SCOPE Is a Threat to River Planning

* Supervisors Mike Antonovich (Los Angeles) and Maggie Kildee (Ventura) have appointed a 25-member steering committee to develop a management and enhancement plan for the Santa Clarita River.

This long-term cooperative planning effort for the river has been jeopardized by the actions of one of the groups represented on the committee. The committee members represent the various interested parties including federal, state and local regulatory agencies; businesses; environmentalists; farmers; cities; counties, and property owners.

A fundamental underlying principle is that development of the plan will not be used to delay ongoing environmental permitting of farming and business activities. This was agreed upon at the committee’s first meeting and discussed again at its Oct. 20, 1993, meeting in Piru.

The ability to obtain environmental permits is crucial to farmers, property owners and businesses to protect their properties and livelihoods from the erosive forces of the river. Without the appropriate permits from regulatory agencies, these people can lose major portions if not all of their income, citrus groves, crops, land and businesses.

The Santa Clarita Organization for Planning the Environment (SCOPE) has now threatened the future of this river planning. SCOPE is represented on the committee by Friends of the Santa Clara River, a coalition of environmentalists. In direct contradiction to the agreement, Lynn Plambeck, first vice president of SCOPE, wrote the Army Corps of Engineers on Dec. 19, 1993, stating, “Permits should be delayed until after the River Task Force has had a chance to develop its Management Plan.”

Once again SCOPE and Ms. Plambeck have demonstrated their disregard for human safety and welfare. This group’s environmental objective cannot be so important that it justifies ignoring families’ livelihoods and exposing property and lives to risks from the river’s flooding.

JAMES M. HARTER

Senior Vice President

Newhall Land & Farming Co.

Valencia