More Rice Canyon Mailbox Theft

On Saturday 12/22/12 into Sunday morning 12/23 they broke the locks on both ours and another armadillo mailboxes (we both had the older mailboxes with the smaller round locks). Did not get anything from us, not sure about the neighbor. Then on Christmas Eve into Christmas morning they broke into another armadillo in our cluster. Not what they got that time either. But Paul walks Rice Canyon every day that he is home and he has been finding all kinds of mail thrown into the ditches. We have tried calling or looking for the people but no luck as yet. An Emma Steed at 1040 Rice Canyon had a Nordstrom credit card stolen as we found the attached info sheets that come with credit cards along with her drivers license renewal form. He also found a discover credit card with the matching one gone to a family that lives on Couser Canyon in Valley Center, still trying to reach him. Paul called Discover and told them to cancel the card in the meantime. He also found various Christmas cards.

Mailbox Theft

Will you please alert the neighbors about break ins into mail boxes .

Our mail box (Julio Avila) was broken into , first on Dec. 22nd, then yesterday the 27th.  Our neighbor Mike

Darnley' s mailbox was also broken into Dec. 22nd; their mail was torn open and put back into

their mailbox.  Both boxes are on Rice Canyon Rd. close to mile 3.    Actually, we also had a

break-in Labor Day weekend, which we reported to the Fallbrook post office.  They frankly were

 not very concerned and gave us a number to call to make a report, which we did.

Thank you for alerting people.

Full-speed ahead on city's fast-track quarry suit

TEMECULA: Full-speed ahead on city's fast-track quarry suit

Aaron Claverie   North County Times/Californian

December 08, 2012

TEMECULA — The city of Temecula will move forward with the two lawsuits it filed earlier this year to stop Granite Construction's Liberty Quarry project, a mine that had been proposed for land on its southern border.
The actions were announced recently by City Attorney Peter Thorson.
The city filed two quarry-related suits: one to render null and void the county's approval of the environmental documentation for the quarry and another to scuttle the county's move to add mining projects to its fast-track program.
Both actions were targeted by the city because they served to clear the way for quickie approval of a scaled-down version of the mine, which was hotly opposed by the city, environmentalists and the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians.
The Pechanga ended up spiking the project for good on Nov. 15 by buying the land that had been proposed for the mine, acreage near the San Diego County border that is tied to the tribe's ancestral birthplace and considered sacred.
The lawsuits, however, are still active.
Temecula Mayor Chuck Washington said the city is moving forward with the fast-track suit and seeking to recoup its legal costs in the environmental documentation matter.
Talking about the suits individually, Washington said the city has concerns about the fast-track issue because of its regional ramifications.
In addition to adding mining projects to its fast-track program, which allows for the Riverside County Board of Supervisors to directly approve projects without review by its Planning Commission, the county included wind power and solar power plants into the program.
"We don't believe it's appropriate," he said.
In the event the county amends its action, the city would reconsider its decision on pursuing the suit, Washington added.
The other suit always was a tricky one because the county Board of Supervisors voted to approve the environmental documentation for Liberty Quarry after voting to uphold the denial of the project by the Riverside County Planning Commission.
That action was declared "unusual" at the time and there was little case law that illuminated the legality of the move.
In a mid-October hearing, Superior Court Judge Craig Riemer said he needed more time to rule on the suit's particulars and postponed action.
Washington said the city will attempt to recoup its legal costs related to that suit, but he said the initial thrust of the litigation has been affected by Granite's decision to withdraw its application after the sale of the land to the Pechanga.
"There's no project," he said.
The city was joined in court by Save Our Southwest Hills, a local group that worked for years to stop the mine.
Ray Johnson, an environmental law attorney representing the group, said he plans to continue working on the fast-track suit because of what he called the dangerous precedent it would set: allowing huge projects to be rushed through the planning process without full review by the public.
Granite Construction will end up paying for the county's defense of the quarry-related suits, according to county spokesman Ray Smith.

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LIBERTY QUARRY PLAN VANISHES AMID $20 MILLION SETTLEMENT WITH TRIBE

LIBERTY QUARRY PLAN VANISHES AMID $20 MILLION SETTLEMENT WITH TRIBE Tim O'Leary Staff Writer A searing land use war that gripped the region for seven years ended abruptly Thursday, Nov. 15, with news that the Pechanga Indian tribe has spent $20.35 million to buy the site of a contentious gravel mine and prevent similar projects from taking shape in the Temecula area. The stunning revelation initially came as a joint press release and in about two hours swelled into a hastily-arranged gathering of about 150 tribal leaders, local government officials, environmental activists and community and business leaders. "This is a good day. It's a very good day," Tribal Chairman Mark Macarro said first in his native Luiseno language and then in English. His remarks were peppered by applause, and he was soon followed to the lectern by several Riverside County and Temecula elected officials. The euphoric speeches, handshakes and hugs seemed to mark a sudden demise to the hard-fought Liberty Quarry project. But the tribe's purchase of the mine site and its agreement with the developer were in the works since July and it was the close of escrow earlier in the day that set the stage for the gathering, Macarro said. The gathering took place on the top of one of the two parking garages that flank the tribe's casino and hotel. The rooftop location provided a panoramic view of the Temecula Valley and the boulder-strewn hilltop between Temecula and Rainbow where the quarry was planned. Pechanga officials - in a rare alliance with city and environmental leaders - had stated in public hearings that the hilly area is central to the tribe's creation story. Macarro and other tribal officials have said the mountain, which he identified as "Pu'eska," is sacred to the tribe, and allowing mining there would be similar to desecrating a cathedral, temple or other holy site. He said protecting the mountain and the area's quality of life was worth the years of work and millions of dollars spent by the tribe, city government and grassroots leaders. "This was a cause worth fighting to the end for," Macarro said. He thanked the mine developer, Watsonville-based Granite Construction Co., for selling the site to the tribe and for agreeing to help protect a 90-square-mile swath of land for the next 23 years. In response, speakers and onlookers showered the tribe with praise. "It's a perfect end," activist Jerri Arganda said as the event unfolded. "They're the heroes." Kathleen Hamilton, an environmental leader who aggressively fought the quarry from the moment it was proposed, quipped to a reporter: "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus." No Granite officials spoke during the Thursday afternoon gathering. The company's input was limited to the statements contained in a joint press release. "Granite has a strong history of cooperation with stakeholders in communities where we work and is pleased to have been able to reach an equitable solution with the Pechanga tribe regarding this project," James H. Roberts, the company's president and chief executive, said in the release. "We remain committed to Western Riverside and San Diego counties and look forward to continuing to grow our business in this area." The deal called for the tribe to pay Granite $3 million to purchase the 354 acres that was the heart of the quarry plan. The tribe also agreed to pay Granite $17.35 million for key concessions that include agreeing to not own or operate a mine in a vast swath of land through the year 2035. Numerous officials have described the mine plan as the most contentious development project to surface in the region in decades. The mine plan had numerous supporters, including leaders of some other cities, who cited the jobs and taxes the project would provide over several decades. Conversely, project foes complained of potential health, air and water quality risks. Project foes, who included numerous Fallbrook and Rainbow residents, organized community rallies, aerial photographs, billboard campaigns and bus trips to Riverside hearings. Granite submitted its application to Riverside County for the quarry project in 2005. It aimed to market the aggregate in San Diego and southwest Riverside counties. Company officials argued that it would cut air pollution by reducing the number of gravel-laden trucks that currently crisscross the region. The project wound its way through a pair of county agencies and dozens of public hearings, several of them attended by 1,500 people or more. The mine site is nestled behind a bluff overlooking a California Highway Patrol truck inspection and weigh station west of Interstate 15 near the San Diego County border. Granite initially sought county approval to extract 270 million tons of sand, gravel and other materials over a 75-year period from a 155-acre portion of the site that totaled about 400 acres. Another nine acres would be used for a service road that would wind its way up the hill. The mine site flanks a sensitive San Diego State University nature reserve and research station that is split by the Santa Margarita River, which forms at the confluence of several creeks in the Temecula area and flows 27 miles to the ocean. University leaders opposed the project and frequently participated in community gatherings and public hearings. County supervisors cast a 3-2 vote in February to deny the project. The board then veered in another direction in May by approving the project's environmental impact report. That triggered a lawsuit from Temecula. In July, Granite submitted a revised project application for a slightly smaller project. A subsequent county decision to review the revised plan under its fast-track process sparked a second lawsuit by the city. Both lawsuits were pending and a final county hearing was expected soon when the purchase and settlement deal was announced on Thursday. The city of Temecula spent more than $1 million studying the project and fighting it at hearings and in court. Granite spent more than ten times that amount in planning and processing the plan and defending the county from the litigation. The two county supervisors who represented the area and staunchly opposed the quarry spoke during Thursday's event. Supervisor Bob Buster said the board will be glad to forgo further clashes over the project. Stone praised Macarro and thanked the Pechanga tribe for reaching into its "deep pockets" to end the quarry showdown. Stone said the quarry triggered a "David and Goliath fight" and he joined Macarro in calling for changes in the way local governments evaluate the potential impacts of future development. Temecula City Councilman Mike Naggar said he "felt the spirit of the mountain" as he listened to Macarro and reflected on the lengths that various groups went to fight a perceived threat. "I think that's going to change us forever," he said.

Tribe: No plans to develop former quarry site

TEMECULA: Tribe: No plans to develop former quarry site Land purchased from Granite to be preserved by tribe Aaron Claverie Speculation started to swirl before the deal had even closed. So what's the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians going to do with the former Liberty Quarry site? Housing and a new golf course? A visitors center? A hotel? A new casino? The answer: Nothing. "At this point, we have no plans for Pu'eska Mountain beyond preservation," said Tribal Chairman Mark Macarro, who specifically addressed those questions during Thursday's ceremony to mark the sale of 354 acres of land that had been part of the proposed site for Granite Construction's quarry project. The tribe sees that land as sacred, tied to their ancestral birthplace. The purchase wrapped up a seven-year drama that pitted Granite against the city of Temecula, the tribe, area environmentalists and a coalition of doctors that were united in their opposition to the proposed quarry. The total site for the quarry was 414 acres, but the 60 acres that were not part of the sale are isolated in the northern corner. Asked whether the tribe is looking to buy that last chunk, the tribe's director of public affairs, Jacob Mejia, said Monday that the tribal council was very focused on finalizing the agreement that was announced last week. "At this point, no decisions have been made about other land in the area," he said. During the long series of public hearings on the project, Granite's legal team and project supporters tried to undercut the tribe's position in order to smooth approval of the project. They said the tribe had supported the city of Temecula's attempts to annex the land, which could have set the stage for the development of estate houses, and they said the quarry site was well away from the tribe's most sacred sites. The tribe rebutted both arguments, saying annexation would have killed the quarry project and that housing was not anticipated for that property because of the terrain and access issues. As for proximity, the tribe said the entire mountain is sacred and that measuring the distance from certain sacred sites doesn't show respect for their beliefs. Shortly after the news of the sale was announced, Temecula Mayor Chuck Washington said the city would float the idea of annexation and ask the tribe whether it wanted that land to become part of the city. Mejia said Friday that those comments were made before the tribal chairman announced that the land would be added to the tribe's reservation and preserved. "As we know too well, land can be taken from its rightful owner by a government with eminent domain. We have no idea what the future holds for county government, and we have no intention of trusting in others to preserve this sacred mountain," Macarro said. Later during his speech, Macarro said the benefits of preservation go beyond the land's importance for the tribe. He said that not building there will benefit the entire region's quality of life and allow the land to be appreciated by future generations. "The story of this mountain is not over," he said. The tribe's decision to forgo development was applauded by several groups: area real estate professionals who were concerned that development could negatively affect property values and air quality in the Redhawk region; environmentalists who were concerned about development severing a habitat linkage; and scientists who work at an ecological reserve to the west managed by San Diego State University. Matt Rahn, director for research for SDSU's field station programs, said the quarry would have effectively ended decades of work at the reserve and turned it into a laboratory for the study of mining operations. Now, he said, the station's 50-year legacy of research and study can be expanded upon. "Hopefully we'll get another 50," he said.

REGION: Fast-track lawsuit not going away

David Downey The seven-year fight over Liberty Quarry may be over, but a lawyer says he isn't dropping a lawsuit challenging Riverside County's fast-track process. Temecula attorney Ray Johnson said Friday that he will continue to work to nullify the Board of Supervisors' recent action to make surface mines eligible for accelerated review. That action, coupled with the board's Nov. 6 decision to put Granite Construction Co.'s project on the fast track, raised the specter of a vote approving the open-pit mine as early as Dec. 11. But the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians announced Thursday it had struck a $20.3 million deal with Granite to buy the site and settle the dispute, effectively killing the project. It was a huge mistake, Johnson said, for the county to add mines to a list of commercial ventures that may be fast-tracked if they invest significant amounts of money and employ many people. "I think fast track is inappropriate for mining projects generally," he said. "There probably isn't a more impactful project than a surface mine." Johnson filed the suit Oct. 23 on behalf of Save Our Southwest Hills, a Temecula-area environmental group. The county recently struck a deal in which Granite agreed to defend the county at company expense against four lawsuits related to the quarry. County spokesman Ray Smith said last week's sale of the quarry property does not negate Granite's obligation to continue defending the county if one or more suits are pursued. Meanwhile, Supervisor Jeff Stone of Temecula wants to change the way consultants are selected to prepare crucial environmental impact reports, such as the one written for Liberty Quarry. He said he will ask colleagues Tuesday to adopt a policy that ensures applicants won't receive favorable treatment. "No longer, with the passage of this new policy, will the proponents of a project hand-pick their consultants," Stone said at Thursday's news conference announcing the sale. "They will be picked by the county of Riverside from now on." In a huge twist in a nearly eight-year debate, the Pechanga band announced it would buy 354 acres for $3 million. The tribe and Granite also reached an agreement that reimburses the company for a significant chunk of the money it sank into the project. Granite planned to immediately withdraw its revised application. But Johnson said he had no intention of withdrawing the fast-track lawsuit. "It's bad policy, I think, for the county because you have a stated intent which is to try to get projects to create jobs," he said. "But I think the real intent is to prevent the public from having input on projects. And Liberty Quarry is probably the poster child for that." After more than 80 hours of public hearings on the original Liberty Quarry, and a February vote rejecting the open-pit mine, Granite submitted an application for a "new" project in July. That was the same month sale talks began with the Pechanga tribe. Granite's original project called for extracting up to 5 million tons of rock annually from the mountain just north of the Riverside-San Diego county line, for as long as 75 years. The "new" project was a scaled-down version of the original that sought authorization to mine a maximum of 4 million tons a year, for a maximum of 50 years. It also had a sweetener: a per-ton mining fee that would have generated millions for county coffers. After all the debate over the original quarry, the "new" project was on a path to skip a review by the Planning Commission and go straight to a hearing and potentially decisive board vote next month. There was a scheduled Dec. 11 hearing ---- a mere five weeks beyond the board vote that put Liberty Quarry on fast track. And according to a news release, a county staff analysis was going to be made publicly available just 10 days before the hearing. Johnson said he had major concerns with the timing. He said it would have given the public little time to react to what undoubtedly would have been a hastily assembled but voluminous report. "It's really bad policy that fundamentally deprives the public from the ability to really understand what's going on," he said.

TEMECULA: Tribal purchase ends mining plan

Cheers rang across the Temecula Valley on Thursday when the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians announced it had purchase the site of a proposed open-pit gravel mine. The purchase assures the mine will not be dug on land sacred to the tribe. It also saves Temecula taxpayers further costs in a lawsuit against Riverside County over fast-tracking the approval of the controversial mine last month. I thought it also saved the taxpayers of Riverside County the costs of defending the suit. But Supervisor Jeff Stone told me Granite Construction — the company that proposed the 414-acre mine — is paying the county’s legal costs. That in itself is very good news. After Thursday’s announcement of the tribe’s purchase of 354 acres from Granite, county supervisors double-checked the agreement with Granite and confirmed the company agreed to cover the county’s legal costs, Stone said. Pechanga and Granite officials jointly announced the $20.35 million deal in an afternoon news conference. There’s much about it to celebrate: The people of Temecula and the mountain community of Rainbow are spared the blasting, dust and rumbling gravel trucks as 174 million tons of aggregate were to be torn out of the mountain over 50 years. The tribe saves the site of its creation myth. And the county is spared the embarrassment of an irreversible mistake in approving the unpopular mine. Hundreds of people turned out for six county Planning Commission hearings in which 52 hours of testimony was taken before the commission voted 4-1 to deny the quarry permit in August 2011. Almost as many flooded the county supervisors’ three meetings on the matter. But the supervisors left the door open to a revised quarry plan and were on a fast track to approve it when the purchase was announced. On Monday, Granite withdrew the mine application. Now, Temecula and the grassroots group Save Our Southwest Hills can drop their lawsuits challenging Liberty Quarry’s environmental impact report. But it’s an open question whether the city and the group will drop the second part of their litigation: the addition of surface mining to projects that can be fast-tracked, skipping review by the Planning Commission. Save Our Southwest Hills’ lawyer Ray Johnson said the group will continue its challenge of the fast-tracking ordinance “because that is such bad public policy.” Temecula Vice Mayor Mike Naggar said the council at its next meeting will discuss whether to pursue the fast-tracking lawsuit. Councilwoman Maryann Edwards said the issue is bigger than Temecula. Will other jurisdictions join the lawsuit? She didn’t know. Supervisor John Benoit, who proposed fast-tracking mines, defended the option but said the board will use it only for projects that have gotten full hearings, as Liberty Quarry did. Riverside County owes a big thank-you to Pechanga. Its purchase of the site protects nature, tribal culture and the public good. Cassie MacDuff can be reached at 951-368-9470 or cmacduff@PE.com Cassie MacDuff

Goldspotted oak borer (GSOB)

CAL FIRE NEWS RELEASE California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection CONTACT: Julie Hutchinson, Battalion Chief/PIO (951) 377-8380 Kim Camilli, CAL FIRE Forest Pest Specialist (805) 550-8583 or (805) 543-4244. RELEASE DATE: November 14, 2012 Invasive Pest Found in Riverside County Fire and Forest Officials Ask Public's Help to Stop Spread Idyllwild - The goldspotted oak borer (GSOB) has been detected in a recently-killed California black oak tree in the Riverside County mountain community of Idyllwild. Larvae extracted from under the tree bark were subjected to DNA analysis at the University of California Riverside and confirmed to be Agrilus auroguttatus, the scientific name for GSOB. This new detection of GSOB represents the first long-distance movement of the beetle from its known area of infestation in San Diego County, 40 miles to the south. It is believed to have made the jump from San Diego to Idyllwild through the movement of infested firewood. The infested tree is slated for immediate removal and disposal. The GSOB is transported in oak firewood, so it is critical that Californians keep firewood local and not move it out of the area. Here are some immediate steps to help stop the spread of GSOB: Use firewood from local sources - “Buy it Where you Burn It” Leave firewood at home - do not transport it to recreational cabins, campgrounds or parks “The public plays a key role in stopping the spread of the destructive GSOB,” said CAL FIRE Director and State Forester Ken Pimlott. “When choosing firewood make sure you buy it from a local source and not from out of the area. This infestation could have devastating effects on California and we all must work to stop its spread.” The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) is collaborating with the University of California, the U.S. Forest Service and the County of Riverside to develop a rapid response plan for GSOB in San Jacinto forest communities. Surveys are already in progress to determine the extent of the infestation. Property owners in the Idyllwild area will be receiving additional information in the coming weeks on the GSOB and how to assess their own oak trees as well as a list of recommended contacts for questions. These infestations can be very destructive to our forests, communities, individual properties, and are extremely costly to control. “This discovery of GSOB in Riverside County is of great concern,” said CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Chief John R. Hawkins. “These mountain communities have endured years of drought and bark beetle infestation and we need to work collaboratively with the public and all stakeholders to stop the GSOB from further destroying our forest and oak woodlands.” Anyone planning to purchase or burn firewood is encouraged to visit www.firewood.ca.gov to learn how help stop the spread of GSOB and other pests through the movement of firewood. For more information on GSOB visit www.gsob.org.

FIRE TAX PROTEST - PETITION/FORMS

http://firetaxprotest.org/?page_id=13