Flood Damage Coming

For the past 10 years, a property on Jalama has been removing oak trees as nursery trees, selling them to the rich in the south. Due to loopholes, this operation is allowed to create excessive grading. Two years of this operation, and it produced flooding that damaged property and threatened safety.

The erosion control permit for the excessive grading was for flat land. The permit expired and was reapplied for. This time, removal will be from slopes. This magnifies the impacts and threats substantially. Since this operation couldn’t get it together on flat land, let’s try slopes. When I asked if this was safe, I was told it’s up to code. It’s not safe, and I am very concerned.

I have a voice. I could appeal in front of a board of three, appointed by the county. That’s the same county that supports this operation and has ignored my years of concerns. County fees to appeal are estimated to cost $7,496.95!

It has been many years of grading and many years of drought. It will rain and it will flood. It will destroy property and threaten safety. It can not be avoided since my voice is being silenced by excessive county fees.

So wrong.