Gary Waskowsky | 21.08.2004 21:02

Preserve Calavera conducted a press conference to raise awareness of a planned development which will severely degrade one of the few remaining high quality wetlands areas in San Diego County.

Preserve Calavera Press Conference, Oak tree to right

Preserve Calavera is a group of citizens dedicated to preserving and enjoying some of the last remaining open-space in Carlsbad. The city is quickly making the switch from many hundreds of acres of rolling native coastal sage scrub and chaparral to flattened dirt pads and then to thousands of houses with Spanish tiled roofs.

Until just recently Preserve Calavera was leading hikes through open-space areas near Mount Calavera. The hikes served to educate the public about the native ecosystem and to engage citizens to be actively involved with the land use and planning process.

This month the threat of trespassing charges forced Preserve Calavera to halt these educational hikes. This morning (Sat. Aug. 21, 2004) the group held a Press Conference to inform the public about these threats and to voice their outrage at the loss of precious open-space areas in Carlsbad.

Here is more IndyMedia reporting of Preserve Calavera's press conference:

Diane Nygaard of the Preserve Calavera group conducted the press conference at the foot of Faraday Street where development might soon destroy one of the few remaining wetland areas in the coastal San Diego County area. As bikers, families and concerned citizens gathered the organization gathered signatures to add to the over 4800 already collected on a petition. Ms. Nygaard expressed the group’s dismay that an industrial park would destroy a habitat for many species such as the northern harrier bird as well as end a North County tradition of hikes in the area. She pointed out a graded area right by the press conference that had been readied for development 15 years ago and asked the obvious question, “Why destroy precious wetlands for MORE unused industrial space.”

The largest oak tree in the Carlsbad coastal region was also right by the press conference, and due to be destroyed by the development along with 18 others. Families hiked with their dogs and many bikers sped along the trails as the conference went on.

Ted Tchang, the long time owner of the land sent the group a letter demanding they cease and desist their planned hike which was to raise awareness of the proposed development. Instead the press conference led to welcome publicity for the cause as local citizens gathered and testified how important the land was to them. Ms. Nygaard promised Preserve Calavera intends to fight the development every step of the way and urged all present to support their cause for the good of future generations of animals, plants and people as well as ourselves.

To learn more about this issue log on to Preserve Calavera's website at:
 http://www.preservecalavera.org

e-mail:: libergo@hotmail.com