I submitted this comment previously, but in case it got lost in the shuffle:

The Diablo Canyon intake breakwater should be retained for two reasons: 1. The cove provides marine habitat, and 2. The cove provides an emergency safe harbor for vessels and crew that may be in distress.

The intake cove breakwater provides about 3300 feet of intertidal, and subtidal habitat (both sides of about 1650 feet of jetty - conservative on the low side), or about 2/3 mile. Area of habitat: 40 feet of sloped armament on either side of jetties in tidal and subtidal area, or 80’ for both sides for 3300 feet, is six acres of habitat or reef area. Tearing those out would destroy those six acres of habitat over a length of 2/3 mile. In addition to the rocky shoreline type habitat, the intake cove is protected such that more fish are living there and producing larvae than would otherwise be there (more protected = more kelp = more fish). Harbor seals have also taken up the cove as home. This habitat is an established use. Taking out the jetties would destroy this established use – about eight acres of cove area and six acres of reef area, totaling 14 acres of existing habitat destroyed or impaired. Extensive energy (fuel) and other resources for removal and transportation of debris, and land for disposal would also be required.

The intake cove has been a respite for mariners from time to time – when mariners (usually fisherman) have had problems and have used the cove for safe harbor in emergency situations. The cove’s useable anchorage area is nearly seven acres. It is the only safe harbor between Morro Bay and Port San Luis on the Point Buchon/Pecho coast of nearly twenty nautical miles between harbors. The Diablo Cove could accommodate perhaps six boats at anchor in emergency situations. It is unlikely that as many six boats would ever need anchorage at one time. However, there are times when mariners (whether fishermen, pleasure boaters, sailors, or kayakers and paddle boarders) have rough weather, or equipment failures, or could use a sheltered place to organize their boat’s equipment or catch, or just have fatigue and need to rest, and could benefit from the safe harbor roughly half way between Morro Bay and Port San Luis.
Habitat and safe harbor are two good reasons the intake breakwater should be retained.

Additionally, the cost savings would be considerable. PG&E’s estimate from 2016 for dismantling and transporting the breakwater alone was $198.5 million. That figure may not include the intake structure demolition. This savings is more than twice the cost of SB 1090, the bill that would ensure SLO County agencies receive $85 million to help mitigate the impact of the Diablo Canyon power plant closure.

Thanks for considering my ideas,
Roger Briggs

I received this comment from a member of the community: “This could be an epic Mountain Bike destination the sport is growing.”

I received the following comment by a member of the community:

"For GOD's sake, please do not ruin the marina and cove area of the Diablo canyon lands. Protect this area for marine wild life. As for breakwater, do whatever is the best outcome for the protection of marine animals and sea birds."

Please distribute the letter attached, written to Salud Carbajal, to the panel as a possible alternative use for the plant. It is somewhat out of the box but has potentially great benefits to the veterans who have given so much.Larry W. Bittner

2460 Vista de Avila, PO 2434
Avila Beach, CA 93424
805-595-2797 larrybitt@charter.net

September 18, 2018 Time Sensitive

Honorable Salud Carbajal, Congressman 24th District
212 Cannon HOB
Washington, DC 20515

1411 Marsh St., Suite 205
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

Re: Reuse of Diablo Nuclear Power Facilities for Veteran Services
Dear Congressman Carbajal
With less than one ten percent of our population serving in today’s all-volunteer military, it is incumbent on those of us benefiting from their bravery and patriotism to care for those who return with injuries that they will have to endure for life. For those not killed in action, many of these injuries alter their lives totally. When there is an opportunity to improve the resources available to these patriots, we should all support those opportunities.
In 2024 the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, located in San Luis Obispo County. will close. When the nuclear power generating equipment is removed, the complex of buildings and other facilities will remain for reuse. Currently Pacific Gas and Electric is considering potential uses and recipients to donate everything remaining after the removal of the nuclear waste. Importantly the location of the facilities is located on pristine coastal property located on the California Central Coast about half way between Los Angeles and San Francisco making it ideal for those veterans who must travel far for services. Therefore, this pristine property and its facilities would be ideal for a Veteran Clinic/Hospital along with long-term care for the most deserving veterans.
Since you participated in a forum regarding the closing and reuse, you understand many of the concerns of the community regarding the limited access to the property. The property is only assessible through the narrow two-lane road through Avila Beach. The community has great concern the potential users will generate additional traffic beyond its road capacity. This would exclude all the residential and commercial development projects proposed. However veteran service facilities would have minimal traffic impact on the community.
PG&E has created an Engagement Panel to review potential uses. I believe the panel and the community would enthusiastically support a proposal from the Veterans Administration to utilize this wonderful property to better serve our Veteran’s.

Page 2.

While the above is a long-term project, PG&E is currently searching for an organization for their Community Center located one block off Hwy 101 in San Luis Obispo, CA. The current VA Clinic is in a crowded area of San Luis Obispo with limited parking. The PG&E Community Center is a better location, has a larger building and better parking. Importantly, the VA pays rent at the current facility while this property could be attained by donation.
During your time in the Marine Corps, like myself, we understand the risk our military troops endure for little compensation. As a US Congressman, you are positioned to spearhead this project to provide the quality services our veterans deserve. Considering the long war on terror ahead the need to take care of our people will only increase.
I am willing to personally assist you or your staff to help our veteran brothers and sisters. Let me know how I can help.

Semper Fi,

Larry Bittner

C: Robert Wilkie, Secretary Veteran Administration
Ann Brown, Los Angeles Healthcare System Director

Presentation at 9/15/2018 Facility Repurposing Workshop. Please see workshop video.

Public Comment at 9/15/2018 Facility Repurposing Workshop. Please see workshop video.

Presentation at 9/14/2018 Facility Repurposing Workshop. Please see workshop video.

Presentation at 9/14/2018 Facility Repurposing Workshop. Please see workshop video.

Presentation at 9/14/2018 Facility Repurposing Workshop. Please see workshop video.

My name is Rob Rutherford. I am a Professor Emeritus from Cal Poly, where I was a faculty member in the Animal Sciences Department from 1974 – 2013. During that time, my duties were to teach the sheep management classes, to manage the school’s flocks of sheep, and to advise hundreds of students. I have also served as the President of the California Wool Growers Association (established 1861), the oldest livestock organization in the United States. Over the many years, my thinking as to how we must manage the grazing lands of the state has changed significantly. As an academic, I have had the privilege of observing how the scientific community thinks and acts. As the leader of a statewide livestock organization, I have had the privilege of seeing how the actual on-the-ground management by progressive thinkers can make a huge difference on the earth. I have seen conventional management which resulted in a decline of land health. I have seen progressive management which has resulted in increasing land health, increasing carbon sequestration, increasing wildlife habitat and health, improving water quality, and the list goes on. I have observed both ends of this spectrum right here in San Luis Obispo.

Those who will be charged with the management of the lands currently owned by PG&E around the site of the Diablo Canyon Energy Plant have an amazing opportunity to continue a legacy of progressive management. I am specifically thinking of those lands which would be termed “rangelands” given that their plant types have evolved over the eons with grazing animals, both small rodents up to and including large ungulates. These extremely complex relationships, which we know very little about, have resulted in the vast array of flora and fauna that are adapted to this unique coastal region. During the past 100 years, many of these acres were farmed with tillage equipment familiar to us all. This was a major step in altering the historic composition of soil microbiology, which then lead to a change in the vegetation types. For the past several decades, the lands north of the plant, an area called the Pecho Ranch, have been managed utilizing large and small ungulates in an effort to return the land to a more healthy and biologically active condition. This has only happened because PG&E had the foresight to create a land stewardship committee which worked with the grazing leasee in order to make sure that proper management was in place. This management created increasing health and abundance of soil microbiota, soil macrobiota, wildlife including birds and mammals, and also plants from grasses, forbs, and shrubs. The land stewardship committee rigorously monitored the health of the land and with the cooperation of the leasee modified the grazing intensity and patterns. Because of this, the land also yielded products from the livestock which bolstered the local economy. All the while, the public has been able to access and witness these realities over the past several years. There have been many wonderful changes on the Pecho because of this management approach. It can be claimed that this management truly addressed the triple bottom line, being that it addressed the ecological, social, and economic needs of the area. It is a success story that needs to be shared. At this time, a similar success story is being written on the Carriso Plain at the Topaz Solar project. An independent third party has monitored the changes in the biology created by the use of sheep grazing within the arrays. The results are stunning in just 4 years. These successes have only happened because of the management.

It would be fully understood that when faced with the decision as to what should happen on rangelands, the logical approach would be to contact range scientists, probably at a University with a solid public reputation. In fact, California is blessed with a relatively small cadre of certified Range Scientists who do their work very well. They are experts at creating and overseeing research, exploring ideas and concepts. It is particularly frustrating doing this on a rangeland because it is impossible to sort out all the “background noise” created by those very complex biological relationships. Nevertheless, information continues be recorded and published. The rangelands need scientists. However, to be a scientist is different from being a manager. We are blessed with very talented human health researchers who would not likely be very good personal health managers (physicians). The health of the land requires excellent managers who are willing and able to use some of the information produced by scientists. If the health of the landscape is a goal, it needs to be managed by a manager – not a scientist. Obviously, the land offers a wonderful place for field research. I would strongly urge that the consideration of the management of this living, productive part of the coast be conducted in such a way as to continue the progress of the past several decades.

I was heartened to know of the interest of the Wildlands Conservancy in this particular property. I am very impressed with their dedication to enhance a living landscape. All of their properties are utilizing very progressive livestock owners in order to create the landscape desired by most of us. The leadership there have also encouraged the integration of the faculty and students of various institutions of higher learning, in order to make the properties living laboratories. I am quite confident that under the guidance of the Wildlands conservancy, public and private educational institutions would be intricately involved in learning and research. This is an approach that ownership by the State of California will never create, in my opinion. I have visited quite a few properties owned by the State and none compare with the biological richness of the Pecho, which is entirely due to the unique, progressive management.

The decisions which will determine the future of these lands will be difficult and complicated. I appreciate that the input of the community is being welcomed and considered diligently. I would welcome any conversations that would further “flush out” the concepts presented above.

Rob Rutherford
robtrutherford@gmail.com
4757 Bridgecreek Road
San Luis Obispo

Dear Diablo Canyon Decommissioning Engagement Panel,

I am a 17-year San Luis Obispo County resident, two-time graduate of Cal Poly SLO in Forestry and Natural Resources Management (BS and MS), and a volunteer docent and board member with the nonprofit organization Environmental Center of San Luis Obispo County (ECOSLO). I would like to take this opportunity to express, as a private citizen, my thoughts on the disposition of PGE’s lands during the nuclear power plant decommissioning process.

The August 29, 2018 meeting on this topic in the San Luis Obispo County Government Center chambers was excellent. The huge amount of support for conservation of these lands was very encouraging. As a longtime student of ecology as well as a hiker, occasional mountain biker, and all-around conservationist, I feel strongly that most of the lands in question should be set aside for habitat preservation and given some sort of protected legal status, with moderate non-motorized recreational access provided. I support the creation of a moderately intensive trail system, mostly using existing ranch roads, with a limited amount of primitive backpack/bike camping allowed. I also support the continuation of existing agricultural uses unless serious problems with this were to be identified – I’m not currently aware of any.

On the coast, construction of the California Coastal Trail should be a high priority. A visitor center/Chumash cultural center near either Avila Beach or Pt. Buchon (i.e., someplace where there is already existing public vehicle access) would be very appropriate. A short, paved ADA-compliant “discovery trail” of the type seen in many parks and nature preserves should be provided in this location.

Inland, I believe Wild Cherry Canyon and some of the higher peaks in the area (e.g., Saddle Peak or other nearby high points) should have trail access for hikers and mountain bikers. An access point from See Canyon/Prefumo Canyon Road should be provided.

A point regarding trail use: Due to the ever-increasing problem of conflicts between fast-moving mountain bikers and slow-moving hikers and equestrians on so-called “multi-use” trails - conflicts that have forced me to stop taking my handicapped son hiking on several local trails because of the danger - I believe it will be very important that there be substantial separation of trails for bikers vs. hikers/equestrians. This separation could be physical (different trails) or temporal (hikers and bikers share the same trails, but on alternating days). This is an opportunity that was inexplicably lost at the Pismo Preserve, as bikers were given access to 98 percent of the existing and new trails, and hiker-only trails are almost nonexistent. Let’s not make that mistake again.

I would also like to see some sort of continuation of the paved Bob Jones bike trail heading north from Avila Beach. Road biking is a healthy and rewarding activity for both individuals and families, but unfortunately there are not many places to do it safely in this county. A stretch of paved bike trail along the Diablo-area coast would be a huge draw.

Finally, I do not support new public road access connecting Avila Beach and Montana de Oro. I feel that this would inevitably open up the area to all the trappings of civilization: hotels, wine bars, luxury subdivisions, outlet malls… glider ports. I believe we already have enough of those things in this county. The affordable housing crisis in our county is very real, but I do not believe that the lands in question should be considered for housing development, as there are many more appropriate alternatives throughout in the county.

In summary, we have an astounding, unique opportunity to create something very special for future generations in the Irish Hills. While some in our community will complain about the lack of new business opportunities that would accompany conservation of the land, recreation generates its own revenue stream, which can be significant. Add to this an attention-getting legal designation, such as the National Seashore idea that was proposed, and the tourism draw from no-frills recreation (eco-tourism) could be very substantial indeed. If we are open-minded enough and brave enough, anything is possible.

Thanks to each of you for your service on the engagement panel.

Sincerely,

Christopher C. Hamma
630 Lancaster Drive
Arroyo Grande, CA.

Thank you for educating the public what is the scope of "repurposing effort" through tours. This area is such a treasure to all Californians. I'd like to suggest to make the existing buildings as a facility for public conference/event center and lodging for the attendees as well as the public who want to appreciate the natural beauty of California coast, the education on natural history in the area, such as marine life and the flora and fauna; as well as the history of the Chumash, Japanese and ranching. I think the state park is the good candidate to manage the future vision. Asilomar Conference center is a good model
I support part of the canyon to be used for sustainable ranching to encourage the growth of the natural ecosystem.

Montana de Oro now receives intense use by many more users. Additional land is needed for park use such as trails and minimum development for public use. Gov. Schwarzenegger failed in his job to provide for the continuation of the California Coast Trail through Wild Cherry Canyon. However the use of the marine terrace, where the plant is now located, would be a more practical location for the trail and would provide much needed recreational opportunities. The use of the property for the Wild Cherry Canyon Ultra, marathons and mountain bike races is just one example of the use that can be made along with portions of the land devoted to natural preservation of the area. Such use would require minimum development on the property.

The area lacks natural resources for intense development and the topography of much of the land would require major devastation of more natural areas that California has lost much of through its history.

All those who are involved in the decision of the final disposition of the land should be required to take tours through the back country as well as the plant site. After volunteering for the Ultra twice I felt a deep affection and attachment to this small part of our State.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment.

I received these comments about the August 29 Lands meeting:

“One of the more intelligent and coherent public hearings I've attended.”

“It was a great meeting.”

Thursday, August 30, 2018
DEAR DIABLO DE-COMMISSIONING PANEL-
I am writing to you now because I was not able to stay and share my 2.5 minutes last night at the public forum outreach.
First of all thank you to each of you, the panel- for your willingness, your dedication, time, and effort to serve on the panel and serve us all, the general public- as it is very important to work towards consensus and solutions about how the Diablo lands and facilities will transition from its current state to a safe, environmentally sound, and sustainable future, without the nuclear generating facility. Kudos and appreciation to PG & E & the leadership of dedicated biologists line Sally Krenn who worked so diligently as good stewards of the land while under their watch.

Clearly, the land, and that stretch of coastline is a treasure now, and will be again, despite the imposition of the imminent danger that is there as long as the spent fuel rods are there. Yes, please, let’s not forget that- the proverbial “elephant in the room”. We the people that live in this area the past 40 years have become so accustomed & complacent about the warning sirens we hear annually. If you hear those sirens and live within those areas where the sirens blare- your lives, and the lives of all living creatures in that sphere, hang in the balance. The potential for devastating damage to all life forms in the vicinity of Diablo looms large, so long as there is the infrastructure of the working plant, the in-progress decommissioning and deconstruction, and the storage of spent fuel rods and cooling pools, even if the footprint of those areas is reduced down to just “ a few football fields”.
I want you to be mindful & respective of the lessons in history we have seen in our lifetime and recall or re-examine the unfortunate but very real horrors of Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and certainly Fujimori Japan. Perhaps you, the panel, should interview the various people of San Onofre, to hear how their decommissioning & disassembly has transpired. In an instant, without much warning or help, those nuclear disaster areas were changed & ruined forever.
SILENT VOICE-
I wanted to speak to you last nigh as a representative of a voice you did not hear from, nor will you hear from. Fresh from my trip to Peru, where the Ancestors of the Incas shared with me their belief & respect for “patcha Mama”.aka Mother Earth. They have 3 symbols that they use to represent Patcha mama; 1) the snake, which represents all creatures living in & below the ground,2) the Puma, the representation of all animals that live upon the ground, and 3) the Condor, the representative of all living things above ground, and in spirit form. Patcha Mama, aka Mother earth, then represents all living creatures that share the earth as its inhabitants.
. We all share this space and share its responsibility to be sensitive to our collective needs. I feel strongly we must not solely look at our human- derived wish lists and desires, but we must develop a land use designation, layout, and management that serves all living creatures- not just our human inherent desire to acquire & control more resources, but rather a plan that provides for and enriched the lives of all living creatures, from the soil organisms & insects to the birds and animals and plants that need connectivity and habitat and seclusion & protection, rather than “affordable housing”, or “networks of trails” or “flight paths” that are important to have as human outlets- but not necessarily here on the land that historically has belonged to the animals and creatures and Native Americans prior to Diablo construction.

I encourage each of you to go upto Wild Cherry Canyon, or some other secluded canyon or parcel up in the adjacent Diablo lands. Just sit, quietly, for about 10-20 minutes, maybe a half hour. Just listen. Look. Feel the life & beauty that surrounds you. It abounds. That is the voice that I want you to hear and be motivated by. That is the life force, the energy, the beauty that I want you to be mindful of. This space, in its entirety, and all the living creatures- from little ants and millipedes to soaring Red Tail hawks… want you to hear them. They want you, as panelists, to recognize that their future and survival is dependent on us humans being generous, kind, and respectful of their needs. We must make tremendous effort to hear “their voice” and give weight and significant relevance to nature and it’s needs. Their voice, though Silent, should be given attention, respect, and creedence.
For upon examination, who is it, really, who has sacrificed more than the animals and living creatures, and spirit world that live in the areas directly impacted by Diablo ?
Not PG&E- who generated incredible income and provided jobs, and much needed energy for our consumptive masses.
Not us, who was “denied access” for safety and security reasons- and to the benefit of the lands adjacent to Diablo.
It was the sacrifices and accommodations made by:
The animals and creatures who were killed by Diablo traffic or construction.
The fish and sea life who were, and continue to be affected by Diablo impacts of intake and outflow.
The plants and trees and soil organisms that were trampled or removed or destroyed by Diablo.

Please, I ask you again, as a representative of the “silent voice”- all Patcha Mama and Mother Earth’s creatures… make decisions that benefit the nature, ecology, and flora and fauna of the area- not just look at this “wonderful opportunity” to conserve & gain access for needy human beings.
I was greatly encouraged and moved by the overwhelming desire for “conservation” in its various forms. I was also encouraged to hear a movement to act soon, as soon as lands become “releasable” and ready for “preservation”, and Nick Franco, Adam Hill, and Land Trusts have already gathered resources and energy to make conservation moves before closure of the plant.

Thank you for your time and consideration.
Please do what I asked you- and go, alone, and sit and hear the voices of Patcha Mama I asked you to hear & consider. I guarantee you this… it will be a peaceful and enriching ½ hour.
Respectfully yours,

Bruce Berlin
CaliFlora Resources
Arroyo Grande

I was not able to make the public meeting about Diablo but feel it is important for the property to become open space and protected from any private development of the land. PG & E has been a valuable community partner and steward of this pristine land and I would hope it remains that way long after the plant is decommissioned. Thank you!

Please consider multiuse trails including equestrian use!

Debby Lyon

16 MS. LYON: My name is Debbie Lyon. I live in
17 See Canyon. I'm an equestrian. I am pretty passionate
18 about horses and wilderness. And in all that's being said
19 about conservation, there is kind of an overtone of the
20 balance between protecting the land and the species out
21 there and the habitat and all of that and the need for
22 public access. And I'm also in the mental health field,
23 and I feel that access to wilderness, particularly for
24 children and teenagers, is essential to their mental
25 health.
0076
1 And I believe that a well-designed and planned
2 trail system is the best way to balance public access and
3 protection of the land because when you have impacts of
4 public access, it's usually because there is development
5 or there are people just everywhere. But when you have a
6 well-designed trail system that plans where people will
7 go, people stay on the trails and they have minimal impact
8 on the land and on the wildlife, at the same time as being
9 able to be out there in the wildness and experience it.
10 Thank you.

Jeff Herten

6 MR. HERTEN: My name is Jeff Herten. I am a
7 physician. I have lived in See Canyon for the last
8 40 years. I am married to Debby Lyon, you just heard
9 from. We've spent thousands of hours of our time building
10 and maintaining the trails to Montana de Oro for both
11 running and riding. I'm a trail advocate. Bob Jones was
12 a patient of mine and a friend, very good friend. And I
13 am here for him tonight because I know what he would say,
14 and he would say that we have this incredible, rare
15 opportunity to do something beyond anything we will ever
16 be able to imagine, and I think we can do this.
17 Debbie and I sit on the board of the Western
18 States Trail Foundation, which maintains a 100-mile trail
19 from Squaw Valley to Auburn. It's a historic trail. And
20 about 10 years ago, a timber lease -- our trail crossed a
21 timber lease, and although we have prescriptive rights,
22 they were going to sell this timber lease. We were faced
23 with the possibility that we couldn't put on our hundred
24 mile ride and the trail would be lost. Through concerted
25 effort with conservation groups, we were able to raise $13
0078
1 million and buy that timber lease and turn it over to the
2 American Wildlife Conservancy, and it will be preserved
3 the forever, for us to enjoy that trail and for our

Diablo Canyon Decommissioning Public Engagement Panel
August 29, 2018 Panel Meeting
Public Comments
4 children. And I hope that we can do the same with this
5 beautiful, beautiful piece of coastline. Thank you.

Martin Wright

Comment card submitted at meeting.

I'd like to see as much of the structures as possible not be torn down be reused. Examples and suggestions for reuse of structures:

1 - DCPP fire dept. Given to DCF and financed by CDF (state)
2 - Intake cove maint shop bldg, afea 10 simulator bldg given to Coast Guard and financed by USCG
3 - Area 10 + intake cove utilized by Marine Mammal Rescue Assoc. financed by Marine Mannal Rescue Funds
4 - Shooting range given to Sherriff's Dept and funded by SLO Co Sherriff's
5 - Main warehouse and cold machine shop and admin bldgs given to Cal Poly or University system for new college funded by state university and tuition
6 - Desal unit be maintained and used by South County governments and residents and support above
7 - Sewage treatment plant and piping maintained to support above
8 - North of Diablo Creek utilized for Chumash education center
9 -Turbine bldg used ofr businesses. The site has excellent internet connections.
10 - The I+C shop and vehicle maintenance garage utilized by State Parks, financed by state parks
11 - MET towers utilized by NOAA

Mila Vujovich-LaBarre

9 MS. VUJOVICH-LABARRE: Good evening. My name is
10 Mila Vujovich-Labarre. I am speaking tonight as a private
11 resident. I'm a 35-year teacher in San Luis Coastal
12 Unified School District. So first and foremost, I would
13 like to thank PG&E for all the funds that they have given
14 our school district the last several years, in addition to
15 all the charitable grants that you've given to the
16 community.
17 As for tonight, although my comments are going
18 to be majority on preservation of this wonderful land,
19 there are two commercial developments or residential
20 developments that are near and dear to my heart. First of
21 all, I think that there should be some acreage on all of
22 these acres for a tiny home complex. And I would like
23 somewhere between 250 and 500 tiny homes to be allotted
24 somewhere here. And I would like the housing to be given
25 to veterans who have served our country. The housing
0058
1 crisis is incredible. It's throughout California, but I
2 think if we could set aside some precious acreage for tiny
3 homes for our veterans, it would be a wonderful gesture.
4 In addition to that, as a teacher who has been a
5 long advocate in substance abuse prevention and

Diablo Canyon Decommissioning Public Engagement Panel
August 29, 2018 Panel Meeting
Public Comments
6 intervention programs and helping teens, there is an
7 immense hole in our county for serving teens with mental
8 health, eating disorders and drug abuse, and the time is
9 now to address those. I'd like to see somewhere on the
10 property be three different facilities to house
11 approximately 30 beds. Insurance normally pays about
12 $10,000 per bed, and we would be able to serve teens
13 throughout our county. Most of those teens right now have
14 to go out of our county, and it would be innovative and
15 really important to meet that need.
16 Lastly, I ran for city council two years ago.
17 I'm proud to say I was the only city council to be
18 endorsed by the Sierra Club. I am an outdoor advocate, a
19 tree hugger, and I see this land, and I am so happy to
20 hear the comments of all the other people who have spoken
21 here tonight. This land should be preserved as much as
22 possible. It is an area for triathletes, for families,
23 for seniors, for young people, for Cal Poly students, for
24 our Native Americans to treasure for years to come.
25 It sounds like we have the financial ability to
0059
1 make that happen, so I am hoping that the commission and
2 the community will vote to do the right thing and preserve
3 a majority of this land an open space and not only for
4 conservation, but for public use. And as far as funding,
5 you could definitely charge a pass. I think most people
6 that go out there would gladly fund a $20 to $30 annual
7 pass to have access to that land. Thank you very much.

Paul Kunze

8 MR. KUNZE: Hi. My name is Paul Kunze. I
9 represent SLOSA, San Luis Obispo Soaring Association.
10 We're essentially a large group of hang gliders and
11 paragliders. We are one of the chapters under USHGA which
12 is a nationwide organization of paragliders and hang
13 gliders. One of the things we are proposing is a flight
14 park out there. The reason why we are proposing a flight
15 park, besides the fact that we want to fly, is the fact
16 that it's scalable. It does bring in tourist dollars.
17 It's also compatible with just about every other use that
18 everyone has proposed here. It could be as simple as a
19 launch pad, which is a 50-by-50 patch of grass, and then a
20 landing area, which is a 100-by-100 patch of land. It
21 could be anything from that on up to what we have at
22 Torrey Pines. I will get into that in a second here.
23 Flight parks do attract tourists. There's
24 tandem flights for people who know nothing about flying.
25 Essentially get connected to the front of a paraglider and
0060
1 off they go. And then you also have visiting pilots.
2 Pilots will actually go to a location specifically for the
3 flying. I believe Point Buchon is going to be one of
4 those locations. It has the potential to just be

Diablo Canyon Decommissioning Public Engagement Panel
August 29, 2018 Panel Meeting
Public Comments
5 fantastic flying out there. It is compatible with, as I
6 said, hang gliding, paragliding, potentially remote
7 control flying. Horse riding attraction, a ranch, I would
8 love to see a like SLO Ranch. Mountain biking, hiking,
9 frisbee, golf, camping are compatible with all these uses.
10 Other flight parks have been done in the past --
11 in the U.S. in the past with great success. Torrey Pines
12 is the go-to example down in San Diego. If you haven't
13 visited there, at least take a walk out there. You've got
14 a little bit of everything. You've got a shop, a
15 restaurant. You've got remote controllers flyers. You've
16 got paragliders, hang gliders. You've got pilots, glider
17 pilots, and then just tourists that go out there and enjoy
18 the view.
19 Kings Mountain, Idaho, would be another good
20 example. Lookout Mountain, although it's a lot more than
21 I would ever want to see developed out there, that is a
22 phenomenal example of what happens when you get a large
23 group of pilots together to essentially create the
24 ultimate flight park. Yosemite Valley even as a flight
25 park they allow hang gliding in the valley in the
0061
1 mornings, just to take a nice tour of the park.
2 Thank you very much for your time. And I hope
3 you take this into consideration. Oh, thank you very much
4 to PG&E. I've had the opportunity to be out there to work
5 and they do take great care of the place. Thank you.

Denise Allen

6 MS. ALLEN: Hi. My name is Denise Allen. I'm
7 on the Avila Advisory Council with Adam Hill and a See
8 Canyon representative. Around 17 years ago, I had the
9 privilege of riding my horse in Wild Cherry Canyon. It's
10 is a beautiful, beautiful place. As time went on, I had
11 friends that were living in a little trailer there. They
12 were Bellevue family with me. As time went on, I started
13 noticing all these trees were disappearing. There were
14 trees along the road where you would have to widen it for
15 development. My friends that were living there, it was
16 being done secretively on weekends and nights, and the
17 trees were completely disappearing.
18 When I asked what was going on -- actually, my
19 friends came to me. They were really upset. They were
20 renting there. And Centex Homes was going to do a bunch
21 of development, and they were removing the trees because
22 it was just agriculture. I came to the County and said,
23 "How can somebody be removing these huge, huge
24 200-year-old trees all over the place?" And they said,
25 "Well, it's agriculture. There is no development. There
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1 is nothing." And I go, "Well, you can look at it." They
2 go, "How can you prove it?" I go, "Well, there is aerial
3 sites. I mean, Diablo has tons of aerial photos of all

Diablo Canyon Decommissioning Public Engagement Panel
August 29, 2018 Panel Meeting
Public Comments
4 the years. Every year they do aerial photos." But
5 because there was no development, the recession hit,
6 Centex went away and HomeFed came around. And, again,
7 roads started widening, things started happening. I was
8 able to go to the Monday Club, see what HomeFed was going
9 to do, and it's pretty grandiose on a scale of
10 development.
11 So you need to know that the developers have put
12 a lot of time and money and energy into Wild Cherry Canyon
13 preparing it for development. And they have been very
14 actively involved. You may not see -- there might be some
15 representatives here. I have talked with their traffic
16 person. I have talked with their vice president,
17 different people, and they have big plans. They are
18 developers.
19 I recently took the walk from the lighthouse to
20 the Rattle Snake Canyon, and it was amazing. It was like
21 Pismo Beach 200 years ago. I really hope we can preserve
22 this. I hope that we can find a way to keep this land.
23 And I just want you to know that the developers do have a
24 lot of money and they do have a lot of energy and a lot of
25 invested interest, and so people need to know that because
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1 at least everyone I hear is talking conservation, but
2 there is that dynamic that is real, and there is money,
3 like some of you had said. So I hope we can figure it out
4 because I know the community overwhelmingly wants
5 conservation. Thank you.

Nicole Sisneros

14 MS. SISNEROS: Hi. My name is Nicole Sisneros
15 and I'm here speaking on behalf of ECOSLO, local nonprofit
16 environmental conservancy. It's very exciting to hear
17 everybody's calls for conservancy. ECOSLO, as well, is in
18 support of protecting and preserving at least a
19 significant portion of the 12,000 acres as a biologically
20 and culturally significant land that benefits all the
21 people of San Luis Obispo County.
22 Any development that happens with any of these
23 proposals, even just a parking lot, should follow the
24 current best practices for environmentally responsible
25 building, use of renewable energy and energy efficiency.
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1 We also recognize that the lands provide ecosystems, such
2 as habitat for bees that pollinate our crops. The animal
3 corridors have been spoken of, and that these values must
4 also be a central part of any discussion moving forward.
5 And thank you for your time.

Charlotte Gorton

6 MS. GORTON: Good evening. My name is Charlotte
7 Gorton, and I live in San Luis Obispo. My career was in
8 parks and recreation, and I served on the Cal Poly
9 Advisory Committee on Recreation, Parks and Tourism for
10 more than the last 10 years.
11 I feel this is a golden opportunity to preserve
12 the pristine lands of Wild Cherry Canyon and PG&E property
13 surrounding the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant for
14 generations to come. The positive benefits to our
15 community will be a long-lasting legacy we can be proud
16 of. It would be wonderful if the majority of the land can
17 become park land with some conservation, as we've been
18 speaking about tonight, with public access to trails,
19 campgrounds and other recreational amenities. The
20 buildings and facilities of the power plant could be
21 donated to Cal Poly University to be used as a learning
22 center with labs and classrooms, including a marine
23 center. That would be after they have become safe,
24 obviously.
25 I would love to also see the desalination
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1 facility retained to provide additional community water
2 resources. This beautiful coastline would greatly enhance

Diablo Canyon Decommissioning Public Engagement Panel
August 29, 2018 Panel Meeting
Public Comments
3 our existing park inventory, particularly joining Montana
4 De Oro and the Irish Hills, those large open space areas.
5 If developers are allowed to take it over just to build
6 expensive homes and lay down lots of concrete, this golden
7 opportunity will be lost forever. Thank you.