Seeking common ground

Monday, Aug. 4, 2008 | 2:07 a.m.

For years environmentalists and developers had been at odds over the beautiful and rugged Tejon Ranch. The 422-square-mile ranch is close enough to Los Angeles to make it attractive to commuters, but it is also one of California’s gems. Largely untouched by development, it is home to the rare California condor.

As reported in Wednesday’s USA Today, Tejon Ranch Co. Chief Executive Robert Stine wanted to develop parts of the ranch but faced stiff opposition. He wanted to avoid costly lawsuits that could bog down the project for years. So he started meeting with environmental groups, including the Sierra Club, the Audubon Society and the Natural Resources Defense Council. After 20 months of talks, they had a deal — Tejon Ranch will develop 10 percent of the land and put the remaining 90 percent into a conservancy.

“This property could have been ground zero for 50 years of litigation,” said Graham Chisholm, the Audubon Society’s negotiator. “Instead, we came to an imperfect understanding.”

Such private deals between business leaders and environmental groups are becoming common as both sides want to avoid costly lawsuits. As well, the deals can provide a win-win for those involved.

For example:

• An oil company agreed to donate nearly 4,000 acres of land near Santa Barbara, Calif., in exchange for support of a plan to expand offshore drilling for 14 years.

• Kansas City Power and Light cut back plans to build more coal-fired power plants and agreed to invest in wind power. In return, a citizens group that had challenged the plan agreed not to sue.

There are times when business groups and environmentalists should forge common ground. Still, compromise shouldn’t be viewed as an end in itself by environmentalists and government agencies tasked with protecting the environment. Otherwise, compromise could become a gateway to capitulation, setting back the environmental movement, which has seen much progress during the past few decades.