To:San Mateo County Planning
Commission & Board of Supervisors
From: Oscar Braun, Captain SOB
Watershed Conservation Posse
Subject: Confined Animal Regulations Ordinance
Purpose: Protect water quality, environmentally
sensitive habitats, livestock ,
the agricultural interests the state, and the publics health and safety.
The Save Our Bay Foundation in 1995 became San Mateo
County’s most active participant of the Water Quality Protection Program (WQPP)
of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The WQPP
is a coalition of twenty-seven federal, state and local agencies, public
groups, representatives of the agricultural, boating, equestrian communities,
and businesses working to develop and
carry out a long-term, proactive water quality management plan for the
Sanctuary’s eleven watershed regions.
The program’s goals are to address existing water quality concerns and
to prevent the kinds of expensive water pollution crises that have occurred
elsewhere in the county. SOB Watershed Conservation Posse monitors, identifies
and fights to stop the destructive and polluting activities of private and
public entities impacting the Peninsula watershed and San Francisco Bay.
The
Peninsula watershed produces, collects and stores high quality drinking water
for 2.4 million Bay Area residents and is a heaven for a variety of habitats
and supports the “highest concentration” of rare, threatened and endangered
species in the Bay Area. The Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act are
Federal environmental regulatory statutes that are meant to protect and sustain
our communities and sensitive and crucial natural resources. A
violation of these Acts disqualifies the violating County from being
granted Federal and State permits or funding.
San Mateo County has currently four
commercial/industrial operations that
violate the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act.. Commercial/industrial operators are Shamrock Ranch, Wildlife
Associates, Half Moon Bay Sealing & Paving and Johnston Ranch landfill. The
County of San Mateo Planning Commission
has found, based on the advice of the Planning Administrator and the
Committee for Green Foothills, that these four commercial/industrial operators
activities in statutory delineated critical environmentally sensitive habitats qualify as a non-residential use accessory
to agriculture and permitted by right in the Planned Agricultural District on
either prime or non-prime soils.
In Spring of 1997, the Shamrock Ranch stable owners
were notified that tenant Wildlife Associates
must vacant Shamrock Ranch because they cannot house their “exotic Detrimental species” on
statutory delineated critical habitat areas containing endangered species. The
Legislature finds and declares “exotic
Detrimental species “ are listed
because they pose a treat to native wildlife, the agricultural interest of the
sate and the publics health and safety.
”.
The State ONLY requires a
permit for wild Detrimental species and specifically states: “Family Equidae is
not prohibited and is exempt from permit requirements. No permits required for
horses, cattle, yak, sheep, goat, swine, Llama, Alpaca, or hybrids of llama,
alpaca and guanacos.
SOB Posse Findings and Confined Animal Proposal:
·
The keeping of horses and
other livestock does not pose a treat to the natural environment, the
agricultural interests of the State or to the publics health and safety.
·
The keeping of horses and
other livestock does not violate the Clean Water Act or Endangered Act and does not disqualify this County from
being granted state and federal permits or funding.
·
The
keeping of horses and other livestock is a use accessory to agriculture and
thus a permitted right of use in this State.
·
The four cited San Mateo
County violations of the Clean Water Act
and Endangered Species Act will not be
granted State or Federal permits or funding until the violations have been
cured.
·
The San Mateo County
equestrian community has circulated the following SOB Posse authored petition
and have gathered over 2500 signatures: SAVE OUR HORSES! Our horse community is
under siege and rapidly becoming a
candidate for the “endangered species” list.
Horse owners throughout the County of San Mateo are fighting a losing
battle against the unfair burden of sky rocketing “special” taxes, fees and
zoning laws that are destroying the rich historical legacy that these
magnificent animals have represented.
This State considers horses to be livestock and requires no fees or
taxes on these farm animals herbivores…horses, cows, sheep, goat etc. San Mateo County has a special
“non-livestock” definition for horses and assess extremely high fees and taxes.
Our horse population is literally disappearing from rural San Mateo County.
Sign this petition to save our horse heritage. Sign this petition to bring
San Mateo County horse ordinance into conformance with the USDA and California
definition of livestock. Sign this
petition to end special taxes and fees on horses. Sign this petition to protect
the quality of life in San Mateo County! It’s a rural legacy worth passing on
to our children!