Environmental concerns featured at Democratic Club meeting

The Democratic Club of Greater Fallbrook will hold its regular monthly meeting on Thursday, January 5, at 7 p.m. in the FPUD Board Room. Featured speaker will be Dr. Matt Rahn, Interim Director for the Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve. Dr. Rahn will present a brief overview of the San Diego State University Field Station Programs and describe the important research being conducted at our own Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve as a prelude to a review of the serious consequences of the open pit mine being proposed by Granite Construction, Inc., or the Temecula/Murrieta Valley (just north of Fallbrook, at the San Diego/Riverside County Line). This proposed mine would become the largest open pit mine of its type in the nation and would operate 20 hours per day for the next 50 to 75 years. Repercussions from this operation include noise, pollution, traffic and a host of other environmental concerns. Granite Construction, Inc. also plans to build asphalt and cement plants at the same site.

Please come to the meeting to hear all the details and learn what it is we can do to protect our environment and our treasured Santa Margarita River area. For more information, contact Connie Freese, Club President, at (760) 519-2302. The 2006 monthly meetings of the Democratic Club of Greater Fallbrook have been rescheduled from the third Monday to the first Thursday of each month.