Interest Groups Dominate Nature Reserve Board, Critics Say

Orange County’s premier land reserve, created four years ago amid national accolades, now faces one of its most vexing challenges to date: environmentalists’ concerns that its overseers include too many representatives of interest groups and too few scientists.

Drawing the most fire is Tim Neely, a county zoning administrator who also is the private nonprofit reserve’s executive director. Although he earns no additional salary from the reserve, critics say it shows too much dependence on a county Planning Department historically seen as pro-development.

Neely defended his work, as did some reserve directors.

How the board of directors grapples with those criticisms could help determine the future management of a 37,000-acre reserve set up in an attempt to save dozens of rare plants and animals from extinction.

This morning, the directors will meet to discuss the criticisms and start retooling its staff, as its official start-up period ends.

Created as part of a 1996 peace pact between regulators and developers, the Nature Reserve of Orange County includes some of the region’s most breathtaking and fragile natural landscapes, from craggy inland canyons to the sweeping shoreline of Crystal Cove. When complete, it will be nine times larger than L.A.’s Griffith Park.

The Irvine Co. and other landowners gave land or money to the reserve. In return, they were freed from strict U.S. Endangered Species Act guidelines on developing land outside the reserve.

Now, environmentalists are questioning why Neely wears two hats. “The reserve needs to be separate from the county,” said Laguna Beach biologist Elisabeth Brown, a board member. The ideal executive director would be a conservation biologist experienced in land management, Brown said. She and others also fault Neely and the board for not making more use of its scientific review committee.

Dan Silver of the Endangered Habitats League, one of the reserve’s most vocal critics, wrote the county Board of Supervisors this summer with a list of complaints. Among them:

* Most board members represent landowners and other major institutions rather than conservationists. County officials say the composition of the board is dictated by the 1996 agreement.

* Managers have not aggressively pursued buying land to enlarge the reserve. County officials say language in the 1996 pact does not mandate expansion.

* More public involvement is needed, perhaps through a citizens advisory committee. The county says such a committee is not envisioned in the 1996 pact.

In a Nov. 30 memo, county officials denied that Neely’s two roles present a problem, saying, “There is no inherent conflict of interest in having county staff serve in the capacity of executive director for the reserve.”

Neely said in a written statement Thursday that his tenure as executive director was always considered temporary and was arranged at the reserve’s request.

Neely is a planning manager II, with a salary range of $59,176 to $106,662. He receives no pay from the Nature Reserve, a county spokesman said.

County officials say the reserve asked for staff and office space, which the county has provided under a four-year agreement that expires this month. The reserve’s future management is undetermined.

Since 1996, the reserve has built up an endowment of nearly $12 million, with total assets of $17 million, Neely wrote.

He pointed to the reserve’s draft management plans for fire, grazing and restoring habitat, its biological monitoring and control of nonnative species.

“These programs will likely become the model for similar efforts currently underway in California,” he wrote.

Other county officials praised Neely’s work.

Neely is “a true professional,” said his supervisor, county Planning Director Thomas B. Mathews.

“Never in my experience--and I don’t think I’ve missed any meetings--has he ever appeared to be biased toward the county,” said four-year reserve board member Jim Carter, who represents the Santiago County Water District.

Silver said he was heartened by discussion of his concerns this week: “There’s obviously a transition point that’s occurring, and I’m positive that the board of directors can move in positive directions.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Keeping Tabs

Nature Reserve board members primarily include landowners and government institutions such as water districts. The Reserve Board will meet today at 11 a.m. in the multipurpose room of the Irvine Ranch Water District, 15600 Sand Canyon Ave., Irvine.

Board of Directors

*--*

ORGANIZATION DIRECTOR ALTERNATE US Fish & Wildlife Service Ken Berg Jim Bartel California Deptartment. Chuck Rayesbrook Gail Presley of Fish & Game California Dept of Mike Tope Paul Webb Parks and Recreation Orange County Vacant Vicki Wilson Irvine Ranch Water Darryl Miller Paul Jones District Metropolitan Water Dist. Jack Foley Moulton Niguel WD So.California Edison Michael Hertel Bill Ostrander Santiago County Jim Carter Charles Cron Water District Interfab Corp. UC Irvine Wendell Brase Richard Demerjian Transp. Corridor Agencies Bill Woollett Macie Cleary-Milan City of Irvine Sharon Heider, City of Jennifer Winn The Irvine Co. Monica Florian, Steve Letterly Headlands/Reserve Dan Daniels Kevin Darnall Sherman M.H. Sherman Company Headlands Reserve LLC

*--*

AT LARGE DIRECTORS

*--*

Elisabeth Brown Todd Nicholson Jim Meyer Laguna Beach biologist Trail for All

*--*

EX-OFFICIO DIRECTORS

*--*

ORGANIZATION DIRECTOR Coastal Greenbelt Vacant Authority O.C. Fire Authority Dan Drake, OCFA Department of Forestry David Neff and Wildlife Protection

*--*

Source: Orange County