalist Monday night charged that the Mission Viejo Co. cleared about 15 acres of environmentally sensitive land over the weekend, just days before a city weed abatement ordinance was to take effect.

Pete DeSinone, manager of the National Audubon Society’s Starr Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary in Trabuco Canyon, said the brush clearing at two locations may have cost the area at least one protected bird species, the California net catcher. The locations are 12 acres off El Toro Road, about half a mile north of Marguerite Parkway, and about three acres at La Paz Road and Marguerite Parkway.

“You don’t have to be in college to realize what they’re doing,” DeSinone said. “They scrape off the land before submitting a project, so when an EIR is done, there is no habitat left.”

Art Cooke, community liaison for the Mission Viejo Co., declined to comment.

But Dennis Wilberg, city director of public works, said the company notified the city of its intentions last week and the city approved the work.

“I have been living in this city for 16 years, and this is something they pretty much do on an annual basis,” Wilberg said.

Clint Sherrod, community development director for the city, said the Mission Viejo Co. does not have plans to develop those 15 acres.

The incident is the third time in six months that the Mission Viejo company has been criticized by residents for clearing weeds from undeveloped land.

After the most recent incident, the clearing of about 12 acres at Vista del Lago and Los Alisos Boulevard, the City Council passed an ordinance requiring weed abatement permits to be approved by the council. The ordinance takes effect Thursday.

About six other residents also criticized last weekend’s weed clearing, including Alan Gallup, a city parks and recreation commissioner.