ELECTIONS / PROPOSITION 180 : CALPAW Could Expand County Parkland : Resources: Supporters call it a way to preserve farm property and beaches. Opponents say the state can’t afford such a large bond and the loss of tax revenue.

Ventura County could expand its parks, restore or purchase portions of its rivers and beaches, preserve farmland, and build a new bike path and mountain trails if voters in June approve a bond measure dubbed CALPAW.

The California Parks and Wildlife Initiative--Proposition 180 on the statewide ballot June 7--would provide more than $50 million for Ventura County projects out of nearly $2 billion to be spent statewide.

The initiative has both supporters and detractors in the county. A county taxpayer advocate group calls it too expensive during tough economic times. But supporters say it would provide money for valuable parks and other outdoor programs without raising taxes.

If the bond is approved, the state would sell bonds to be paid off by the state’s general fund. Based on the state’s population, supporters say it would cost each Californian about 50 cents per month.

The bond money, which would represent one of the largest windfalls ever received by Ventura County from a statewide initiative, would buy open space and protect habitat from Point Mugu State Park to the Santa Susana Mountains and from Oxnard’s coastline to Ojai’s meadows.

Horseback and bicycle riders around Thousand Oaks would have more property for trails and paths through the nearby hills. Woodlands in Santa Clarita would be connected to Rocky Peak Park in the Santa Susana Mountains.

Private property that separates chunks of existing parkland in the Santa Monica Mountains would be purchased and Point Mugu State Park would be expanded.

Rights to 40 acres of Ventura County farmland could be purchased as part of a pilot program to prevent future development. A pair of scenic meadows in the Ojai Valley could be kept green and open to the public.

And wildlife habitat along the Santa Clara River would be preserved and part of the Ventura River estuary would be restored.

In addition, a bike trail linking the beach to the Ojai Valley Trail could be built.

“This bond provides money for habitat restoration for a whole host of flora and fauna, including endangered species,” said Everett Millais, director of community development for the city of Ventura. “It provides real long-term benefits for the area, not just for the city of Ventura, but for the entire county.”

Millais said that the Ventura City Council has not yet taken a position on the initiative, but that the city administration had worked to help develop portions of the initiative and urges voters to approve it.

The Ojai City Council has already supported it, and the Board of Supervisors, at Supervisor Susan K. Lacey’s urging, will consider endorsing it Tuesday.

But support for the measure hasn’t been unanimous in the county.

“This is a general obligation bond that the state cannot afford at this time,” said Mike Saliba, executive director of the Ventura County Taxpayers Assn. “This is one of the largest state bonds in history and does not address more pressing problems in the state, such as crime prevention and public safety.”

Saliba said it would also reduce tax revenue to the state and county.

Penny Bohannon, the county’s lobbyist, agreed that taking vast tracts of land out of private hands and therefore off the tax rolls would reduce revenue, although she could not say by how much.

“A loss in property taxes ultimately means a reduction in services with time, and maybe that’s what the public is willing to have in exchange for parks, open space and habitat in our community,” she said.

Although Bohannon said she would ask the board to support the measure, she said the public historically has approved very few bond measures.

“In good times, voters don’t approve a lot of bonds and in tough fiscal times, they approve a lot fewer,” she said.

But a statewide poll taken three weeks ago by the California Planning and Conservation League, which is sponsoring the measure, showed the measure ahead 57% to 34%, said Lynn Sadler, natural resources director for the league.

Unlike other bond measures that simply create a pool of money for a general purpose, CALPAW identifies the specific projects it would fund. The list of projects was compiled over two years with cooperation from all those represented.

“We think the voters like to know where the money is going,” Sadler said.

While the funding is outlined for specific projects, all funds would be administered through state or local agencies to control the quality of the projects, she said.

The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy would administer the largest sum of money in Ventura County. Rory Skei, assistant executive officer of the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, said $42.5 million is designated for the authority in CALPAW.

Of those funds, $7 million would be designated specifically for Ventura County, but much more would be spent within the county’s boundaries, Skei said.

The measure would set aside $5 million for the Eastern Ventura County Conservation Authority for projects between Happy Camp Canyon Park near Moorpark and Rocky Peak Park east of Simi Valley, including the Big Sky Ranch and Hidden Creek Ranch areas.

The conservation authority would like to buy blocks of land to link the parks, she said.

“There’s about 12,000 acres of land there, but of course $5 million won’t buy all that,” she said.

Skei also hopes that the conservancy could acquire land for trails linking woodlands in Santa Clarita to Rocky Peak Park, which is an essential element in a plan to link open space across Ventura County into Los Angeles County.

“Once you get Rocky Peak linking to Santa Clarita woodlands, we would have a pretty spectacular recreational trail area,” Skei said. “But far more important, we would be able to preserve some truly significant habitat for everything from mule deer to salamanders.”

Another $2 million would help the Conejo Valley Open Space group acquire land to build trails for horse riders, bikers and hikers.

“You can stand in the middle of this town and see hillsides that will never be developed,” said Jeff Alexander, a member of the group and owner of the T. O. Corral, a tack store on Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Thousand Oaks.

“The question is whether voters believe that empty space is good. We think it is, and we have seen the financial and lifestyle benefits of that in this town.”

The measure would carry $2 million to be used by the California Department of Parks and Recreation to expand Point Mugu State Park and public holdings along Boney Ridge.

At Ormond Beach, where developers once planned a 5,000-home community with marinas and hotels, area activists who helped draft the proposal for CALPAW have several ideas for the $3 million that would be allocated there.

Roma Armbrust, who has headed a drive by the nonprofit Ormond Beach Observers to preserve Ormond Beach, said the group would like to buy land at the beach, which is home to endangered nesting least terns, among other wildlife.

“But the Baldwin Co. (the developer) paid $23 million for 341 acres, so how much do you think we can get for $3 million?” she asked. Still, she said, the group is excited at the many prospects for the funding.

The group may be able to use the funds to enhance the land held by the Baldwin Co.

Armbrust envisions the possibility of a visitors center, a laboratory or other facility for use by Cal State University once the Ventura County campus opens after the turn of the century. Its plans also include protected trails with limited access.

Another $2 million would be set aside to buy development rights to a 40-acre plot of farmland, probably on the Oxnard Plain. The Ventura County Agricultural Land Trust and Conservancy, which was formed in 1992, would purchase development rights while leaving the land in the hands of farmers, said Larry Rose, a member of the board. In short, the conservancy would compensate farmers for not selling their land to developers.

“We would ideally want to acquire development rights through donation, but this would be valuable as a good demonstration project of how it could work.”

He said the benefits are twofold.

“It would put the land under a deed restriction to tie up the land for perpetuity in agriculture production, and the influx of cash to the land owners would avail them of the benefits of development without having to sell the land.”

In the Ojai Valley, $3 million would be available to the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy to buy land or development rights to Besant Meadow, a wetland and eucalyptus grove where a 150-unit senior housing project was once proposed.

“This is a crucial piece of land because it is the gateway to the city,” said Patricia Weinberger, director of the conservancy.

“If you were coming into the city, would you rather see a line of condos or trailer parks, or open space? Open space is the prime use for that land.”

The funds could also help preserve other property known as the Krishnamurti / Krotona meadow near Nordhoff High School.

In the Santa Clara River Valley, CALPAW would have $1 million set aside to buy land to preserve habitat along the 100-mile-long Santa Clara River, which supports many endangered species and is the subject of a large study to determine how to preserve its integrity.

“CALPAW is absolutely critical to the work that needs to be done to protect these valuable wetlands areas,” said Ron Bottorff, chairman of the Friends of the Santa Clara River. “It’s also critical to support the California Coastal Conservancy and the efforts on the Santa Clara River Management Plan.”

Along the Ventura River, the initiative would provide $1.5 million to help restore the estuary and $2 million for nearby Seaside Wilderness Park.

Millais, at the city of Ventura, said restoration funds would help remove the giant reed Arundo Donax, which has invaded the river’s 16-mile length.

It would also help acquire more land for the public domain and establish the Seaside Wilderness Park on the western bank of the estuary.

In addition, another $2 million would be set aside to buy land to build a bicycle trail linking the Omer Rains trail at the beach to the Ojai Valley Trail that begins at Foster Park.

“We would have bike trail linkage from the ocean to the Ojai Valley,” he said. “It would be a tremendous asset to everyone in the west county.”