WHERE IS YOKOHL VALLEY?
AND WHY IS IT SO SPECIAL?
Yokohl Valley is located in the Sierra Nevada foothills, east of Visalia and
Exeter, and south of Lake Kaweah. This beautiful part of Tulare County is
varied in terrain and vegetation, containing steep slopes, expansive valleys,
waterways, oak woodlands, stands of sycamores, grasslands, chaparral, and
wonderful wildflowers. Over 30 important Native American sites have been
documented here, including significant rock art areas, two major village
sites, unique rock slides, ceremonial cupules, bedrock mortars, and at least
one burial ground. In the mid-19th century, ranchers started grazing cattle
in Yokohl Valley, and the descendants of some of these original ranching
families still graze their cattle here today. Amazingly, most of the Yokohl Valley
area still looks much as it did 150 years ago, and still provides a home
to many native plants and animals, including several rare, threatened and
endangered species. It even includes a National Wildlife Refuge for the California
condor, and critical foraging habitat for that magnificent bird. Cyclists,
wildflower enthusiasts, nature lovers, connoisseurs of California's
scenic byways, those interested in Native American history and culture, and
anyone who wants a glimpse of the old West will savor a visit to the Yokohl
Valley area.
WHAT IS YOKOHL RANCH?
The J.G. Boswell Company (operating as the Yokohl Ranch Co. LLC, out of San
Diego), wants to turn over 36,000 acres of Yokohl Valley into a new city of
30,000 people, living in 10,000-houses, with three golf courses, a 550,000 square
foot commercial center, a resort and private recreation facility up Horse Creek,
a new dam to create a water storage facility (with the water to be pumped over
from the Kaweah River), a wastewater treatment plant, many new roads (including
one coming down the Horse Creek canyon to Highway 198 at Lake Kaweah), a new
utility line corridor running from Lindsay, and some public service facilities
(e.g., police and fire substations, a school, etc.).
WHY DOES THIS AFFECT ME?
The proposal to build a new town of 30,000 people on what is virtually undeveloped
ranch land affects everybody in Tulare County. Preliminary environmental
impact studies prepared for the Yokohl Ranch project list 73 potentially
significant impacts to our air, water, wildlife, agricultural land, and cultural
heritage. Development of this proposed new town will impact water supply,
air quality, traffic, schools, and police and fire services. The proposed
development will affect not only everyone who walks, bikes, or drives through
Yokohl Valley, but also those in nearby communities, as the new town could
attract investment dollars and businesses away from our existing towns.
DON'T WE NEED YOKOHL RANCH TO HOUSE TULARE COUNTY'S GROWING POPULATION?
WON'T IT RELIEVE DEVELOPMENT PRESSURE ON PRIME AGRICULTURAL LAND?
No! Tulare County can easily accommodate all the growth projected over the
next several decades within the existing development boundaries of its current
cities, communities, and hamlets. A study prepared by Tulare County's
consultants found that a population increase of over 950,000 people - considerably
more than we're expecting within the next 20 years - can be housed
within our existing development boundaries without increases in density.
Yokohl Ranch is not being designed to meet Tulare County's housing needs, but to be marketed to buyers from outside areas looking for relative bargains in high-end housing. Thus, it would not "save" farmland on the valley floor from development. The key to meeting Tulare County's housing needs, preserving valley floor agricultural lands, improving our air quality, diversifying and strengthening our economy, managing our water supply and quality, and maintaining our open space is to promote cost-effective, resource-efficient development located where jobs, infrastructure, transportation, and services already exist. This is a much healthier alternative to rural sprawl and the destruction of our air-, water-, and viewsheds and our foothill agricultural and tourism economy.
WHAT ABOUT PROPERTY RIGHTS? SHOULDN'T BOSWELL BE ABLE TO DO WHATEVER HE WANTS TO
WITH HIS LAND?
In California, for many decades, zoning has been a primary factor in protecting
property rights and property values. Yokohl is zoned for foothill agriculture
(such as grazing). Your property values and quality of life are protected by
zoning, which keeps your neighbor from pursuing incompatible land uses next
to your property (e.g., I can't turn my residential-zoned property into
a casino, a gravel pit, or a hazardous-waste disposal site next door to your
residence). Zoning lets us know what to expect and enables us to plan effectively,
by directing various land uses to designated appropriate locations. If Boswell
wants to build houses in Tulare County, he should do so on land zoned for residential
development, and already supported by nearby jobs, transportation, services,
and infrastructure.
WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP?
- Stay informed! This issue is frequently covered
in the Valley
Voice and Visalia Times Delta.
Check back at this Website for future updates.
- Contact your elected officials to let them know you oppose revising current
zoning laws to permit development of new towns like Yokohl Ranch. It's
never the "wrong" time to contact your
Supervisor or Assembly
person and let them know you oppose the construction of new towns
in Tulare County.
- Attend public hearings, and speak up on these key issues!