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Central Park would be layered 17 times over with buildings if all the proposals for development since its creation had been permitted. |
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How We Work: Case StudiesCase Study Challenge: With more than 87,000 open acres, 250 miles of hiking trails, historic Native American and Spanish habitation sites, and vast array of birds, wildflowers, and wildlife, Henry Coe State Park is a sanctuary on the edge of California’s fast-growing Silicon Valley. Sada Coe, whose family founded and operated the Coe cattle ranch in the late 19th Century donated the property to Santa Clara County in 1953 as "a gift to the people" in memory of her father. In 1958 the County gave the land to the State of California to be maintained as a park in perpetuity. But in 2002, the Santa Clara Water District introduced a plan to build a dam within the park, to augment supplies from its San Luis Reservoir. Several dam sites were proposed inside Coe Park, including one that would inundate a state wilderness area. At first, the water district’s meetings to consider the plan, labeled the "San Luis Low Point Problem," didn’t attract much notice. Many of those actively involved with the park weren’t even aware that the meetings were taking place. The meeting announcements gave no indication of the possible impact on Coe. But when park lovers learned what water managers had in mind, they joined forces with Defense of Place. Strategy: Defense of Place worked closely with local activists, Advocates for Coe, a friends group formed in response to the threat. We advised the group on a strategy, sought press coverage, and lobbied the water district and elected officials to stop construction of a reservoir in the park. Volunteers, some affiliated with the park for decades, began writing letters and contacting other organizations about joining the fight to save Coe. Meanwhile, the water district sought alternatives for fixing the problems plaguing their San Luis Reservoir. During the next several months, the district and their consultants, Jones and Stokes, whittled the list of possible dam sites down to 16 based on engineering feasibility and cost effectiveness, but not environmental impact. Advocates for Coe, Defense of Place and representatives Sierra Club, Environmental Defense, Friends of the River, and other environmental organizations confronted the district about damaging a park owned by the people of California. The district responded that damaging a park was not a factor considered when evaluating sites. A 2003 article in the San Francisco Chronicle, "Public lands, Private enterprise" dramatically increased the visibility of the Coe issue. The article described threats to the park not only from the water district, but also from a proposed high-speed rail line proposed by the California High Speed Rail Authority. Result: In May 2003 the water district withdrew its proposal for a reservoir in Henry Coe State Park. The district had issued similar statements before, but loopholes in the statements left plans for flooding parts of the park still on the table. Defense of Place and Dennis Pinion, leader of Advocates for Coe, addressed the water district’s Board of Directors asking for assurance that Coe Park not be compromised. As of the fall of 2003 concerns about flooding in Coe have been laid to rest. But threats to the park remain. Now it is being eyed for a high-speed rail line. Defense of Place remains actively involved. Since the showdown, the district has changed its attitude toward those who fought against flooding Coe Park. The district has brought many of the stakeholders, including Defense of Place and Advocates for Coe, into the decision-making about San Luis Reservoir. This has allowed the environmental groups to monitor and comment on the water district's plans. Links |
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