El Monte Valley - Lakeside's River Park's Role
Our Position
The board of Lakeside’s River Park Conservancy has reviewed the project and believes that it is not consistent with our mission statement. The project will have substantial adverse impacts. As a result of these serious concerns, we cannot support the project. The conservancy will be submitting our substantive comments to the County and making them available to the public.
Our Actions:
1) On September 4, 2015, we wrote a letter to Mr. Barry Treahy, El Monte Valley resident outlining our position.
2) On September 13, 2015, we submitted our comments to the County of San Diego on the Notice of Preparation for the Sand Mine.
3) On September 17, 2018, the Board of Directors approved a $35,000 contribution of funds to Cleveland National Forest Foundation to cover an immediate shortfall in funding to hire Shute Mihaly Weinberger, attorneys, to write the official 'legal' CEQA comments on the project. This letter is intended to be the basis of a lawsuit, should the Board of Supervisors approve the project.
4) We retained a biologist, intimately familiar with the El Monte Valley to write additional CEQA comments on the biology and species found in the valley, with the aim of having these comments have legal relevance to any future lawsuit.
5) We meet regularly as a part of a 40 member team that is opposing the mine. This group is leading the effort to oppose the mine and brings a plethora of skills, time and talent to the effort.
6) On October 29, 2018, we submitted LRPC's Draft SEIR comments and the comments of our biologist to the County of San Diego detailing our grave concerns about the project.
7) We are aggregating other organizations' and agencies CEQA comments on the Draft SEIR see below.
8) Our Executive Director discussing the project and the beauty of the El Monte Valley on KUSI.
Other Agency CEQA Comments:
California Department of Fish and Game
Lisa Wood, El Monte Resident, and Environmental Professional
City of San Diego Comment Letter
Lakeside Water District Comment Letter and Groundwater Report
Helix Water District Comment Letter
