The reason why we have environmental quality laws today is that
in the past the environment was given little or no value with
respect to our economic interests.
The reason why we have environmental quality laws today is that in the past the environment was given little or no value with respect to our economic interests. 150 years ago California was a vast wilderness. Now only small remnants remain and we are beginning to recognize what has been lost and the importance of preserving what remains for us and for posterity. We have set aside some land for preservation in the form of Federal and State parks, wilderness areas, preserves, etc.
However our population continues to increase, placing ever increasing demands on our steadily diminishing resources it increases the impulse to put our short-term economic interests first.
A case in point is the proposed California High-Speed Rail system that will ultimately connect San Diego, Los Angels and other Southern California population centers with San José, San Francisco, Sacramento and other Northern California population centers. The intent of this project is to advance California’s long-term economic interests while reducing our consumption of energy and thereby reduce hydro-carbon emissions.
The problem is that some regional interests in California with political clout apparently have no qualms about sacrificing state Parks and State Wilderness land if doing so will maximize their economic interests.
The Advocates for Coe Park published their official comments to the draft environmental impact report for California High-Speed Rail system on July 9. The report recognizes that the intent of our environmental quality laws is to seek a balance between our competing economic, social and environmental interests thereby maximizing our quality of life.
The Advocates for Coe Park believes that we will only succeed with this goal if we, as a society, are willing to abide by the rules we have created for ourselves. Specifically, protected land such as Henry W. Coe State Park and Henry W. Coe State Wilderness must not be sacrificed just to maximize economic interests.
Unfortunately two of the four proposed rail routes to San José pass through Henry W. Coe State Park and the state Wilderness Area contained within it simply because it is the shortest distance between Merced and San José. A third misses the park but would still indirectly impact it. The fourth route utilizes the Pacheco Pass thereby avoiding the creation of a new transportation corridor through the Mt. Hamilton range but takes Merced off of the route, traverses a considerable amount of wetlands, threatens to induce urban sprawl and impacts privately held preserves.
The Advocates for Coe Park have proposed a hybrid route that is a bit longer but avoids or minimizes these other impacts. The route with the lowest score in the “score sheet” is the most desirable and the highest scoring route is the least desirable according to the Advocates analysis. You can see the entire comment letter at www.coeadvocates.org
The California High-Speed Rail Authority is accepting comments until August 31, 2004 so there is still time for individuals to weigh in on the issues. Send your comments to:
California High-Speed Rail Authority, Draft Program EIR/EIS Comments, 925 L St., Suite 1425, Sacramento CA, 95814
Bob Patrie is a director of The Advocates for Coe Park and a principal engineer with Xilinx Inc. Readers interested in writing a guest column should contact editor Walt Glines at ed******@*************es.com or 408-779-4106.
