Hello Valued Member of the AEL Community,
Best wishes to all of you!
This memo concerns two important items: The County’s General Plan Update and the future of AEL.
County’s General Plan Update
The General Plan of a County is the blue-print for growth for future decades. The County of Placer is beginning the process to update its 20 year old General Plan. AEL plans to submit an issues memo to the County identifying key environmental issues that we believe the County should address in the General Plan update;
Some issues for which policies and implementation strategies:
- Comprehensively addressing necessary policies to protect biodiversity
- Protecting ridgetops and viewsheds from development
- Identifying and protecting wildlife corridors
- Establishing adequate stream setbacks and adopting local enforcement mechanisms consistent with Cal Fish and Wildlife
- Regulating electric bikes on public trails
- Preserving existing rail corridors in Western Placer
- Regulating plantings in new construction to provide for a minimum of 70% native plants
- Identifying keystone species (flora and fauna) and mechanisms to ensure their survival
- Protecting oak canopy
- Groundwater depletion
- County-wide assessment of health hazards attributable to Air Quality
- Adopting Smart Growth policies to contain urban sprawl, utilize blighted and obsolete development sites and afford all housing choices.
Please let me know if your organization has any issues that we may include in our AEL memorandum on General Plan Update Issues. Send your issues to me before February 10th, cc [email protected].
Future of AEL
As you may know, under the AEL umbrella, 16 organizations collaborate to achieve common goals. We came together to defend natural ecosystems, organize for civic action, and advocate for smart growth because it serves all community members and protects the environment that sustains us.
We produced the acclaimed Citizen Initiated Smart Growth Plan and accompanying Fair Housing Plan. We mobilized hundreds of citizens over the Sunset Area Development, Hidden Falls Expansion, Winery and Brewery Ordinance, Sustainability Plan and many other projects. Auburn’s Sustainability Committee and Auburn’s new Form-Based Code are evidence of AEL goals being institutionalized in the best way possible!
We need your input on the future of AEL. It costs $500 per year (plus several volunteer hours per month) to maintain our website, the Environmental Events Calendar (through Mailchimp), The All Hands on Deck volunteer notification system, and our Action Alert system.
Please share your feelings about the future of our AEL collaboration.
Your financial support ($60 per year) may be necessary for us to continue our media services that have thus far been free to all.
Warm regards,
Leslie Warren
Chair AEL, Emeritus
