HomeMy WebLinkAbout14 - Big Canyon Coastal Habitat Restoration and Adaptation Project - Phase 2A - CorrespondenceRECEIVED
URGENT
2019 JAN 22 AM 10, 56
OFFICE OF
THE CITY (,LPK
CITY ()F
January 16, 2019
Hon. Diane B. Dixon
City Council
City of Newport Beach
100 Civic Center Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92658
Received After Agenda Printed
January 22, 2019
Item No. 14
Tony Knox
PO Box 8678
Newport Beach, CA 92658
949 721-8311
mrtk roadrunner.com
Re: Public Meeting to Consider "Mitigated Negative Declaration" for Big Canyon
Nature Park — Tuesday January 22, 2019
Dear Council Member Dixon
You will soon be asked to consider whether or not to approve a document that dodges a
full EIR for one of our parks that contains a forest. That forest is in the Big Canyon
Nature Park. Approval of that document will eventually wipe out all the 30 foot tall
forest. Totally. Bye bye forest, hello 3 to 4 foot replacement scrub.
This forest is really beautiful. Before you vote, you should go see it. If you vote "yes", it
will be torn out. That is the plan. If you doubt this, just ask any of your staff. If this is
what you want, i.e. to remove a forest from Newport Beach, then by all means, vote
"yes". If you think that removing a forest does not significantly change the environment,
I have a bridge I'd like to sell you.
The issue here is whether it is necessary to cut down and uproot the forest. It is not. It is
not necessary to remove this forest. In fact, eliminating this forest would be extremely
detrimental to this park, the surrounding neighborhoods and to this city.
The forest is primarily composed of Brazilian Peppertrees. There are other trees in the
forest, like palm trees and a few willows that are suffering from borer insects, but the
peppertrees predominate. In fact, they are sometimes called "invasive". They are very
healthy trees. But, they do not threaten our park or our city. Unlike the Brazilian jungle,
they reside in Newport Beach, Southern California, an area of mild humidity and
historically a desert, without irrigation. So, these trees are resilient, but they do not
"invade". At least not here. They thrive along our bubbling brook — Big Canyon Creek.
Other "invasive" species (www.cal-ipc.org) include the field mustard Brassica rapa
(which colored most of the OC landscape yellow in season before European discovery
and development of our area) and Washingtonia robusta, the palm trees we see everywhere.
So, the moniker "invasive" sounds sinister, but it can easily be misleading. Which it is in
this case.
We should not be afraid of the word "invasive". Brazilian peppertrees are ornamental
plants of the cashew family and are found all around our city and world wide. They
provide lots of shade and beauty. The added plus is that they absorb CO2 and
manufacture oxygen — a good thing! They are not going to gobble up our park.
Immediately down stream is a duck pond with lots of reeds — no trees of any kind. No
invasion.
The problem with this forest is that nobody has attended to it. Before now. It has been
left to grow naturally, without any landscape intervention whatsoever. Imagine letting
your own garden and trees grow willy nilly for decades. The point is that this forest
needs management, not annihilation.
Now, I don't blame the city for mismanagement of this forest. It has been completely out
of the mainstream of usage and has not required any maintenance. But now that the city
wants to develop this park, it is time to cull out some of the trees, plant other vegetation
and make it visitor friendly.
Conclusion: Vote "no" to the "negative declaration". It is wrong. This forest should
remain with proper landscaping, maintenance and management. It provides beauty,
shade, tranquility and, astonishingly, "nature". What is more natural than a forest. What
could be more unenvironmental than deforestation of one of our last natural recreational
resources in Newport Beach.
Thank you if you vote "no". It may not seem politically correct, but it is correct.
Sincerely,
'
Tony Knox