His Life’s Mission: Saving Wetlands

It is an unlovely parcel of land, only seven-tenths of an acre of salty water and pickleweed. But the big man with the big blue sign says saving it--from bulldozers, from future townhomes, from cigarette butts--is the reason he was put on this Earth.

Joe Racano means it. For 10 days now, he’s parked his RV across the street from the Huntington Beach parcel and stands there, holding a sign that reads “Save This Wetland.” He’s hoping for honks and that people will stop and ask how to help protect this speck of land at the center of a bitter environmental debate.

Judging by the number of calls he gets--his phone number is also on the sign--Racano hopes about 200 people will join him today, the 30th anniversary of Earth Day, being marked locally and around the world with events ranging from tree plantings to beach cleanups.

But even if Racano finds himself alone today at the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Beach Boulevard for the final day of his campaign, that’s OK, he says.

The lone person standing in protest, hoping to draw attention to a cause--whether it’s saving a redwood forest or just one tree--has become a powerful tool for environmentalists and others seeking change. Nobody asked for Racano’s help. But he says he is struck by the notion that one person can make a difference.

“It’s small, but it has big implications,” Racano said of the wetlands that many drive by without ever noticing. “If a developer builds . . . here it’s going to set a precedent, and then all kinds of other wetlands like this will be gone.”

Racano’s involvement followed the April 11 California Coastal Commission meeting held at the Queen Mary in Long Beach. Environmentalists turned out in force, with some wearing frog and turtle costumes--not unlike those worn at the recent World Trade Organization meetings in Seattle.

In a decision closely watched by environmentalists and builders across the state, a divided commission agreed to let the Robert Mayer Corp. proceed with plans to develop townhomes and duplexes on the Huntington Beach wetlands, in exchange for improving other California wetlands.

Proponents said the decision was a matter of fairness to the developer, who designed the project in good faith. “Obviously we’re pleased we can go ahead with this project; no developer is evil. These are plans that were in place 15-16 years ago,” said Larry Brose, vice president of Robert Mayer Corp.

Others, like Susan Jordan, a board member with the League for Coastal Protection, decried it as an appalling trade-off: “Just because a wetland is degraded doesn’t mean it should be filled,” she said at the time.

There is precious little left to save of the wetlands, environmentalists say. Ninety-five percent of California’s coastal wetlands already have been destroyed.

“It’s a symbol,” Racano said of the land he wants to protect. “It pulled on my heart . . . This has been the same for 1,000 years and now somebody wants to bulldoze it?”

Racano, 44, makes a living as a musician and songwriter, often touching on environmental themes. He sings blues at local bars, frequently at Gallagher’s in Huntington Beach.

“He came out of nowhere,” said Marcia Hanscom, executive director of the Wetlands Action Network and also with the Sierra Club. “I think we all were struck by his passion. He just has gotten himself really educated about the issue. He really reached out and grabbed hold of this.”

Racano hopes his efforts will help spur a lawsuit to stop development. The Sierra Club and other groups have already expressed interest in pursuing legal action.

Originally from Long Island, N.Y., Racano wears seashells around his neck, gazes longingly into the brush, recites the Latin names of birds and quotes California environmental law.

Racano pays no rent, living out of his RV with two dogs, making his brand of Beach Boys-influenced blues on a Koa wood guitar. He is no Grizzly Adams, or a this-land-is-your-land folkie, but in the Los Angeles metro area, Racano comes as close to living with the land as anybody.

“I guess I feel obligated to make it known what we could lose,” he said.

* EARTH DAY

Fullerton Earth Day 2000, with emphasis on music, hopes to raise awareness of environmental issues. B6