After several years of discussions with East Bay Regional Park District, and a failed attempt at negotiating a more moderate Measure CC vegetation management project, HCN has chosen to file a lawsuit against EBRPD.

We regret that this step was necessary, but once the EIR was certified, and after a settlement meeting was met with zero effort to compromise on the part of EBRPD, there was no alternative.

The suit raises a range of deficiencies with the Measure CC EIR, all of which were previously raised in our comments to the Draft EIR several months ago.

Now that the suit is moving forward, our dependence on supporters of our fight to save 500,000+ trees, and prevent the widespread poisoning of the environment with toxic herbicides is that more acute.

Please consider making a contribution to this effort by sending your tax deductible donation to:

Hills Conservation Network

PO Box 5027

Berkeley, CA 94705

Here’s the press release:

Hills Conservation Network

(510) 849-2601, inquiries@hillsconservationnetwork.org/

http://hillsconservationnetwork.org

Preserving the East Bay Hills

May 26, 2010                                   For immediate release

Conservation group files suit against East Bay park district

The East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) plans to destroy more than 500,000 trees, adding some 100,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere and a massive amount of pesticides to the environment.

The East Bay ridgeline from Castro Valley in the south to Pinole in the north is in danger of being forever altered by a misguided vegetation management program adopted last month by EBRPD.

The Hills Conservation Network (HCN) filed suit challenging EBRPD’s vegetation management program. The lawsuit alleges numerous violations of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). If implemented, EBRPD’s program will irreparably harm the beautiful, vibrant and diverse ecosystem of the East Bay hills.

HCN is comprised mostly of survivors of the 1991 Oakland/Berkeley fire, people deeply concerned that the EBRPD, using parcel tax receipts from 2004’s measure CC, will create an environmental nightmare.

EBRPD’s vegetation management program will destroy critical habitat by drastically reducing the tree canopy; release enormous amounts of sequestered carbon dioxide and; poison the environment with the widespread and long-term application of pesticides known to increase health risks to people, pets and wildlife.

Large scale removal of pine, eucalyptus and acacia trees is a radical plan to restore the landscape to the way it may have looked 200 years ago. Removal of thousands of trees eliminates their ability to absorb carbon dioxide, a main culprit in global warming. This is poor forest management and ineffective fire prevention — and it harms the environment.

Taxpayer dollars could be put to better use by thinning the trees and clearing debris under them instead of removing vast numbers of mature, healthy trees.

Despite HCN’s repeated attempts to achieve a more moderate plan at a lower cost and without the substantial negative environmental consequences, EBRPD has refused to engage in meaningful dialogue. The result is the current lawsuit.

The suit, filed May 25, 2010 in Alameda County Superior Court seeks an injunction preventing any tree removal, and asks that the EIR adequately analyze the impacts of this 20-year project, which it currently does not do.

For more information contact Dan Grassetti (510) 849-2601

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