HOPE - Helping Our Peninsula's Environment
Box 1495, Carmel, CA 93921                     Info(at)1hope.org
831/624-6500                                                  www.1hope.org

Coastal Commissioners 

Coastal Commission 
 
 

December 7, 2003 
 
 

Dear Commissioners, 
 

HOPE strongly supports most of the Monterey pine forest ecosystem protection recommendations. Your staff report does a first class job of recognizing --
 

1) The seriously endangered state of our Monterey pine forest ecosystem,

2) Its continuing decline due to development, and

3) The almost total lack of legal protection for our Monterey pine forest ecosystem.
 

Please allow us to add to a few points in your staff report.
 

• The United Nations Declares Monterey pine forest ecosystem Endangered in 1986. 

In 1986, before Pitch canker was found in California, the United Nations Department of Food and Agriculture, which sets international policy for forest protection, recognized the situation on a global scale and declared Monterey pine an Endangered Species. 

Independently, and without knowing of the United Nation's declaration, the California Native Plants Society strengthened its concern of Monterey Pine by rating it "1B". Their only stronger rating is "1A" which means extinct - gone forever - like the Mammoth.
 

• We solidly support the recommendation - "Monterey pine forest habitat should be treated generally as ESHA unless site-specific circumstances and biological review show otherwise." This is painfully obvious to anyone who examines the natural history and ecology of Monterey pine forest ecosystems. 

We have included some sample language for a Monterey pine forest ecosystem protection ordinance. 
 

Monterey Pine Ecosystem Protection Proposal 

The attached ordinance was drafted by David Dilworth of HOPE using improvements provided by recommendations from many ecologists including -- bird, animal, plant and forest ecologists. 

It has also had the benefit of improvements suggested by a respected land use attorney and an administrative law attorney. It was sent to almost 50 people for review and suggestions.

A coalition of conservation groups endorsed and gave this proposed ordinance to Supervisor Potter more than a year ago (March 12, 2002) - but he has yet to lift a finger to provide the desperately needed protection for our vanishing forests. I have left 3 phone calls for Supervisor Potter on this exact subject since August this year and he has yet to return any of those calls. 

Reckless County Development

We share Monterey County with hundreds of animals and plant species. Forty nine animals 19 trees and plants are imperiled to the point of needing official protection by Federal and State laws because Monterey County has failed to adequately protect them.

These species have fortunately survived the years-long, arduous process of receiving official listing under Federal and State Endangered Species Acts, Fully Protected laws and Special Status species lists. 

Yet, these 68 species are merely the officially recognized ones. Experts know of many more local species needing official protection and know there are other species we will never know of before we cause them to go extinct - gone forever.

We may eventually clean up our pollution and find new water sources - but when an animal goes extinct - it is gone from our planet, gone our solar system, gone from our galaxy - forever.

Forever!

Please allow us to thank your staff for all the animals and plants who cannot speak.

Sincerely, 

David Dilworth, Executive Director 
 
 

For more information please see -- 

Monterey Pine Forests 
www.1hope.org/pradiata.htm

Pine Pitch Canker 
www.1hope.org/ppc.htm

Monterey County General Plan 
www.1hope.org/mgpuel.htm