YORBA LINDA : Environmentalists Back Bond Proposal

Environmental groups are gearing up for a proposed statewide ballot initiative to provide money to buy and save a mountain lion corridor in Coal Canyon.

The groups hope the initiative, dubbed CALPAW 94, will prevent development such as that proposed by developer Saba A. Saba, who owns the corridor property.

During public hearings on proposed changes to the city’s General Plan last March, several environmental groups spoke passionately against Saba’s proposal to move the location of a mountain lion corridor to a site beyond the city border in Riverside County.

“The mountain lions are there, using Coal Canyon,” said Sierra Club’s Gordon Ruser. “Obviously, they prefer that crossing.”

Moving the corridor on paper would not change the actual path mountain lions travel between Coal Canyon and Chino Hills, environmentalists argued.

But it would allow Saba to proceed with commercial development, which could have pitted the animals against people.

The council ultimately approved a General Plan that did not move the corridor but left the door open to do so later.

One council member pointedly asked the groups if they were willing to put up the money to purchase the Saba property and maintain it as a corridor.

Then the answer was no, but now Friends of the Tecate Cypress, Sierra Club California and other environmental groups and activists are supporting CALPAW, which would authorize the state to sell $2 billion in bonds to be used to acquire or restore wildlife areas.

Although the initiative does not identify specific properties by name, it does set aside $11 million for acquisition of property in Coal Canyon and other nearby property to create a mountain lion corridor between Chino Hills State Park and Coal Canyon.

According to Connie Spenger, president of the Friends of the Tecate Cypress, both the Saba property and nearly 700 acres in Coal Canyon owned by the Hon Development Co. could be included.

“The Saba property is essential to maintaining the corridor,” Spenger said. “Without the corridor, mountain lions will be eliminated in Chino Hills and the Cleveland National Forest.”

Spenger said studies by noted wildlife biologist Paul Beyer show that at least two male mountain lions use the corridor on a regular basis to travel from Cleveland National Forest to the southeast of the Saba property and Chino Hills to the north.

The males consider Chino Hills their territory and travel there to mate with female mountain lions in the state park, Spenger said.

In addition to the Coal Canyon designation, the initiative also includes $14 million for acquiring unimproved land in Silverado Canyon, Trabuco Canyon, Verdugo Canyon, Fremont Canyon, San Juan Canyon and Santiago Canyon, all located in South County, and $8 million to acquire open space in Soquel and Carbon canyons in North County.