The City of Simi Valley is currently updating its General Plan, designed as a guiding document to take the city into the year 2030.

Although it has grown immensely over the past few decades, Simi is still a place where you can see mountains and hike on open space trails. They have a strong recreation and parks district and some great people in their planning department.

Simi Valley also has the opportunity to preserve wildlife corridors beneath the 118 freeway, and at least one watershed that serves local wildlife. The General Plan process involves getting feedback from the community, and that feedback will help them determine the priorities they need to address as the planning process moves forward.

To offer your own suggestions, you can contact the city through their General Plan Update website at www.generalplan.simivalley.org where you will find a wealth of information. There is also a U.S. Mail address and an email link:

City of Simi Valley

Department of Environmental Services

2929 Tapo Canyon Road

Simi Valley, California 93063-2100

Attention: Mr. Eric Chen

Email: general_plan@simivalley.org

(there is an underscore between the words general and plan)

What follows is a copy of a letter I wrote to them regarding the preservation of waterways, wildlife corridors and public open space. It may give you some ideas or points for discussion to address.

Public input is a very valuable way for city officials to understand and serve the needs of their community. This is a chance for the public to get their ideas and concerns before the people who serve them.

February 25, 2008

Eric Chen, Environmental Services

City of Simi Valley

3855-A Alamo Street

Simi Valley, California 93063

RE: General Plan Update

Open Space, Wildlife Corridors, Recreation Areas

Dear Mr. Chen and Fellow Planners:

I have lived in and around Simi Valley since 1971. As such I have seen a great deal of growth and change in the region.

Over the years I have been involved with numerous efforts to preserve key passages for humans and animals that connect the various mountain ranges and foothills which make Simi Valley such a beautiful place. As we enter into the General Plan Update I am pleased that three key passage ways or corridors still remain intact, and it is my hope that they can remain that way in the future.

These corridors allow safe passage under the 118 freeway. The most well known is near Rocky Peak Road. The second is at Kuehner Drive where Hummingbird Creek forms the northern terminus of the valley's concrete and natural drainage system. The third is located near the border between Simi Valley and Moorpark.

Studies have been conducted since the mid 1980s to assess the viability of the corridors and the wildlife populations they serve. The corridors are important for human recreation as well as the long-term sustainability of wildlife in the region. Each of these corridors allows access to water, and enables animal populations to have genetic diversity by preventing their complete isolation.

In 1988, while assisting with a study by The Nature Conservancy and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, we learned that these corridors can also provide an escape route during fires. Since fire tends to burn up hill faster than it burns down hill, and since the corridors are typically situated at low points in the terrain, animals such as deer and bobcats were able to escape the fire at Rocky Peak, and enter the Hopetown property as the fire consumed the range north of the 118 freeway. We were able to observe this movement after the fire, when we found the tracks of animals in "sand traps" that had been made or enhanced at either end of the tunnel for the purpose of tracing animal movement.

Of the three corridors mentioned, one of the most critical exists at Hummingbird Creek (Kuehner Drive). At one time the concrete culvert allowed connection for both humans and animals to the Hopetown property. This access has since been developed. The area still provides one crucial life-sustaining element; water.

Hummingbird Creek is a perennial stream. Although it does dry up in years of extreme drought, there is usually water available to wildlife. Currently the meadow immediately adjacent to the creek has been approved for residential development. This development will severely limit the ability of wildlife to access the creek, even though the homes themselves will be to the west of the creek bed.

Increased traffic, human activity, pets, lights, noise and after-hours use of the land by residents deters wildlife. These are all elements that come with even the best housing plans. The impact of development at such close proximity to the creek will have a devastating negative impact on wildlife.

The corridor near Moorpark is the best with regard to accessibility, both for humans and animals. It is wide enough and light enough to traverse day or night; it is an excellent point of access for bicyclists, equestrians, hikers, and wildlife. It enables safe passage under the 118 freeway to the watershed that lies to the south of the freeway, which is not encased in concrete at this point.

Crucial to the viability of any corridor is the limitation of development immediately adjacent to it. Such limitation is a mutually beneficial buffer zone; it puts some space between people and wild animals. While we enjoy encountering animals in the wild, we tend to be less fond of encountering them in our yards.

As the human population increases and natural areas dwindle, such close-up urban encounters are inevitable. Our only options are to leave a viable space for wildlife, or abolish those habitats altogether, and sacrifice natural beauty and diversity for human convenience. We would do so to our own demise. Nature is soothing, comforting, and healthy for us, and for the long-term sustainability of the planet.

Simi Valley has a wonderful opportunity to stand in the forefront of community planning. As green communities become a reality and increased sustainability becomes a real goal, we have the chance to put into practice long-term planning that will preserve the environment and its inhabitants for the enjoyment of future generations, and for the good of the greater ecosystems in which we live.

As a long-time resident, and as the founder of Redbird, I would like to encourage you to incorporate the preservation of critical wildlife corridors in Simi Valley's General Plan.

Thank you for your time and consideration in this issue. If you have any questions or would like additional information, I would be happy to accommodate your requests.

Sincerely,

Corina Robert, Founder
Redbird
www.RedbirdsVision.org
(805) 217-0364

(You can see many more images of HUmmingbird Creek in the albums on Redbird's MySpace page:

www.myspace.com/redbirdsvision