Certified wildlife habitat instead of out of control "build-out"----My personal plea to Calabasas, California Town Planners to put the brakes on the rampant development planned for where I live, 1 hour from downtown Los Angeles,,,,,,,,,,,,,In addition, I plan to register my property with The National Wildlife Federation's CERTIFIED WILDLIFE HABITAT PROGRAM and have alerted the 300 homeowners in my housing complex of how to go about doing the same for their properties

Town Planners

There is a reason that Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump are resonating so strongly with "the folks".

"The folks"(including me, not just working class and uneducated) do not feel that the elites in charge(you) care about what deem important and necessary.

Instead of the sprint to build out the western end of Calabasas(everything from the Lost Hills Intersection condo project to the Malibu Canyon fiasco of housing/hotels), you guys should be tightening the Master Plan, not looking to make exceptions in it downgrading it

Nothing to brag about in 2016--"fastest growing"

.

Do you not recognize that the whole valley is one gigantic human sprawl........STOP SPENDING MONEY,,,,,,,,,AND YOU WILL NOT HAVE A BUDGET DEFICIT..........YOU DO NOT WORK YOUR PERSONAL HOUSEHOLD BUDGETS WITH THE ATTITUDE OF SPENDING MORE THAN YOU EARN.........WE ALL WANT "STUFF"..........BUT WE CAN DO WITHOUT THINGS IF OUR BANK ACCOUNT CANNOT PAY FOR IT.........STOP YOUR ADDICTION TO BRINGING IN AUTO DEALERSHIPS, MORE HOUSING,,,,,,,HOTELS.........

Hills of the San Fernando Valley being "pockmarked by development

CALABASAS, NOW ABOUT TO BECOME WOODLAND HILLS, TARZANA---LOOKING, FEELING LIKE A CESSPOOL...........TRAFFIC, NOISE, DENSITY OUT OF CONTROL.

Rick Meril

Sent from my iPad

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

INSTEAD OF WANTON BUILDING AND SPRAWL, AN ALTERNATIVE

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Carrie L. Carrier" <carrielcarrier@gmail.com>
Date: May 6, 2016 at 9:23:18 PM PDT
To: Rick Meril <rick.meril@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: certified wildlife habitat

Rick,

I'm so glad you want to do this :-)  Go, Rick!  It's surprisingly easy and fun to qualify as a "Certified Wildlife Habitat" (CWH). There are a few criteria that you have to meet. Virtually everyone in this area should be able to qualify based on our collective affinity for wildlife and proximity to open space. The CWH criteria cover four areas: 1. Food, 2. Water, 3. Cover, and 4. Places to Raise Young.

After looking at the ways in which you can provide these elements on your own property and verifying that you can/do/will provide a variety of each of these criteria, you're all set. Once you've assessed how your property meets the four criteria, you just need to complete a brief application and checklist. Both the attached application (PDF) and the online site for this program provide multiple ideas for ways to meet each of the requirements (I've also listed them here for your convenience).

Okay, here's what you do in 5 easy steps.

1. FOOD - Your habitat needs three (3) of the following types of plants or supplemental feeders:

• Seeds from a plant
  
• Berries
• Nectar
• Foliage/Twigs
• Nuts
• Fruits
• Sap
• Pollen
• Suet
• Bird Feeder
• Squirrel Feeder
• Hummingbird Feeder
• Butterfly Feeder

2. WATER - Your habitat needs one (1) of the following sources to provide clean water for wildlife to drink and bathe:

*Note*: You can provide this habitat component in a variety of ways, from a simple birdbath or shallow dish of water to a water garden or pond. Other water sources may include natural features such as ponds, lakes, rivers, springs, oceans and wetlands. Any natural water source on your property can count. If you live in a coastal, river or bay area, that body of water counts as your habitat's water source if visible and adjacent to your property.  If you live in adjacent to a woodland, meadow or prairie your efforts to project seasonal or vernal pools also count as a water source.

• Birdbath - doesn't need to be fancy or formal. Even a shallow dish of water regularly put out counts.
• Lake
• Stream
• Seasonal Pool
• Ocean
• Water Garden/Pond
• River
• Butterfly Puddling Area
• Rain Garden
• Spring

3. COVER - Wildlife need at least two (2) places to find shelter from the weather and predators:

• Wooded Area
• Bramble Patch
• Ground Cover
• Rock Pile or Wall
• Cave
• Roosting Box
• Dense Shrubs or Thicket
• Evergreens
• Brush or Log Pile
• Burrow
• Meadow or Prairie
• Water Garden or Pond

4. PLACES TO RAISE YOUNG - You need at least two (2) places for wildlife to engage in courtship behavior, mate, and then bear and raise their young:

• Mature Trees
• Meadow or Prairie
• Nesting Box
• Wetland
• Cave
• Host Plants for Caterpillars
• Dead Trees or Snags
• Dense Shrubs or a Thicket
• Water Garden or Pond
• Burrow

5. Complete the attached application, and scan. fax, or take a picture of it and email it to me (so that I can include it in the # of local homes needed to reach our community target of 80 places). There's an application fee of $20 that you can send directly to the NWF along with the hardcopy version of your application. ALL proceeds go directly to supporting wildlife protective programs. You can also complete the application online: http://www.nwf.org/CertifiedWildlifeHabitat

National Wildlife Federation.

P.O. Box 1583

Merrifield, VA 22116

Don't hesitate to let me know if you have any questions or need more info!

Best,

Carrie

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

On Fri, May 6, 2016 at 5:50 PM, Rick Meril <rick.meril@gmail.com> wrote:

Carrie

I live in Calabasas, California(Los Angeles) and would like to get wildlife certification for my property.........native plants, bird baths, no artificial or chemical fertilizer or poisons applied ever.............

Please advise and thanks

Rick

2

Sent from my iPad