For three decades, CSERC has defended oak woodlands and other open space areas that stretch across the Sierra foothills. Over the years, sprawling land development has sometimes surged and sometimes just inched forward. Inevitably, however, more oaks are bulldozed year after year, and more open space is lost.
CSERC’s main goal for open space is to improve the projects that come up for approval, rather than battle to stop each project. CSERC only opposes the worst, most damaging projects. Land planning and development policies are complex and highly technical. County General Plans set programmatic direction and define where different uses may legally be approved. Without the role in planning that CSERC provides, areas officially designated for agricultural use or as open space can get degraded by new developments, which can have large scale negative impacts.
CSERC staff reviews all proposed environmental documents in Tuolumne County to assess their risk. Our staff visits project sites, submits written comments, and often testifies at planning commission and county supervisor hearings. .
CSERC aims to represent environmental values at every opportunity. Because our staff has a robust knowledge of the California Environmental Quality Act and regional planning regulations, even developers have come to respect CSERC’s involvement. At times that results in CSERC working directly with developers to press for positive changes that minimize environmental damage and decrease opposition to their plans.
In years past, Tuolumne County supervisors aligned their goals with the local building industry. These goals included discarding any wildlife policy beyond the absolute minimum requirements set by the State. Despite pro-use political leaders making key decisions, CSERC continues to advocate for wildlife and the preservation of precious resources that help define the rural character of the area.
For proposed projects that would cause measurable environmental harm, CSERC appeals project decisions and sometimes files lawsuits when the legal violations are significant.
CSERC also works to support local volunteer conservation groups and individual citizen activists who share concerns about proposed developments. Through CSERC’s mentoring, the grassroots groups gain technical skills and support.
Like all of CSERC's most important efforts, when it comes to protecting natural open spaces from unnecessary and damaging development, our Center’s staff serves as your hands at work.
