Gnatcatcher Talks Yield Optimism but No Deal

Environmentalists and developers were cautiously optimistic Thursday after the first round of talks about plans to set aside land for conservation so that a possible listing of the gnatcatcher bird does not hinder development.

While no agreements were reached in the closed-door meeting, those who attended say it marks an unprecedented spirit of compromise between developers and conservationists to preserve entire ecosystems--in this case, coastal scrubland--in a manner that will allow rare wildlife to thrive and yet not prevent property owners from profiting from their land.

“We’re not just talking about one species anymore--the California gnatcatcher or the cactus wren--but an entire ecosystem, and not just on a one-on-one basis with one developer, but in the whole state of California,” said Mary Nichols, senior attorney with the Los Angeles-based Natural Resources Defense Council, which filed the petition to save the gnatcatcher. “This will affect not only private developers, but also government landowners such as the military.”

The state Department of Fish and Game ruled earlier this month that a petition to list the California gnatcatcher as endangered is justified. A public hearing on the petition is scheduled for Aug. 1.

In the meantime, Gov. Pete Wilson has requested that Southern California builders come to some sort of informal agreement with conservationists that would consist of voluntarily setting aside scrubland for the gnatcatcher in return for clearance to build on the remaining acreage.

Thursday’s meeting was the first in a series. The next one is scheduled for June 3.

“We are optimistic that there exists an opportunity for positive discussion and possibly some type of consensus on coastal sage scrub as habitat for a number of species,” said Richard Broming, vice president of planning and entitlement for the Santa Margarita Co., which manages the 40,000-acre Rancho Mission Viejo, the second biggest landholding in the county.