Stop expansion of Mitsubishi plant into National Forest Lands
The Mitsubishi concrete plant near Lucerne Valley plans to start mining limestone in a portion of the San Bernardino National Forest near Big Bear. Not only is this operation going to cause further blight and erosion of the mountain side but the granting of a 120-year operating permit is both unreasonable and too open-ended.
Bighorn sheep, which have seen radical reductions in their numbers, will be threatened by the project, project opponents maintain. A colony of the sheep migrates through the area on a regular basis. The project likewise presents the risk of causing a diminution of the nesting habitat for the golden eagle. The project will also eradicate plants that are rare or non-existent outside of the north slope of the San Bernardino Mountains, including Parish's daisy (erigeron parishii); Cushenbury buckwheat (eriogonum ovalifolium; Cushenbury oxytheca (oxytheca parishii); yucca shidigera; yucca brevifolia; yucca whipplei; beavertail cactus (opuntia basilaris); hedgehog cactus (echinocereus engelmannii); and Mojave mound cactus. We are opposed to any expansion plans that enter the National Forest.
Dr Mr. Eliason, The following people are in opposition to the expansion of the Mitsubishi cement plant into national forest lands (south quarry project). The reasons cited for opposition are all very similar: we feel that national forests are the one place where the land can be protected from destruction of habitat, plants, and natural beauty. The limestone mining project has proven to be a huge blight on a large area of mountainside on the road to Big Bear. One of the opposers comments that it's like "a big wound" coming up the mountain. I've been watching this project for 30 years and wondering how far they would take it. Now it's trying to go too far. We demand that the project NOT be allowed to mine further into national forest land. Enough is enough.
