| The City of Industry now owns all three major parcels of Tonner Canyon, and now has multiple access points to the newly combined properties. This canyon, especially the lower 2/3, is vital to the success of the Corridor vision and to maintaining biodiversity in the entire Puente/Chino Hills/Santa Ana Mountains range. Foolish developments here can undo decades of effort and millions of dollars of public funding to create a large and fully functioning wildlife refuge right in the capitol of urban sprawl, which is exactly where is it most needed! The wildlife and citizens of Southern California should not have to suffer just so that Industry can make some new friends in high places, and add more zeros to their bank accounts. The financial gain of a few people should not come at the expense of the millions that benefit from the Corridor as a place to relax and take a break from their turbo-charged life in Los Angeles.
6. The Shell Oil Factor Finally, as if not already imperiled enough with Industry’s planned developments in Tonner Canyon, Shell Oil owns several thousand acres on the north side of the 57 Freeway and wants to construct 3,600 homes there now that the oil has almost run out. This development would also severely pinch the Corridor at a section where it is currently wide enough to support and maintain species diversity, and decrease overall core habitat. Although promising to keep half of the land as open space, the conceptual development plan shows that this open space will be isolated patches between the housing clusters, and subsequently the area will lose much of its current biological value as core habitat for the Corridor. The actual crossing area at the 57 will be allowed to remain, but will not provide the live-in habitat needed by mountain lions and bobcats, so these species may die out west of this area and the already discussed “cascade effect” may become a reality (Spencer, 2005, 36). Just as with the reservoirs and road in Tonner Canyon, this project has the potential to sever the Corridor and degrade its biological value, threatening the State’s massive monetary investment in these hills and their unique natural resources. Conclusions Having considered the aforementioned projects and their long-term effects on the environment and public well-being, I feel that these development choices are unwise. Quoting from the Great Law of the Iroquois Confederacy “In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations” (Seventh Generation). In my opinion, shared by most of the cities neighboring the Corridor as well as the State of California, the most visionary use for the property for people and nature would be as an addition to the wildlife Corridor and the continuation of its vital role as both a wildlife passage and as a subcore of habitat. Habitat fragmentation is a major cause of the loss of biodiversity, and occurs when large sections of habitat are cut into smaller ones and separated from once neighboring natural areas by development (such as reservoirs and roads). This forces animals and plants into ever-shrinking real estate, seriously hampering survival, especially of the larger animals that require more land to survive (Nickerson, Cynthia. 1995, 14-16). Public agencies have invested over $200 million in the Corridor, so severing it and reducing its biological value in a sense negates this investment (Hills for Everyone, 2005, state_investment_table.htm). Preserving Tonner Canyon will ensure that the wildlife in the Corridor remains free to travel within this sanctuary, and thus give our native species a chance to survive. In fact, the Conservation Biology Institute reports that the Corridor appears to be functioning fairly well, given the major roads that already bisect it in several areas. Mountain lions still journey to the Whittier Hills, at the western end of the Corridor, showing that the current barriers are being successfully negotiated, but any further development would make travel between regions very difficult. The report concluded that most of Tonner Canyon, and the neighboring Shell property (at risk of being developed into a massive housing project), are high priorities for preservation (Spencer, 2005, 45,46). Repository states it well when they say that Tonner Canyon is a part of “a wildlife resource that connects a major animal Corridor, which extends from metropolitan Los Angeles south to the Mexican border. Migration of wildlife species is important to maintaining a healthy breeding stock. Dedicated green space is important to maintaining a healthy human environment (Repository, 2005, tonnercanyon/)”. Many individuals and organizations have devoted much time and money to ensure that this range of hills surrounded by a massive human population and yet still ecologically intact, remains permanent open space. I would suggest that any projects in Tonner Canyon that threaten this for short-sighted monetary profit are robbing the community of a prime recreational and educational natural arena, and this canyon and the associated Corridor should remain natural and functional, both for us and for the many species that call these hills home. |
| Tonner Canyon and its Significance to the Puente/Chino Hills WIldlife Corridor |