A Promise to Our Children

What happens with the Rancho Mission Viejo property, and in fact, the future of Orange County, is in the hands of all residents of the region. We believe that preserving the county’s history and natural landscape is essential to preserving our clean air and water, and our special quality of life.

We, along with many other community leaders, formed the Heart and Soul Coalition to ensure that our voices are heard in the planning of the remaining 23,000 acres of Rancho Mission Viejo’s largely undeveloped land, and because our children deserve the permanent protection of Orange County’s natural treasures. We must keep this promise to them and all future generations.

The Heart and Soul Coalition is a broad-based group of parents, residents, community leaders, educators, businesses, health and public safety representatives, environmental and recreation organizations, elected officials and other citizens from across Orange County.

Our objective is to preserve our community’s heart and soul. Rancho Mission Viejo, located just inland from San Juan Capistrano, represents one of the last best hopes for preserving a very special place.

It supports many rare and unique plants and animals, including the golden eagle, mountain lion and steelhead trout. Scientists have determined that Rancho Mission Viejo is a “globally significant ecological jewel” and is at the center of one of the 25 most unique areas on the planet. And it’s right in our backyard.

The fate of this historically rich land is at stake and its future is in the hands of all of us who live, work, play and raise families in this county. At a time when the future of this special place is being planned, the Heart and Soul Coalition is encouraging the surrounding communities to work together. It is calling upon our neighbors and local, state and federal officials to join us in committing to the following actions:

Public participation: Plan the future of Orange County’s last natural lands based on a responsive and inclusive public participation process. Our coalition endorses SCORE (South Orange County Outreach and Review Effort), the action by Supervisor Tom Wilson to ensure that planning for Rancho Mission Viejo is based on public participation from all interested parties. The public expects--indeed we know from recent voting trends that it demands--greater involvement in planning the future of the county so the region’s heart and soul isn’t lost forever. We applaud Wilson’s bold action and call on the public to ensure that its interests and concerns are heard during the planning process.

Protecting natural landscapes: Locate development only where sound science has demonstrated it will not harm the rich ecology of this area or pollute our air and water. The coalition supports the state’s Natural Community Conservation Plan (NCCP), designed by former Gov. Pete Wilson and business and environmental leaders, to develop long-term visions for critical communities, balance economic and environmental goals and provide a framework for how best to preserve the region’s ecosystem while allowing development in the most appropriate locations. A study released in October 2001 by the respected Conservation Biology Institute (CBI) and endorsed by leading independent scientists, found that the only way to preserve these unique areas is to leave certain critical landscapes unfettered by development. We urge all government officials to embrace the NCCP.

Preservation as a top state and federal priority: We call on state and federal government agencies to make the preservation of Rancho Mission Viejo a top priority. Sacramento and Washington can and must do more to ensure this special and unique natural treasure is preserved for future generations.

Win-win solution: Work with the current stewards of the Rancho Mission Viejo land to ensure we keep Orange County a place we all want to live, work and play today and forever.

Keep our promise to our children: We must act to preserve our quality of life for Orange County’s children and future generations by saving the unique and historic portions of Rancho Mission Viejo.

We are calling upon the entire community to join us in this promise, so when we look back on this moment and what we’ve done together as stewards of our natural treasures, we will know that we did the right thing for our children.

We will have shaped a future that ensures we have the clean air, clean water and the natural landscapes that will make up the heart and soul of their Orange County.