|
|
Tell Some Friends About This Page! |
22 , 2007
On June 13th, 2006, less than 24 hours before the Coastal Commission was set to vote on the celebrity-developer proposal to cut down 17,000 Monterey pine trees, the developers withdrew the project. Recognizing that their illegal plan was a clear violation of the California Coastal Act, the developers decided to pull the plug at the last minute.
I believe that it was Sierra Club's Great Coastal Places Campaign that made the difference in preventing this terrible plan. It was our letters to the editor and postcards and hand-written notes that helped educate the Commission to the realities of this destructive project. And it was Sierra Club member’s persistence in attending meetings, joining me for hikes and going to hearings that kept our concerns in the news and in people's minds. This was truly a team effort and the results speak for themselves.
Until next time Mark Massara Director, Sierra Club Coastal Programs |
This was certainly a political calculation by the star-studded developer/owners of the Pebble Beach Company, and we must expect that sooner or later they will bring back some or all of this terrible project, but the fact remains that our Great Coastal Places Campaign won a victory that seemed impossible less than a year ago. Our victory was a clear example of organized people winning over organized money. Environmentalists stopped high-profile builders from destroying the largest remaining coastal forest of native Monterey pine trees in the world for yet another golf course, driving range and equestrian center.
I have always thought that our Great Coastal Places Campaign was unique in its ability to unite people statewide for coastal protection. This month we proved it was possible. When the Pebble Beach Company's plan comes back, we will be ready. There will be future hearings and I will surely need your help again soon to keep this forest safe.