Here is your challenge.

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SAVE ETIWANDA CANYON BEFORE EARTH DAY....

·        On April 22, 2009, the County of San Bernardino, on behalf of three development companies, are taking the Etiwanda Canyon Nature Sanctuary to sell at a Levy Auction to the Public.....

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·        To save the 308-acre Etiwanda Canyon Nature Sanctuary, The Habitat Trust for Wildlife must raise at a minimum $900,000. BEFORE Earth Day....

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Etiwanda Canyon is one of the last canyons, along the San Gabriel Mountains, that does not have a debris basin or dam in its mouth. Etiwanda Canyon is a vital landscape linkage between the desert and coastal facing slopes of the San Gabriel Mountains (San Bernardino National Forest), and then to the east and west on the largest intact alluvial fan complex. It is just north of the City of Rancho Cucamonga.  Habitat types include Pine and Alder Forest, Cismontane, Riversidean Alluvial Fan Sage Scrub and Wetlands.  A few of the known listed and unlisted endangered species include,  California Gnatcatcher, Southwestern Willow Flycatcher, Yellow legged mountain frog, American red legged frog, least Bell’s vireo, Southwestern Arroyo Toad, Golden Eagle, Black Bear, Mule Deer, numerous bat species, Plummer’s Mariposa Lily and hundreds more. Two of the three parcels that make up the Etiwanda Canyon Nature Sanctuary are private in-holdings in the National Forest. There is a small waterfall, immediately to the north, and water nearly year round in the canyon creek wash.  Immediately adjacent to the west is the County’s 762-acre “North Etiwanda Preserve,” then to the west is over 1,700-acres of habitat lands that are habitat mitigation lands for conservation. Five hundred acres in Day Canyon held by the Forest Service, with 1200-acres below Day Canyon and Deer Canyon. ....

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The Habitat Trust for Wildlife (www.TheHabitatTrust.org )   acquired the 308-acres at Etiwanda Canyon through an out-of-court settlement between Spirit of the Sage Council and developers.  For over 17 years, the Sage Council has been defending the habitats and wildlife in the North Etiwanda area of San Bernardino County and City of Rancho Cucamonga, as well as addressing endangered species issues nationwide (www.sagecouncil.com).  Due to the City and County’s obvious pro-development/anti-conservation positions, as well of the County’s neglect and mismanagement of the 762-acre North Etiwanda Preserve, members of the Sage Council created The Habitat Trust for Wildlife to receive habitat mitigation lands. In doing so, we successfully received 308-acres from two developers that the Sage Council had legally challenged for insufficient mitigation of impacts. ....

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WHAT HAPPENED THAT CAUSED THE COUNTY SHERIFF TO LEVY OUR LANDS - THE ETIWANDA CANYON NATURE SANCTUARY?....

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In short, a nasty politician (San Bernardino County, Supervisor Paul Biane) and his developer buddies that have long hated Spirit of the Sage Council, for filing lawsuits on every development project that threatens the North Etiwanda Alluvial Fan ecosystem. Their hatred grew when The Habitat Trust for Wildlife joined forces with the Sage Council and became a land owner. As long as The Habitat Trust owned Etiwanda Canyon, the County could not put a dam or debris basin in its mouth. Therefore, developers would not be able to build higher up on the fan to the east or to the south.....

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Details - Around 2004, four proposed development projects came before the City of Rancho Cucamonga, including one by the City itself.  Spirit of the Sage Council filed CEQA lawsuits on all, three for not providing adequate habitat mitigation (developers) and one for not preparing an Environmental Impact Report (City). Sage Council won the case against the City – delaying any development in the area for two years and making the City perform a full environmental impact report (EIR). The three developers settled out of court, agreeing to double their amount of habitat mitigation and giving the mitigation land with funding to The Habitat Trust for Wildlife.....

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One of the three developers, Henderson Creek, sold their project to Rancho 2004, whom sold to Granite. The Henderson Creek settlement promised 86-acres and funding to The Habitat Trust. The 86-acres are adjacent to the 308-acre Etiwanda Creek Nature Sanctuary. Then, Granite sought political assistance from Supervisor Biane and the City in attempts to get out of their settlement contract with the Sage Council and The Habitat Trust (according to our records a meeting took place at the office of Supervisor Biane,  along with City reps and  Dorian Johnson of Granite).  Shortly after the meeting, the Rancho Cucamonga City Council took a vote as to whether The Habitat Trust was what they considered a “qualified” conservation entity. It was an obvious set up, with ridiculous requirements i.e.  That we needed to have an office with paid staff in their city, and we needed to have independent financial audits, among other things. Our legal counsel, Craig Sherman represented us at the City Council’s hearing, providing documents and arguments – State & federal law does not require charities to have offices in every city they work in and small charities would go broke it they had to. Nor are charities required to have paid staff, The Habitat Trust has team of volunteers and active board members. California Non-Profit law does not require an independent audit until the charity has income of over $1 million annually.  Regardless, the City Council unanimously voted that The Habitat Trust was not a qualified conservation entity for the purpose of receiving the land transfer of the habitat mitigation Henderson Creek project.....

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The City’s actions to “disqualify” The Habitat Trust for Wildlife, an IRS qualified 501 (c) 3 tax exempt organizations (FEIN# 04-3637770) and California Registered Charity was outrageous and illegal. This caused The Habitat Trust to defend its right to property and file a lawsuit against the City. In the meantime, Granite used the City’s disqualification of Habitat Trust to breach the contractual settlement that had very specific language that nothing outside of the contract could affect the agreement.  Granite’s failure to perform on the contract caused the Sage Council and The Habitat Trust to file Breach of Contract lawsuit against Granite and the other two development companies involved, Henderson Creek and SPS Services. ....

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Since these lawsuits were not considered by the County’s Court as public interest or environmental, it left the Sage Council and Habitat Trust open to a SLAPP suit, when we lost in the County lower court. We had a bad judge with a very bad decision. The Court’s judgment against us, for legal fees and costs to the County and three developers with three big law firms comes to over $1.3 MILLION.....

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Next, we filed our case with the Court of Appeals in attempts to get the judgment overturned and let us proceed with a court trial. Both cases, regarding the City’s actions and the Breach of Contract, we accepted and are being viewed as whole. The Appeal has been in the court for two years, fully briefed and is awaiting a decision. ....

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During the past two years the developers have used this opportunity to harass us. First, by placing liens on our Nature Sanctuary lands, then, requesting all our detailed financial information over five years, along with several day long inquisitions that were permitted by the County court. Of course our legal bills, and theirs, continue to be racked up.....

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When we first received legal notice that the developers had gone to the County Sheriff to request a Levy be placed on our lands to be auction publicly, we were concerned on how this could be legal since there are restrictive conservation easements filed with the deed. As you might be aware, California law only allows qualified 501(c) 3 conservation orgs and government agencies to own conservation lands or easements.  We requested an exemption from the County Sheriff that they denied, so we went back to court to get an Injunction on the levy sale that is open to the public. Again we got the same bad judge – probably politically connected – who denied our Request for Injunction. So, we went to the Court of Appeals, which denied our request without an opinion.  We had nothing to take to the State Supreme Court, so returned to the County Sheriff.  We once again asked the County Sheriff to consider the consequences, including;....

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·         What will the County do if the Court of Appeals rules in our favor and overturns the lower court and financial judgment? How does the County propose to return our lands that were taken and sold at auction?....

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Regardless, the County Sheriff wrote back denying our request and stating that they still intend to sell our Nature Sanctuary at the County Levy Auction on APRIL 22, 2009. ....

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PLEASE HELP SAVE ETIWNDA CANYON FROM PUBLIC AUCTION....

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·         The Habitat Trust must receive at least $1.3 Million BEFORE the auction on April 22, 2009. We are running out of time and don’t have any other legal avenues to take.....

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·         To remove the present Levy we must pay the developers nearly $900,000.immediately.  ....

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·         To cover all the judgments, we need $1.3 Million.....

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·         To cover judgments against us + pay our own legal bills, we need $1.7 million.....

The County is already in process of destroying the adjacent North Etiwanda Preserve.....

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http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/mar2009/2009-03-18-093.asp ....

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FOR MORE INFO – ....

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Leeona Klippstein, Spirit of the Sage Council (626) 676-4116 leeona@earthlink.net ....

Law Office of Craig Sherman (619) 702-7892 (619) 840-1651 shermanlaw@aol.com....

Mary Meyer, California Plant Ecologist for CDFG – she can explain the biological significance of the North Etiwanda area (805) 640-8019 ....

County Museum  http://www.co.san-bernardino.ca.us/MUSEUM/exhibits/etiwandafan/index.htm....

Photo slideshow http://www.myspace.com/thehabitattrust....

Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a-kVZSIKnM&feature=related....

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Donations can be made via The Habitat Trust’s websites http://www.TheHabitatTrust.org ....

Or  http://www.myspace.com/thehabitattrust  or directly through PayPal sending to habitattrust@verizon.net ....

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There is a Facebook fundraising challenge. However, these donations are held up during processing for sometime 3 months. You can join the challenge and help by getting the info out and getting others to donate http://apps.facebook.com/causes/fundraising_pledges/64636/tracker?m=47e02e33

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You can send a check made payable to – ....

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The Habitat Trust for Wildlife....

915 C West Foothill Blvd.....

P.O. Box 320....

Claremont, CA. 91711....

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I'm posting this letter to President Obama here to share with friends that might be inspired to write and send one also.  YOU HAVE PERMISSION TO CUT AND PASTE THIS LETTER TO USE AS YOUR OWN if you find it helpful. I've removed some personal info about myself to make it generic and easy on you. - Leeona
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Best wishes to all our friends!

The new President & Executive Director is Dr. Doug Doepke. He can be reached by Email: habitattrust@verizon.net.

I resigned this month, due to health reasons. I'll volunteer when I can, mostly on non-stressful tasks, MySpace, Secondlife etc - digital communications and networking.

When possible, please continue to support The Habitat Trust for Wildlife.

Tax deductible donations (charitable contributions) can me made payable & mailed to:  THE HABITAT TRUST FOR WILDLIFE, 30 North Raymond Avenue, Suite 303, Pasadena, CA 91103.

Online donations can be made at Network for Good & Guidestar.  Cut and paste this address in your browser -

Network for Good & Guide Star donation page for The Habitat Trust for Wildlife

https://www.networkforgood.org/donation/MakeDonation.aspx?ORGID2=04-3637770&source=GS&cmpgn=DNT&vlrStratCode=lxWH%2b4Eg4BnbSRaiJL5C%2fx4MUBDbjYP4453AS5bMubdnECQ9p6A%2bm8wXHwBDHcqT

Thank you for your support.

Love,

Leeona

WRI: Value Earth's Ecosystems or They Will Disappear

WASHINGTON, DC, May 7, 2007 (ENS) - ..Body starts here -->Climate change is not only altering weather patterns and causing sea levels to rise, it is also transforming ecosystem services that humans have always taken for granted, the World Resources Institute said today in a new report.

An English forest absorbs carbon dioxide that would otherwise become a climate warming greenhouse gas. (Photo by Ian Britton courtesy FreeFoto)

"We must urgently expand the climate debate beyond reducing greenhouse gases to focus on how climate change is altering ecosystem services," said Jonathan Lash, president of the World Resources Institute, WRI, this morning at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

The occasion was the release of WRI's report, "Restoring Nature's Capital: An Action Agenda to Sustain Ecosystem Services."

"Lima in Peru, for example, is entirely dependent on water from glacial melt," Lash said. "The glaciers will be gone in 20 years. Their options range from energy intensive desalination to a pipeline to the Amazon River - also threatened by climate change. Such decisions have huge implications for people and ecosystems."

Jonathan Lash, president of the World Resources Institute, introduced the organization's new report, "Restoring Nature's Capital." (Photo courtesy WRI)

Launched in June 2001 and involving more than 1,300 scientists from 95 countries, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment is a study of how humans have altered ecosystems, and how changes in ecosystem services affect human well-being - now and in the future.

"In the last half of the 20th century," the assessment found, "humans changed ecosystems more rapidly and extensively than in any comparable period of history, primarily to meet growing needs for food, fresh water, timber, fiber, and fuel. This has resulted in a substantial and largely irreversible loss in the variety of life on Earth."

Of the 24 ecosystems assessed, only four have shown improvement over the past 50 years. Fifteen are in serious decline, while five hang in the balance.

"Restoring Nature's Capital" proposes an action agenda for business, governments, and civil society to reverse ecosystem degradation.

Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme Achim Steiner (Photo courtesy Earth Negotiations Bulletin)

"It also gave the world a glimpse into the economic costs accruing from over-extracting this nature-based or natural capital," he said.

Steiner also sees reasons to be optimistic, especially in the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, released Friday in Bangkok.

"The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has concluded that the costs of acting to decarbonize our economies will be far less – some three percent of global GDP, and less if wider benefits are factored in – than the costs of inaction," Steiner pointed out.

He says if the world can act on climate change, it can act on the equally important issue of ecosystems and the services they provide.

"We have enough knowledge, market mechanisms, and creative fiscal incentives to make a start. We now need the courage and intelligence to act," Steiner said.

The report's lead authors, WRI's Frances Irwin and Janet Ranganathan, have written a concise action agenda for ecosystem restoration.

Dear Friends,

I just want to share some of my thoughts with you. Since the latest report on Global Climate Change has been released, I had this deja vu. Some of you may not be old enough to remember the pressing issue of OZONE DEPLETION of 20 years ago. The Montreal Protocol in the 80's focused on the problems with the use of CFC's and called for a worldwide reduction. Of course, many scientists had been bringing this problem to light since the 60's and 70's. It wasn't until there were photographs and evidence given to the public that governments began to "do something."  The Montreal Protocol stated that nothing would be done until mountain goats were going blind and there were higher rates of skin cancer in humans. Even with these physical harms occuring, world governments continue to extend the dates of CFC phase outs and ban.

Now, how about the Kyoto Treaty? For the past ten years, or more, world governments have known that there needs to be a phasing out of fossil fuels etc.  While the United States government is well aware, we have had President's that have refused to sign-on to the Kyoto Treaty. It's just not the Bush administration. Clinton and GORE did nothing! Now we have the world's scientific majority reporting that Global Climate Change is REAL, has been happening for decades and will take centuries to reverse IF it's even possible!

1+1= GREED.   Yes, GREED is the only explanation that I can think of, as to why our life support system is being torn to shreds right in front of our noses. Certainly there are other words - IGNORANCE, APATHY, CORRUPTION, FEAR etc. However, it's the GREED of corporations and politicians seeking campaign funding from corporations that stands out to me the most.

I'm guessing that some people, reading this, might be thinking "oh yeah, I remember that whole Ozone thing. oh yeah, what is going on with that?"  Interesting how much we all rely on the media to keep us informed. Hmmm think again, and WHY isn't the media or politicians or scientists that are being interviewed bring up Ozone Depletion in relation to Global Climate Change?

What about Al Gore?  Is he your environmental hero because he made a movie?  Think again. Al had the second highest position in U.S. government for EIGHT YEARS!  Why wasn't the Kyoto Treaty signed? Why are the Montreal Protocol timelines for CFC phase outs being changed?  Al Gore made a movie. SO WHAT!!!  His movie inspired you to use a different kind of light bulb...hmmm.

My answer, well...get active in your local government. That's a very good place to start. Turn off the TV and start going to your local City Council meetings. Start standing up and speaking out during the public hearing time. Every week, each and every one of us, have the opportunity to stand up and speak out. Speak your concerns, but also give your government leaders direction. Tell them what to do!!  i.e. Pass a City Ordinance that all newly constructed homes must use solar energy. If you can't find a City Council member to write a Solar Energy Ordinance, then you write it for them. If they won't introduce it and pass it, then start a petition and make it a ballot measure.

About ten years ago, I came across a quote from former Interior Sectretary Babbit. He stated "Laws are only as good as the people who enforce them."  When I read this quote, I was appalled. I thought, "Wait a minute here. You [Secretary Babbitt] are suppose to be enforcing the law [Endangered Species Act]. And true, it is part of the job of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to enforce the law. They even have an Enforcement Branch. So, was Babbitt admitting that he was "no good"? Not good enough to enforce the law? The answer - Yes and No.  Like our U.S. Government, it is "for the People, by the People." We have "checks and balances" in government - meaning WE THE PEOPLE have the responsibility to do the checking and striking a balance. So, just do it.

No more excuses.

Why? What if? Okay, you are sitting in your home, on the computer or watching TV, you hear the sound of a freight train...oh crap a tornado, hurricane....or a big bulldozer...EARTH MOVERS...about to take away your life...things...you've worked your life for...hmmm what do you do?  What do you do when the very life support system, our Earth and Sky is...species extinction...skin cancer... oh,

Well, I only hope you do more than change a light bulb. We all can do more.

-Leeona

Humans' trickle-down effect can put wildlife, plants in peril
By Christian Toto
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
November 9, 2006

The American bald eagle went from being the symbol of the nation to a symbol of endangered species.
   
That the creature is flying high again is a testament to conservationists, but animal conservation experts warn that the eagle's comeback is an exception, not the rule.
   
The 1973 Endangered Species Act, or ESA, helps protect animals and plants that, for a multitude of reasons, could be headed to extinction. It also seeks to shelter the ecosystems in which some of the creatures live. The act, overseen by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service, can declare a species either "endangered" or "threatened."
   
A species is considered endangered if it is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. A species is potentially threatened if it is likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future.
   
As of May 2006, approximately 1,870 species were listed under the ESA. Of these species, approximately 1,300 are found in part or entirely in the United States and its waters; the remainder are foreign species.
   
The law may be relatively new, but conservation efforts have been going on since the early 1900s, says Cathy Schaeff, associate professor and chairwoman of American University's Department of Biology.
   
Ms. Schaeff says animals face diminished numbers for a number of reasons, some less obvious than a person might think.
   
For the bald eagle, the chemical DDT had a direct impact. Used as a pesticide in some parts of the world, DDT caused the eggshells of birds to become thin, brittle and breakable.
   
Some animals that use sonar for communication can be hurt by an influx of movement from watercraft, such as jet skis, in a region, Ms. Schaeff says.
   
Humanity's impact on wildlife can take even less direct paths, what she calls a "trickle-down effect."
   
If wolves and deer aren't checked by natural predators, "ticks become more rampant, and the effects of Lyme disease on other animals becomes more of a problem," she says.
   
Sometimes the animals themselves, or their reproductive systems, make replenishing populations a chore.
The right whale, a type of baleen whale, "has been suffering from depletion, courtesy of commercial whaling lines for a very long time," she says.
   
Its reproductive rate is very slow, with only one offspring every five to seven years, she explains.
    "Just removing the problem doesn't mean they'll bounce back," she says.
   
U.S.-based officials may work with the ESA, or they could consult with other conservation groups, such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES. The group serves as an international handshake between governments aimed at ensuring that cross-country trade in specimens of wild animals and plants doesn't hurt their survival. Formed in the 1960s, CITES helps oversee this trade, which can be worth billions.
   
Karl Kranz, the general curator for the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, says it's not realistic to think that all, or even the majority, of animals will come off the endangered list one day.
   
However, just being on such a list calls attention to a creature's plight.
    "It helps prioritize what you work on," Mr. Kranz says. "One of the values of being listed is that it sometimes triggers a release of resources, either from [a nongovernmental organization] or a government."
   
At the Maryland Zoo, experts are working with the Panamanian golden frog, which has been under assault by an incurable fungal disease that has diminished its population.
   
The fungus "has been spreading all over the world to a lot of frog species," Mr. Kranz says. "We expect [the frog] to be extinct in the wild by the end of the year."
   
While zoos like those in Baltimore help to propagate such species, others worry what will happen when the animals are reintroduced into the wild.
   
By breeding animals in captivity, "you take a slice out of the species' genetic diversity. We try to preserve as much genetic diversity as possible, but we don't know what's important to the frog to have in the wild," Mr. Kranz says.
   
Valerie Fellows, spokeswoman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Office of Public Affairs, says some species face extinction merely by their locality.
    "Some species ... may be so endemic to a specific area that one major event could wipe out the population," Mrs. Fellows says.
   
She cites the Puerto Rican parrot as one example of a creature with a small population living in an isolated area.
    "If one hurricane comes, they could go extinct," says Mrs. Fellows, who adds that her office is deluged with petitions to list various creatures as endangered.
   
David W. Inouye, a biology professor at the University of Maryland, worked with a team of researchers to study whether the slickspot peppergrass plant deserved endangered status.
    "I was impressed with the care and thought the Fish and Wildlife Service put into this process," Mr. Inouye says, adding that the effort to study the plant was the second in just two years.
    "We were fortunate. In the intervening two years, quite a lot of research had been done on the species," he says.
    His work, and his time studying the slickspot peppergrass, left Mr. Inouye feeling optimistic about efforts to save more species. A decision on the plant's fate with the ESA is forthcoming.
    "There's a lot being learned by conservation biologists," he says. "Although there's a lot of challenges, there's now enough successes to point to."
   
Ms. Schaeff says people, particularly those in urban areas, often think endangered species don't matter much to them.
    "In fact, many organisms play a huge role in how the environment is," she says. People "don't understand how they're interconnected with each other and the environment. ... If our environment doesn't function well, we won't have water purification processes."
   
Mrs. Fellows agrees.
    "Everything is connected in some way. ... All the species in every ecosystem create a balanced ecosystem. There's no telling how [a species becoming extinct] may affect a wide array of other species."
   
Since the ESA took hold, 42 species have been removed from the list. Of those species, 17 were removed because of recovery efforts. The rest either went extinct (nine) or dropped off because of a listing error (16).

Hello Everyone,

Here's a great way to support The Habitat Trust and recycle your old cell phone. Tell your Friends, family and co-workers. Start a collection in your community or school!!

The instructions and form to fill out and include with the phone/s is provided below. Just cut and paste!

THANK YOU!
-Leeona