Danger to shrimp may stall plans for UC Merced

By Rachel Makabi
Daily Bruin Reporter

Two environmental organizations filed a report last week
requesting that the Midvalley Fairy shrimp, which reside near the
construction site for UC Merced, be placed on the endangered
species list.

The report was filed a day after UC Merced officials released
the Environmental Impact Report and Long Range Development Plan
that describe the long-term effects of construction on Merced
County.

UC Merced, which is scheduled to open in fall 2004 as the 10th
UC campus, is being constructed near one of the largest
concentrations of vernal pool habitats in California. These pools
““ wetlands that are seasonably flooded and retain water,
plants and animals ““ contain several types of Fairy
shrimp.

According to the EIR, implementation of the LRDP, would result
in a loss of 78 acres of these wetlands.

If the shrimp were to be placed on the endangered species list,
they would be protected by federal law, and construction near or on
vernal pools could be halted.

James Grant, director of communications at UC Merced, said while
it would be impossible for the construction to avoid affecting
agricultural lands, wetlands and wildlife, the environmental impact
would be minimal.

“The area the university will acquire is 7,000 acres. We
have already pledged to conserve 6,000 acres,” Grant said.
“In addition, we have set up buffer zones and have instituted
policies that keep development from going beyond the
campus.”

Carol Witham, the coordinator at VernalPools.org, one of the two
groups recommending protection for the Fairy Shrimp, said the
Merced County vernal pools contain five different species of
freshwater shrimp that are in danger.

The Center for Biological Diversity is also trying to protect
the shrimp by placing them on the endangered species list.

“Fairy shrimps are a vital part of the web of life,”
Kassie Siegel, an attorney with the center, said in a statement.
“The (U.S Fish and Wildlife) Service must act immediately to
prevent the Midvalley Fairy shrimp and its habitat from
disappearing forever.”

But Grant said the impact on the vernal pools will be lessened
through a California measure passed last year that allotted $30
million for the State Wildlife Conservation Board to preserve
45,000 acres of vernal pools.

“Vernal pool habitat is lost at 3,000 acres a year under
normal agriculture and growth,” Grant said. “With our
efforts we are actually preserving the vernal pools.”

In addition to the loss of vernal pools, the LRDP would also
result in the loss of 684 acres of agricultural land.

Witham said the university has not planned effectively and
should do more to protect the wildlife and lands in the area.

“They are piece-mealing this project in order to hide the
true environmental impact,” Witham said. “This impact
to agricultural land and vernal pools is all negative.”

According to Grant, the university has already moved the site
off the campus two miles away from the original location to reduce
the environmental impact

“We have pledged to build responsibly, but the campus will
take away some pasture,” Grant said.

He added that though construction will adversely affect the
environment, it is necessary for the economic development of Merced
County.

He pointed to a study by the U.S. Census Bureau which found that
25 percent of families in Merced County live below the poverty
level, and added that the development of UC campuses has
historically brought more economic prosperity to their respective
counties.

In addition, university officials are relying on UC Merced to
help alleviate the influx of 60,000 students to the UC in the next
10 years.

“You can’t put down a campus anywhere in California
without having some impact,” Grant said. “It is one of
those trade-offs of development. Development is needed for
educational and economic reasons.”