Green Options

The Kern County Planning Commission has approved development plans for an exclusive gated community featuring luxury homes, golf courses, and hotels in the middle of designated California condor habitat.

Thanks to an elaborate marketing and PR campaign by Tejon Ranch Company (TRC), a massive development project in the heart of California condor habitat has been given the green light by the Kern County Planning Commission.

A luxury-home subdivision in the heart of designated California Condor habitat?

That’s exactly what Tejon Ranch Company (TRC) has in mind.

In fact, Tejon Ranch Company (TRC) has had it in for the California Condors since at least 1997. That’s when they sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to prevent the reintroduction of the species into Southern California.

Why would TRC be opposed to the reintroduction of California Condors?

Because TRC would be prevented from developing any land that is designated California Condor habitat. And if a publicly traded real estate development company can’t develop real estate …. well, then they can’t make a profit.

In fact, TRC has gone to tremendous lengths to push their development deal through. Under the cloak of a “habitat conservation plan” - to mitigate “incidental take” of threatened or endangered species - they even finagled the support of major environmental organizations, like the Sierra Club.