Environmental ‘Epiphany’ Sparks One Man’s Effort to Save Wetland

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

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

Judging by the number of calls he gets--his phone number is included on the sign--Racano hopes that about 200 more people will join him today, the 30th anniversary of Earth Day, at Pacific Coast Highway and Beach Boulevard for the final day of his one-man campaign. But even if Racano finds himself alone, that’s OK, he says.

“It’s small, but it has big implications,” he said of the land that many drive by without 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. Shhh. Listen to the red-winged blackbirds: It’s like a symphony.”

Racano took to the street after the California Coastal Commission’s April 11 meeting in Long Beach. 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 wetland in exchange for improving other California wetlands.

Proponents say 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,” said Larry Brose, vice president of Robert Mayer Corp. “No developer is evil. These are plans that were in place 15 to 16 years ago.”

Others, such as Susan Jordan, a member of the League for Coastal Protection’s board, decried the deal 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 of wetlands to save, 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.

He said he first examined the land known to many environmentalists as Little Shell through a wire fence, like a boy sneaking a peek at a baseball game, after the Coastal Commission meeting and was “touched by an epiphany.”

Coastal wetlands occur where ocean meets land: The confluence creates habitats for plants such as beach evening primrose, sea lavender, eelgrass and a variety of sages. They also act as natural filters for urban runoff and feeding grounds for migratory birds, he said.

“This has been the same for 1,000 years, and now somebody wants to bulldoze it?” Racano said. “I woke up the next day thinking about it.”

Racano, 44, makes a living as a local musician and songwriter, often touching on environmental themes. He has played at small fund-raisers for environmental groups throughout the state.

“He came out of nowhere,” said Marcia Hanscom, executive director of the Wetlands Action Network. “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.”

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