Environmental groups Friday filed a civil suit against the city of Jurupa Valley seeking an injunction on a planned commercial development immediately adjacent to what's dubbed the state's oldest oak tree, threatening its survival, according to the plaintiffs.
"As the state's oldest plant, the Jurupa Oak is an important cultural resource for all Californians," Endangered Habitats League Executive Director Dan Silver said. "There are good solutions for both the oak and development, but we have not reached them yet."
The Center for Biological Diversity is spearheading the lawsuit, partnering with the California Native Plant Society and Friends of Riverside Hills to establish protections for the estimated 13,000-year-old oak, situated in an open expanse just west of Malaga Drive and north of 20th Street.
"It's outrageous that city officials OK'd grading and blasting to make way for industrial buildings so dangerously close to the oldest living oak," Center for Biological Diversity attorney Meredith Stevenson said. "The city didn't factor in all the ways this development could permanently harm the Jurupa Oak and other sensitive species nearby. I hope it's not too late to rectify this grave mistake."
In response to a request for comment, Jurupa Valley spokeswoman Monique Claude told City News Service that "our legal team will evaluate the claims from the organizations once we have a complete understanding of their arguments." She said it was too early in the process to say anything more.
Known as a Palmer's oak from the genus Quercus palmeri, the Jurupa Oak is not a vertical tree, but more closely resembles a series of interconnected shrubs, in this case stretching 80 feet long. There are only believed to be a total of three internationally documented Palmer oaks that have existed for millennia according to the plaintiffs.
The industrial park approved by the Jurupa Valley City Council would permit structures within 450 feet of the oak. The plaintiffs argue the project should be suspended until at least a 100-acre buffer zone can be secured.
"The development plan covers an area of 917 acres, but under the approved plan, the oldest plant in California is to be protected by a buffer of less than 2% of that land," Friends of Riverside's Hills Secretary Leonard Nunney said. "The Jurupa Oak may have survived giant ground sloths eating its leaves, but the increasing heat and decreasing water resulting from a neighboring business park may be more than it can tolerate. Surely we can do better."
The plaintiffs contend city officials ignored provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act, particularly requirements for watershed preservation, before signing off on the development. The suit also cites increased wildfire risks, pollution and animal impacts stemming from the project.
"The site, which is in part designated by the state as a high fire-hazard severity zone, is also home to the Delhi Sands flower-loving fly, Crotch's bumblebee and sensitive birds, like the California gnatcatcher, Northern harrier, Costa's hummingbird and Bell's sage sparrow," according to the Center for Biological Diversity.