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• Cambria desalination plan dealt a blow

  Cambria desalination plan dealt a blow

  An Army Corps of Engineers’ project to test the soil and sample water near the mouth of Santa Rosa Creek is not consistent with the state’s rules and goals for the habitat and coastline there, the California Coastal Commission ruled during a hearing Dec. 9.

  Whether that unanimous decision will be a death knell for the proposed tests there — and ultimately for intake and outfall facilities for a Cambria Community Services District desalination plant — is yet to be determined.

  Such a plant would be located elsewhere, off the beach.

• Red tape will delay Cambria firebreak project

  Red tape will delay Cambria firebreak project

  A firebreak project in Cambria likely will have to go through the county permitting process and possibly state Coastal Commission review — a time-consuming procedure that will certainly delay and possibly kill a plan intended to protect the town from a potentially devastating wildfire.

  Such a permit requirement and review could also set a precedent for firebreaks in the coastal zone, potentially having a chilling effect on any Cal Fire firebreak projects along the state’s coast, county 2nd District Supervisor Brice Gibson and Cambria landowner Ralph Covell told the North Coast Advisory Council on Wednesday.

  The state coastal zone varies in width from several hundred feet in highly urbanized areas up to five miles in rural areas, including the coast north of Estero Bay in San Luis Obispo County.

• Supervisors approve Cambria Ranch firebreak

  Supervisors approve Cambria Ranch firebreak

  San Luis Obispo County supervisors unanimously supported a 4-mile-long shaded fuel break between Cambria’s northern and eastern boundaries and the heavily forested Cambria Ranch by the Sea.

  In their action Tuesday, the supervisors denied an appeal brought against the firebreak project. The supervisors also upheld a permit for the project approved Dec. 16 by the county Planning Department.

  If the supervisors’ decision Tuesday isn’t challenged at the California Coastal Commission, Cal Fire could begin the grant-funded work soon to create a 100-foot-wide buffer zone between homes and a large stand of Cambria’s rare native Monterey pines on the 1,465-acre ranch owned by Ralph and Tracy Covell.

• Department of Interior grant will help coastal habitats

  Department of Interior grant will help coastal habitats

  San Luis Obispo County has received a grant of $610,000 to improve coastal habitats in Los Osos, Pismo Beach and the Guadalupe Dunes.

  The largest chunk — $300,000 — goes to the county to prepare state and federal environmental impact reports for the Los Osos Habitat Conservation Plan. It will protect endangered species in Los Osos from new development.

  Preparing the plan is required by the state Coastal Commission as part of its approval of the Los Osos sewer system. The plan should speed up the time it takes to get a building permit in Los Osos, said county Supervisor Bruce Gibson.

• Firebreak plan gets approval

  Firebreak plan gets approval

  Cal Fire’s controversial fuel break around Cambria was approved Friday by San Luis Obispo County’s Planning Department. The fire agency has said “a fully intact forest” will remain.

  If nobody appeals the decision during the 14-day appeal process, a permit could be issued in about three weeks, according to Cal Fire Forester Alan Peters. If an appeal is filed by Dec. 30, the issue would go to the Board of Supervisors.

  Cal Fire’s final environmental assessment of the project was released earlier this month. The agency made few changes other than additions to its draft environmental document.