SOFAR Supporters needed!

We need your support! On April 17th, 2002, our San Diego County Board of Supervisors will be voting on an item that will decide the fate of our backcountry. Specifically, the Board of Supervisors will be voting on whether or not to "rezone" and divide almost 200,000 acres of our pristine wildlands and ranchlands into 40-acre parcels. SOFAR strongly believes that this "rezone" will promote "ranchette" development of the last of our County's undeveloped lands. This "ranchette" development will surely lead to the deterioration of the priceless natural resources that we all depend on. The County's rezoning of San Diego's backcountry is an unmitigable mistake and we must not allow this to happen.

As many of you already know, this item is known as GPA 96-03 (now GPA 01-01). It is scheduled for a hearing at the Board of Supervisors Wednesday, April 17, 2002. The hearing begins at 9:00am, 96-03 is agenda item #2. We need SOFAR supporters to attend this hearing! The most important comments that you can make on this critical backcountry issue are: 1) this General Plan Amendment allows for a great likelihood of subdividing our backcountry for residential use (which we are strongly opposed to) and 2) the Environmental Impact Report for 96-03 is inadequate in measuring residential impacts upon the natural resources that reside in our backcountry. We have expert testimony on the record that clearly states this project is a "ranchette"/sprawl development plan that has not been properly analyzed by the county.

Please call (619-230-1963) or email (sofar@nethere.net) us in the office this week for more information regarding this critical backcountry issue. And/or please refer to SOFAR's website (www.sofar.org) for an extensive history of General Plan Amendment 96-03.

Hearing Location: County Administration Center, 1600 Pacific Highway, Room 310, San Diego.