Save the Plateau petition (for Boise area residents)

[Washington Hunter]

This may belong in Sportsmen's Issues, but I thought I'd put it here since not everybody goes to S.I. I just came across this on another site and thought I'd post it here since there are a lot of Idaho residents on Hunt Talk, and I don't remember reading anything about it on here yet. Sounds like a very important issue, and I'm sure Moosie and many others are already aware of it, but for those who aren't take a look:

Help Preserve the Boise Foothills. Sign the SaveThePlateau.org Petition.

In the foothills on the east side of Boise, sandwiched between the Black Cliffs on the west and the Boise River Wildlife Management Area on the east, (see map) there is a 700 acre plateau known as Hammer Flat. This plateau provides critical habitat for deer, elk, antelope, eagle, and hundreds of other species of wildlife. With the imminent restarting of the Harris Ranch subdivision to the west, this plateau forms a substantial portion of the last remaining viable harsh winter habitat for about one third of the 12,000 - 14,000 deer in the Boise Front, the largest mule deer herd in Idaho.

At this moment, a developer is planning a high density residential real estate development for the plateau that will effectively terminate the plateau's wildlife habitat capabilities.

Recent surveys confirm, one more time, that Boisean's value their quality of life. A significant portion of the Boise value of life is derived from the existence of the the Boise Foothills in a relatively undeveloped state.

The approval of a high-density residential development on Hammer Flat would render moot the Community Planning Association’s (COMPASS) Blueprint For Growth, and the findings of the Urban Land Institute, both of which were funded in part by Ada County, and both of which call for building restrictions in Boise’s central and eastern foothills. The findings of both agencies have been endorsed by all the major cities in Ada County.

By filling out and submitting the form below you will be joining the more than 800 persons who have already sent letters or mailed postcarrds to the Ada County Commissioners asking them to deny any and all applications for high density residential developments on the Hammer Flat plateau. Please sign today.

Regards,
SaveThePlateau.org

To get to the petition go to:


http://www.savetheplateau.org/petition.html

 

[ELKCHSR]

Theres people in here from Boise????

or even Idaho for that matter...

 

[Calif. Hunter]

700 acres is a substantial portion of the winter habitat for 4,000 to almost 5,000 deer?

(I usually figure "substantial" to be at least 1/3? So multiplying 700 x 3 = 2100 acres or about 2 deer per acre - does that sound right?)

 

[Washington Hunter]

It sounds like a very significant chunk of prime winter habitat to me. I'm wondering if DHI is fighting this development.

 

[cjcj]

There goes the neighborhood hump ..its unreal how fast developments are going up everywhere... is nothing safe? :MAD

 

[Washington Hunter]

From the "Save the Plateau" site:

Introduction to The Plateau
The place has many names. Some call it Hammer Flats. One real estate developer calls it the Brent / Markum Property. Some simply refer to it as The Plateau. The Ada County government pretends it doesn't exist, at least as far as records of related deliberations are concerned.

From this plateau, you can see Boise, and Idaho’s State Capitol building 10 miles to the northwest. To the South West, you can see steam rising from the stacks of the Micron Technology microchip manufacturing plant. It has that in common with much of Boise Valley. What is not common is, compared to the rest of the Boise River Valley, indeed compared to the rest of the state and nation, is the wildlife density.

One afternoon in the late winter of 2003, from a stance overlooking the plateau, the author counted over 900 head of deer, 90 head of elk, 25 antelope, a couple of coyote, a few wild turkeys, several coveys of quail and chukar, and 5 bald eagles. Sightings by others of wolves are rumored, visits by cougars are fact. The accompanying photographs only hint at the awe visitors feel when viewing the scene in person.

When the neighboring state of Wyoming contemplated a piece of land with similar attributes, they turned it into a tourist attraction. Now known as the National Elk Refuge it helps bring millions of dollars of tourist income into the Jackson area year after year.

Idaho residents pride themselves on their intelligence. However, where the town of Jackson saw an unending series of golden eggs, a real estate developer is eying the prospect of dining on a golden goose.

The Plateau and its wildlife still exist, but its days may be numbered. The developers are doing their best to turn The Plateau into a subdivision. Surveyors have been working, preliminary plats have been drawn, and discussions between Ada County Officials and developers have been held. The public has been excluded. Even other local governmental agencies, such as the City of Boise have been excluded. So, the exact status of The Plateau is unknown.

There are plenty of social, political and economic reasons why the subdivision should not go forward, such as disregard for the concept of the foothills ordinance, additional urban sprawl, perhaps 10,000 more cars per day on the already overburdened historic Warm Springs Avenue, difficulties with fire protection, a stunning drain on the area’s water supply, minimal provision for basic retail services, the list goes on. But at the end of the day, it seems to me that the true measure of a society is often measured not by what it builds, but rather by what it preserves. In a State and a City that waste no opportunity to extol their quality of life and the access to the outdoors, and in a County whose seal is a Bald Eagle soaring over a body of water, it seems careless, perhaps even absurd, to put a housing development in an area that will eliminate a major Bald Eagle hunting area and severely impact the largest Mule Deer herd in the state.

There are dozens, perhaps hundreds of other locations in the valley where subdivisions can be sited that make more economic sense and have little or no adverse environmental impact. Conversely, there may be nowhere else in the valley, perhaps nowhere else in the state, where a single subdivision’s negative impact on wildlife and the environment will be more severe.

Hammer Flats, The Plateau, or whatever name ultimately sticks, is not a good place for a subdivision. It is a site that deserves to be preserved so that area residents and visitors from far and wide can see the kinds of amenities that brought people to Idaho in the past and, if properly preserved, will keep bringing them to Idaho in the future.

So please, get involved. Time is short. Alert others to the situation. Forward a link to this site to everyone you know who is simpathetic to the issue. Drop me an email if you can be of assistance and send my email address to others you think may be interested.

Let us all do what we can to make sure that Boise City, Ada County and all relevant persons and agencies are aware of the treasure that will be lost if The Plateau is converted into one more patch of urban sprawl.

 

[Washington Hunter]

Does anybody know if the Mule Deer Foundation is aware of this?

 

[Moosie]

and I'm sure Moosie and many others are already aware of it

YEP...

I'm wondering if DHI is fighting this development.

YEP, We actually approached the Sportsmans Caucus and Are gathering info currently. Just another ongoing project.

As far as the deer numbers, I'm not sure how accurate they are. Although there are a Chit load of deer in the Foothills all winter......

 

[Washington Hunter]

Hey thanks Moosie...I was trying to get a comment out of you on this issue. Had to keep bringing it to the top.

 

[Moosie]

Sorry, I haven't been posting like I should .. I was at a DHI meeting last night and Wylee asked why I hadn't responded.. I had to be honest and Say I hadn't seen it yet. I'll update you more when I hear more !! Thanx for the Post !!!

 

[Washington Hunter]

Moosie, yes keep us updated. Who knows, I may move to Boise someday. hump

 

[Moosie]

By the growth here, I wouldn't be surprised. I know of some Good land in the Foothills for sale

 

[Washington Hunter]

Very funny Moosie.

The thing is I won't be going there if all the mule deer are gone.