EHL was quoted on the Foothill toll road and Inland Empire transportation, and authored an op-ed about the importance of the Endangered Species Act.



The Los Angeles Times, OC Weekly, and Associated Press all covered the Save San Onofre Coalition’s new litigation against the Foothill tollroad’s “Tesoro Extentsion” (“Environmentalists sue Orange County toll road agency,” May 23, 2013; “Save San Onofre Coalition files 2 lawsuits to stop Foothill/Eastern (241) Toll Road Extension,” May 23, 2013; and “Environmentalists file suit over Orange County toll road extension plan,” May 22, 2013, respectively). EHL was quoted in all three stories, for example, "This illegal segment is a desperate attempt to perpetuate a project which is so contrary to the public interest," said Dan Silver of the Endangered Habitats League, one of the groups who filed the lawsuit. "TCA's existing toll roads are a financial disaster, and we shouldn't throw good money after bad."

When the Riverside Press-Enterprise ran an excellent editorial titled, “Stop rubber-stamping Inland development plans,” EHL responded with a Letter to the Editor ("Develop with Care,” August 5, 2013) that reinforced the fact that short-sighted approvals are worsening traffic and putting life and property at risk in high fire hazard zones.  We also pointed out that “[W]ith an update of its general plan in progress, the Board of Supervisors has an opportunity to show more discipline and to set ground rules” for better patterns of development.

When Riverside County unveiled plans to jettison a traffic congestion standard to favor sprawl development projects, EHL “blew the whistle” on the full ramifications of the change. As reported in the Riverside Press-Enterprise, (“Supervisors move to weaken traffic standard,” May 14, 2013), the County had couched the proposal as insignificant.  But the executive director of the environmental group Endangered Habitats League wrote in a letter he does not believe the proposal is "merely a clarification." "The proposed change would make this mandatory policy merely optional," Silver wrote. "This change is a critically important one and potentially far reaching in its impacts. The county would now be free effectively to disregard the resulting added congestion on county roads in considering major traffic-generating projects." Silver also charged that the county is not following California environmental law in pursuing the change. "Aside from these legal inadequacies, the proposed change makes no substantive sense," he said. "Riverside County already has among the nation's worst jobs-housing imbalance, the worst congestion and the longest commutes."

In recognition of National Endangered Species Day, EHL Board Member Jane Block and EHL Executive Director Dan Silver authored an op-ed in the Riverside Press Enterprise on May 5, 2013 titled “Keep Riverside County’s habitat plans on track.” In part, the article said,

As we reflect back over the accomplishments of the Endangered Species Act, Riverside County can take particular pride, for it has been a national leader. Indeed, our region has led the way in going beyond saving particular, iconic species to saving the very ecosystems upon which all life depends. Due to remarkable collaborative efforts and the leadership of local government, Riverside County now has two of these comprehensive plans in place — the Western Riverside County Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan and the Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan. Development and conservation stakeholders helped craft the plans, and cities have joined county government in their implementation.

Oak-lined canyons, streams, and sage scrub intertwine and lead across the landscape to magnificent deserts. While the plans have a long way to go before working preserves are fully assembled, bighorn sheep and diminutive butterflies alike already benefit. Preserved lands are open to compatible recreation and serve as greenbelts for urban areas.

The Endangered Species Act will never recreate the staggering abundance of wildlife and fish that greeted early settlers. But residents of Riverside County can see a pond turtle, inhale the scent of sagebrush, and watch a hawk overhead not just in distant locations but near where they live.

Although our plans have made good progress, they still struggle to find the funds needed to purchase land and still require political will to keep them on track. Let us redouble our efforts to ensure that Riverside County’s precedent-setting habitat plans are successful.

<http://www.pe.com/opinion/local-views-headlines/20130505-opinion-keep-riverside-countys-habitat-plans-on-track.ece>