15 November 2000
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
| Contacts: | |
| Nancy Hamlett 909-607-3811 (day) 909-625-2223 (eve/wkd) Nancy.Hamlett@Pomona.edu | Michael Harris McKenna & Cuneo, LLP 213-243-6128 (day) Michael_Harris@McKennaCuneo.com |
BERNARD FIELD STATION CEQA SUIT SETTLED
Friends of the Bernard Biological Field Station and Claremont University Consortium reach agreement
CLAREMONT, CA. Today the Friends of the Bernard Biological Field Station and Claremont University Consortium agreed in principle to settle the CEQA lawsuit regarding the Environmental Impact Report for the Claremont Colleges' North Campus Master Plan. While the settlement does not prevent building of the Keck Graduate Institute on the westernmost 11 acres of the Field Station, Claremont University Consortium has agreed to preserve the Field Station program and 40 acres of the land for a period of at least 50 years.
Addressing concerns of the local Tongva-Gabrieleno community, CUC has also agreed to provide a Native American monitor on-site during grading for the Keck Graduate Institute and to work with the Tongva-Gabrieleno on other issues.
"This settlement represents a genuine commitment on the part of the Colleges that was not there before," said Nancy Hamlett, Chair of the Friends of the Bernard Biological Field Station. "We look forward to helping to enhance the Field Station and its programs."
"Although this agreement does not in itself preserve enough land for a viable field station or enough of the increasingly rare coastal sage scrub habitat, it is a beginning," said Susan Schenk, Co-Chair of the Friends. "I am pleased that educational use of the BFS by community groups will be reinstated."
The Robert J. Bernard Biological Field Station of the Claremont Colleges, located on the north side of Foothill Boulevard between College and Mills Avenues, provides a variety of habitats, including coastal sage scrub, live oak forest, and a lake for ecological and environmental study. It is typically used by more than 1200 students annually.
The Friends of the Bernard Biological Field Station is a non-profit organization committed to preserving, enhancing, and supporting the Field Station's ecological and educational functions. For more information or to get involved, phone (909) 260-4403, e-mail Friends@fbbfs.org, or visit the web site www.fbbfs.org.
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