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Imagine bulldozers ripping through Poly and Stenner Canyons, grading over riparian habitats and chewing down oaks that are hundreds of years old.
That's the nightmare English professor Steven Marx has seen while wading into the details of the agreement on the route of the state water pipeline.
A decision about the pipeline route is drawing closer. And Marx doesn't plan on giving up. Marx leads hikes, usually on Fridays and Saturdays, to showcase the land Department of Water Resources (DWR) plans to trench for the state water pipeline. By calling for both the local community as well as the Cal Poly community to become involved, Marx hopes to raise awareness of the project and of what it's going to destroy.
"An awful lot of people don't even know about the land back there," Marx said. Specifically, what Marx and others are interested in is the path of the pipeline. As it is currently marked through Stenner Canyon, the pipeline will pass through several riparian habitats (creekside groves) and a stand of oak trees that has become the f ocus of the environmental fight in the canyons.
"The trees have been here 250 years; the university will be here at least another 100 years Ñnot much of this type of land will remain," Marx said. 'We're allowing it to be destroyed for the future."
Although Marx was not involved in the process of selecting the route in its earliest stages, he is attempting to turn back time and have the DWR answer questions raised by local environmentalists.
Cal Poly still has bargaining strength, according to Marx. The university has not signed a right of entry for the project, and that gives it the strength to bargain. The official job of bargaining with the DWR and eventually signing the right of entry belongs to Frank Lebens, vice president of Administration and Finance. At press time, Lebens was unavailable for comment.
Administration and Finance is still talking with the DWR over the points raised by Marx and Phil Ashley, a biology department technician and another major voice in the argument against the proposed path.
Lebens and Robert Kitamura, the director of Facilities Planning, will meet with Marx and Ashley when Administration and Finance receives the DWR's answer to proposed changes in the pipeline route, Kitamura said. Kitamura is also closely involved with the bargaining process.
Herald Miosi, a rancher with lands bordering Cal Poly, has also proven to be a hang-up for the DWR. He, too, has not signed a right of entry necessary for the project. Miosi managed to get the DWR to change its route through his land to avoid trees. However, he said he has been worn out by the whole process. "I've given up on it," Miosi said. "I don't know if there's anything I can do."
Marx and Ashley are not alone in the fight against the current pipeline route. Cal Poly students and San Luis Obispo County residents have also become involved. The new blood has brought in more ideas Ñ possible legal arguments and route changes. Some students are also attempting to bring information on the project to a broader audience.
There is now a World Wide Web page for the "Save the Oaks" movement. It was put together by Mike Stiles, a graduate student in the technical writing certificate program. The page contains the e-mail addresses of administrators and faculty involved in the pipeline project, as well as images from the land on the proposed path. Although it is still under construction, it can be viewed at: http://www .calpoly.edu/~mstiles/ o ak.html.
Another student who is helping to raise awareness of what is happening is Chris McCall, a statistics junior and resident adviser for Fremont Hall. He has organized a public forum for tonight at 8 p.m. in Fremont Hall.
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