CA: Eastwood-led building plan leads to battle over forest

Mercury News ^ | 3/25/05 | Ken McLaughlin

[NormsRevenge]

It's Clint Eastwood's half-billion-dollar baby -- a sweeping development plan for Monterey Peninsula's fabled Del Monte Forest.

So far the ``baby'' is garnering both jeers and plaudits. In one corner: environmental activists and the California Coastal Commission staff. In the other: the Pebble Beach Co. and Monterey County's elected officials. And both sides are digging in for the long haul.

The Pebble Beach Co., owned by Eastwood, golfer Arnold Palmer, ex-baseball commissioner Peter Ueberroth and other investors, wants to build a championship 18-hole golf course and driving range in the area's signature Monterey pine forest. The 150-acre development would also include a new equestrian center, 33 luxury homes and 160 hotel rooms and suites.

In exchange, the company is offering to preserve more than 800 acres as permanent open space -- most of it in Pebble Beach, a 5,200-acre gated community that is home to the 17-Mile Drive, seven 18-hole courses and one nine-hole course.

But many environmentalists are saying no to the quid pro quo -- and urging California coastal commissioners to reject the plan when it reaches them later this year.

``They're taking the heart of one of California's last intact coastal forests,'' said Mark Massara, who directs the Sierra's Club's coastal programs. ``To chop down more than 17,000 Monterey pines for golf is akin to cutting down the Amazon forest for hamburger.''

The Pebble Beach Co. says it's being unfairly maligned by what it called environmental extremists who have never seen a golf course or hotel development they liked. Company officials also point out that the plan was overwhelmingly approved by Monterey County voters as Measure A in November 2000. Seventy percent of Pebble Beach residents voted yes.

[Condor51]

Wait, maybe my bad.
I might have misread the Conversion Factors in my reference book........

[Condor51]

Wait, maybe my bad.
I might have misread the Conversion Factors in my reference book........ Yep I did... %^%$% glasses. What I read was "ares", which is directly underneath 'acres'in my book. And then I thought it was a misprint and they forgot the 'c'. But you're correct an Acre IS 43,560 SF.

I should have realized my number seemed too small but I was intent on 'dissing' the tree hugging Sierra Club.
hate is terrible thing :-)

[paul51]

But more often overcast

Think you have us confused with somewhere else. Only place in the continental us with a Mediterranean climate. Foggy along the coast at times but generally cool and clear.

[SierraWasp]

Would you mind snail-mailing a copy of your car's ignition key since you don't believe that control has anything to do with ownership of one's private property, right?

In fact... mail that to all of us on FR, thank you for furthering the goals of Socialism in America!!!

[SierraWasp]

Sorry, that just doesn't fit in with the one Socialistic bent that the Pete Wilson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, et al branch of the CA Republican Party indulges in!

In fact, Mr. Eastwood himself is quite inconsistent in these areas of EnvironMental/GovernMental intrusion into the reason people own stuff... they would like to CONTROL IT, responsibly!!!

I just knew I'd agree with you... Ownership and Control! "Wow, what a concept."

[Carry_Okie]

In Santa Cruz County, developers used people just like you to control who got to make money for over thirty years. What you are seeing in the Del Monte Forest are the fruits of the land use control freaks of this world, like you.

Here is a book chapter for you to learn how it works.

[Prost1]

Perhaps you should study how development has ruined the bay, destroyed the fishing and wildlife and caused irreperable damage. All for a $, which you nor I see.

We just pay the taxes to undo the damage.

We pay the taxes to plant trees due to clear cutting.

We pay the taxes to provide police and fire service to remote areas where the super rich live.

Don't preach to me until you know all the facts.

[Lurker]

Oh, I forgot. The rich in California don't pay any property taxes.

Thanks for reminding me.

L

[editor-surveyor]

"Or perhaps he favors some kind of "unconstitutional interference" to prevent this kind of riffraff from moving into the neighborhood???"

Have you ever heard of Deed Covenants?

They are a legal and proper way to establish order in a community without tyranny, and without socialism.

[KC_for_Freedom]

Look before you jump on a developer's bandwagon.

You clearly don't play golf. The green fees at Pebble Beach are prohibitive. Maybe with a few more courses there will be enough competition to lower the fees.

(PS, that was sarcasm, but you should know that a golf course and wealthy community are just as attractive as a forest, and there are lots of forests that could use come "develoment" care.)

I used to vote with the Sierra Club until it became clear what a bunch of obstructionists they were. They have the attitude that the wilderness is theirs, it isn't -- it belongs to all of us.

[editor-surveyor]

"Let Clint build his golf course at the corner of Highway 101 and 33."

"I'm not familiar with that area. Does Mr. Eastwood own the property you refer to?"

I think that he must be talking about the Simi Valley area, which is the closest place to what he describes. Last time I was down there they had several golf courses already ;o)

[Carry_Okie]

Perhaps you should study how development has ruined the bay, destroyed the fishing and wildlife and caused irreperable damage. All for a $, which you nor I see.

As if I hadn't.

We just pay the taxes to undo the damage.

It will never be enough. The agencies have no accountability to succeed. In fact, the worse things get the more you'll pay.

We pay the taxes to plant trees due to clear cutting.

And disincent the growth of trees, burn forests to a crisp, and abet weed infestations with your "preservationist" policies while international logging companies force you to pay inflated prices for California's 80% market share of imported lumber. Further, you subsidize the destruction of forests abroad. I don't suppose you know that we grow five times what we log in Santa Cruz, and that's only on industrial timber property.

We pay the taxes to provide police and fire service to remote areas where the super rich live.

My taxes more than pay for that "protection" with surcharges added on to my property taxes for the service. The most expensive fire in California history was in Oakland, not in the woods.

Just keep going with that standard BS Sierra Club line. You still haven't figured out why they get paid so much money to spread that crap.

[Willie Green]

Have you ever heard of Deed Covenants?

Yeah, it's a fancy term that means you don't actually own the property you purchased.
It also means that some unelected bureaucratic clerk in the "homeowners association" can mandate that you can't fly Old Glory on the 4th of July.

[razorback-bert]

To get meaningful information, similar types of stands should be lumped together. For example, all poletimber stands should be treated differently from sawtimber stands. This can be taken from the map, or by looking at each plot datum. Tree size for the stand will be where the largest amount of basal area occurs.

To get an average for the stand, simply make a tally sheet which lumps all similar counted trees together, by diameter class, tree height, and any other distinctions made at the time of sampling. Then multiply by the number of trees per acre from the above chart and divide by the number of plots. This will be the average number of trees per acre. For total numbers, multiply by the number of acres. For volumes, simply multiply the # of trees by the appropriate volume per tree. The average diameter for the stand is the sum of the trees per diameter, multiplied by the diameter, divided by the total number of trees.

There are now two ways to get the average basal area for the stand. From the tally sheet that has been constructed, simply divide the number of trees by the number of plots, and multiply by 10 (which was the basal area factor of your sampling device). Another method is to take the average number of trees per acre, which was computed above, and multiply by .005454 times the diameter squared.


Been a long time since I was actively involved in managing my timber and pulp, but 113 trees a acre seems to be high.

[Don Corleone]

"Save the Whales!" "Power to the People!"/sarcasm

[razorback-bert]

Picture of a cell tower in the Del Monte Forest, doesn't appear to support 113 trees an acre.

[Diddle E. Squat]

I'm going for "UPDATE IV":

Do you kow 51 persons named Paul?

[editor-surveyor]

"Yeah, it's a fancy term that means you don't actually own the property you purchased."

No, it means that what is on the disclosure that you read and sign when you buy is all that you ever have to worry about. It's about freedom. Homeowners associations are mandated by socialist government planners that have no stake in the land, not by free, independent developers.

I've always been amazed at how confused you socialists are.

.

[Jaysun]

But many environmentalists are saying no to the quid pro quo -- and urging California coastal commissioners to reject the plan when it reaches them later this year.

I understand that this is California, but we have to start urging our elected officials to stop respond to these nuts and their every demand. The environmentalist have exuberant amounts of power and influence - perhaps more than any other nutty group in America.

[paul51]

Do you kow 51 persons named Paul?

I'm not sure if I know 51 people period!!