Golden Eagles are also confirmed at Bell Buff, the huge rocky knoll just west of the proposed substation. More precisely here is a south to north rundown on excellent eagle habitat or probable places where they could, have, or do nest, followed by musings on other impacts:
Hauser Mountain,
many cliffs over Hauser Wilderness,
Cliffs in the Forest overlooking the line of peaks above McAlmond Canyon (just west of the former Blackwater proposal)
Echo Mountain (I’d bet money)
the row of cliffs on the opposite side of Cottonwood,
Barber Mountain,
Lawsen,
Gaskill (more money) ,
Middle Mountain(almost a sure in),
Bell Bluff (a definate) ,
long series of ridges north and south in the original option D that ran the length of the Viejas Res culminating in an eagle wing shaped row of pillars or “elders” for lack of a better translation (more money on this one, with ancient spiritual shivers, vernal pools, springs, and native grass meadows thrown in for good measure–gorgeous if not sacred),
a ridge above the Conejos Valley loaded in Kumeyaay history if not more raptures,
which diverges between Rancho Alegria
to Eagle Peak (former definate and Godwilling again) ,
or Mineral Hill ,
McCoy Hill, (a definate)
an abundance of cliffs overlooking Cedar Gorge (a definate)
to Mildred Falls
and the San Diego River Gorge (another definate.)
That in addtion to El Cajon on the west as noted,
and some cliffs on the east near I-8 actually closed right now for eagles in compliance with former president Bill Clinton’s migratory bird order.
To sum all that up, when one goes from sea level to 6500 feet on an ocean coast that runs north and south, one travels over a ridge of cliffs running north and south. When one rips a power line north and south at the same elevation one can wipe out any else that utilizes that microecology. So its not just here and there, they’ve chosen to zig zag a route that basically runs the whole path of their line on cliffs. My bird book notates power lines as a major cause of eagle mortality. But that is only one of many impacts.
(and this is the inferior-superior …what???) Waterfalls, huge legacy oaks, legacy chaparral, Gaskill itself is a giant native American Stonehenge where on the 21 of Dec from the shaman site on Cowels mountain the sun appears to be spit into two. How many centuries went by before that was worked out? line goes right by it. Of course not to mention the 30 thousand or so people that live close by or the gazillion that will drive past on I-8. -the twin 230 lines leave the substation on Bell Bluff (this is the big mountain and deep gorge in front of you when you are at the rest stop just past Viejas on I-8) AND the “San Diego River-South” the Sweetwater River (out of Green Valley Falls) that feeds the southern watershed and the possibility that our native trout or hybrid might just might still exist there. Barret Lake’s east channel in Hauser Canyon is also used for fire planes to get water, now having to assend an additional steep 400 feet with the line across their exit.
We don’t have 500 Kv right now. Those Huge towers in Otay are 230. 500 Kv is nasty stuff and should not be near cities at all. There is a 200 page read by someone in the EIS on the benefit of DC current. I hope they will review carefully. It seems easier to underground.
The renewal of the current SDG&E permit is now available for public comment. See the local Cleveland website. This is important because if I’m reading this right they outline areas in that proposal where it seems to me that they are already out of compliance. The FS has mixed and matched various alternatives to proposals in the past so it seems possible they will be looking at options again. They appear to have put a good effort into this. What is there is the current renewal, a fire option, an underground option and a non-renewal “go away ” option.
Hope you guys remember to include Carvacre, the ranch-ets near Middle Mountain, and Deerhorn Valley in your requests for representation, as well as the Boulder Creek, Eagle Peak and Descanso areas. These are also heavily impacted.
I went around taking video last fall hoping to get the word out about the gorgeous places in the south route. Some of it is very raw but you can slide the time line back and forth and get the jist. See iokuok2 on youtube for some views. The first one was a powerpoint with Aretha Franklin singing an appropriate “I say a little prayer for you”. Someone pointed out that I would have to get specific permission or use one of the suggested songs. Which I did. But if you happen to have Aretha connections maybe she will let us use the song. In the mean time there are about 65 photos that will fly by of the area and “what were they thinking” comments. Mildred Falls gets good about half way through.
Long story short, the line shouldn’t be. There is probably huge federal pressure behind this. If its really the green house emergency and answer to it then they can afford to do the right thing and get it under ground. Why do they put up with us and all of this expense and declare rewriting Forest plans and wilderness bills but they can’t simply leverage Caltrans to provide an easement between the freeway lanes?
Thanks for the opportunity to blither. Would there be critical mass for a hike to get a closer look at some of the unbelievable gorgeous sites that could be impacted? Would consider this if there is interest. In the mean time if you are hiking or cycling saavy, I recommend Barber Mountain road and a climb to the top, a walk from Cinnamon to Echo mountain, (will require some map study if you aren’t familar) and definately the traditional Lawson and Gaskill also accessible by offroad and probably the best multiuse cooperative area around. Every year there is a pancake breakfast on pancake rock on Mother’s Day by the Jeep community. This year is should be one by all of us in protest of destroying this ridge.
under no circumstances should you go hiking out there alone!! Always take a lot of water, no less ever than 3 quarts per person. I take about 5.
Thanks for writing in. I am helping coordinate the meeting, and I live on Japatul Road near Carveacre. I have several contacts there and the community is very aware of what is going on. I also have a contact in Descanso. On top of all the other issues with this project, the loss of beautiful peaceful spaces is one of the hardest for me to bear. Gaskill Peak is one of my favorite hikes, with views in every direction. You get a real sense for the backcountry up there. I hope we can keep it that way.
Golden Eagles are also confirmed at Bell Buff, the huge rocky knoll just west of the proposed substation. More precisely here is a south to north rundown on excellent eagle habitat or probable places where they could, have, or do nest, followed by musings on other impacts:
Hauser Mountain,
many cliffs over Hauser Wilderness,
Cliffs in the Forest overlooking the line of peaks above McAlmond Canyon (just west of the former Blackwater proposal)
Echo Mountain (I’d bet money)
the row of cliffs on the opposite side of Cottonwood,
Barber Mountain,
Lawsen,
Gaskill (more money) ,
Middle Mountain(almost a sure in),
Bell Bluff (a definate) ,
long series of ridges north and south in the original option D that ran the length of the Viejas Res culminating in an eagle wing shaped row of pillars or “elders” for lack of a better translation (more money on this one, with ancient spiritual shivers, vernal pools, springs, and native grass meadows thrown in for good measure–gorgeous if not sacred),
a ridge above the Conejos Valley loaded in Kumeyaay history if not more raptures,
which diverges between Rancho Alegria
to Eagle Peak (former definate and Godwilling again) ,
or Mineral Hill ,
McCoy Hill, (a definate)
an abundance of cliffs overlooking Cedar Gorge (a definate)
to Mildred Falls
and the San Diego River Gorge (another definate.)
That in addtion to El Cajon on the west as noted,
and some cliffs on the east near I-8 actually closed right now for eagles in compliance with former president Bill Clinton’s migratory bird order.
To sum all that up, when one goes from sea level to 6500 feet on an ocean coast that runs north and south, one travels over a ridge of cliffs running north and south. When one rips a power line north and south at the same elevation one can wipe out any else that utilizes that microecology. So its not just here and there, they’ve chosen to zig zag a route that basically runs the whole path of their line on cliffs. My bird book notates power lines as a major cause of eagle mortality. But that is only one of many impacts.
(and this is the inferior-superior …what???) Waterfalls, huge legacy oaks, legacy chaparral, Gaskill itself is a giant native American Stonehenge where on the 21 of Dec from the shaman site on Cowels mountain the sun appears to be spit into two. How many centuries went by before that was worked out? line goes right by it. Of course not to mention the 30 thousand or so people that live close by or the gazillion that will drive past on I-8. -the twin 230 lines leave the substation on Bell Bluff (this is the big mountain and deep gorge in front of you when you are at the rest stop just past Viejas on I-8) AND the “San Diego River-South” the Sweetwater River (out of Green Valley Falls) that feeds the southern watershed and the possibility that our native trout or hybrid might just might still exist there. Barret Lake’s east channel in Hauser Canyon is also used for fire planes to get water, now having to assend an additional steep 400 feet with the line across their exit.
We don’t have 500 Kv right now. Those Huge towers in Otay are 230. 500 Kv is nasty stuff and should not be near cities at all. There is a 200 page read by someone in the EIS on the benefit of DC current. I hope they will review carefully. It seems easier to underground.
The renewal of the current SDG&E permit is now available for public comment. See the local Cleveland website. This is important because if I’m reading this right they outline areas in that proposal where it seems to me that they are already out of compliance. The FS has mixed and matched various alternatives to proposals in the past so it seems possible they will be looking at options again. They appear to have put a good effort into this. What is there is the current renewal, a fire option, an underground option and a non-renewal “go away ” option.
Hope you guys remember to include Carvacre, the ranch-ets near Middle Mountain, and Deerhorn Valley in your requests for representation, as well as the Boulder Creek, Eagle Peak and Descanso areas. These are also heavily impacted.
I went around taking video last fall hoping to get the word out about the gorgeous places in the south route. Some of it is very raw but you can slide the time line back and forth and get the jist. See iokuok2 on youtube for some views. The first one was a powerpoint with Aretha Franklin singing an appropriate “I say a little prayer for you”. Someone pointed out that I would have to get specific permission or use one of the suggested songs. Which I did. But if you happen to have Aretha connections maybe she will let us use the song. In the mean time there are about 65 photos that will fly by of the area and “what were they thinking” comments. Mildred Falls gets good about half way through.
Long story short, the line shouldn’t be. There is probably huge federal pressure behind this. If its really the green house emergency and answer to it then they can afford to do the right thing and get it under ground. Why do they put up with us and all of this expense and declare rewriting Forest plans and wilderness bills but they can’t simply leverage Caltrans to provide an easement between the freeway lanes?
Thanks for the opportunity to blither. Would there be critical mass for a hike to get a closer look at some of the unbelievable gorgeous sites that could be impacted? Would consider this if there is interest. In the mean time if you are hiking or cycling saavy, I recommend Barber Mountain road and a climb to the top, a walk from Cinnamon to Echo mountain, (will require some map study if you aren’t familar) and definately the traditional Lawson and Gaskill also accessible by offroad and probably the best multiuse cooperative area around. Every year there is a pancake breakfast on pancake rock on Mother’s Day by the Jeep community. This year is should be one by all of us in protest of destroying this ridge.
under no circumstances should you go hiking out there alone!! Always take a lot of water, no less ever than 3 quarts per person. I take about 5.
Thanks for writing in. I am helping coordinate the meeting, and I live on Japatul Road near Carveacre. I have several contacts there and the community is very aware of what is going on. I also have a contact in Descanso. On top of all the other issues with this project, the loss of beautiful peaceful spaces is one of the hardest for me to bear. Gaskill Peak is one of my favorite hikes, with views in every direction. You get a real sense for the backcountry up there. I hope we can keep it that way.