SRVA

In the midst of summer’s end, the comment period on the revised EIR for the Whitney Portal Preserve is coming to a close. The document can be found at

http://www.inyoplanning.org/projects.htm

and comments can be faxed to 760-878-0382, or emailed to inyoplanning@inyocounty.us. The comment period is set to expire on August 30th, 2008.

A template letter will be posted here shortly for those who would like a starting point for their comments.

Fantastic news.  We’ve just gotten word that the Appeals Court has ruled in our favor; approvals for the proposed “Whitney Portal Preserve” violate state law and will be overturned.  Specifically, the final decision states:

“[t]his EIR includes only the barest of facts regarding [a land exchange], vague and unsupported conclusions about aesthetics, views, and economic objectives, and no independent analysis whatsoever of relevant considerations…this failure effectively “preclude[d]…informed public participation, thereby thwarting the statutory goals of the EIR process.”

In essence, the court held what we have been saying all along: the law requires that the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) consider that there might be a better place for this project than right in the middle of the Mt. Whitney viewshed.  Now it’s a matter of seeing this process through.  We are continuing to work with local and national agencies to help facilitate a land exchange that will resolve this problem.

This victory would not have been possible without the help of so many concerned people from all over the world.  From the 255 letters you submitted to Inyo County during the EIR process, to the 346 signatures you collected to the dozens of supporters who attended every public meeting held regarding the project, to the hundreds of people who attended our various fundraisers, educational events, and tables, this project was an impressive example of public participation and people standing up for a place they care about.  Thank you!  Please click here for our press release.

Our hearing date is fast approaching– we’ll post news of a decision as soon as it’s released.