Page 3 - Sonoma County Gazette 11-19

Local Coastal Plan
instead of expected accommodation for the unique qualities of the coast.
If you care about the Sonoma Coast, it’s time to speak up.
There are repeated clauses allowing for future interpretation of policy
by staff instead of definition of
terms and specific guidelines for development permitted in the coastal zone.
Sonoma County is poised to sell out our coastline. The public must speak out en masse, now, to avert the loss of beauty and tranquility that characterize our precious land and ocean.
These are just a few of the concerns raised by my first quick pass over the document. For this reason, I request that the public be given at least an additional 4 months to participate meaningfully in the development of the Local Coastal Plan revision, as active inclusion of public comment is mandated by the California Coastal Act.
The Local Coastal Plan has been revised, with new cryptic language to bring water and sewage treatment to the coast, and ambiguous
terms allowing for increased wine tourism, coastal vineyards and wine promotion (ie, event centers & tasting rooms), and expanded housing.
Whether you have just a few minutes or have expertise to offer, please read the document, do what you can, and get more involved.
Thank you for your consideration. Laura Morgan, MD
Occidental Area Health Center
Below, you will find my letter protesting the inadequate time allotted for public input and below that, the schedule of “workshops” the County has planned to hold along the coast over the next 6 weeks (changes will be made to accomodate the Kincade Fire interruptions).
Second Responders
Please feel free to pass this message on to others or copy and send my letter to anyone, including back to the County and Coastal Commission.
I wish to remain anonymous, because I endured significant emotional trauma serving as Fire Relief Coordinator at Catholic Charities Diocese of Santa Rosa as a result of the 2017 Firestorm.
Thank you so much for doing what you can.
Prior to this position, I worked there in my preferred skill set as a database specialist and configuring Federal grant compliance reporting for the organization.
In response to your cover article First Responders, thank you for remembering those, honoring those who are trained or not and are found first to be on the scene.
Laura Morgan, Occidental
This is the letter I sent to Permit Sonoma: PRMD-LCP-Update@ sonoma-county.org
Inadequate time frame for public analysis and in-put to the LCP revision process
When the fire hit, Catholic Charities building was evacuated, and working out of the HSC, many employees became what we call ourselves, coining the phrase “ Second Responders” .
I am a local physician working within the coastal zone, as well as
an author of natural history guides to the trails within Sonoma Coast State Parks. Despite my background, I find that the lengthy and somewhat obscurely worded proposed
LCP draft is impossible for me to intelligently analyze and comment upon within the time frame allotted by the County over the next 6 weeks.
Our tasks included assessment
of survivors loss, filling out triage forms, assisting with benefits applications and directing those who found themselves in shelters or at the LAC in a state of bewilderment.
As it now stands, there is remarkable lack of scientific reference or consultation directing policy in this document, compared to our earlier LCPs.
An important part of our role was listening. The countless stories I heard still haunt me today.
There is inappropriate imposition of General Plan policy in this document
I was fortunate that I was able to enter therapy for a full time for a full year to aid my recovery.
LETTERS cont’d on page 4
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