Quail Springs Seek to Get Sustainability Legalised
The dried up bed of the New Cuyama River, a few miles from Quail Springs,
evidences the impact of the perfectly legal but wholly unsustainable
activities of the region’s farmers over the last century. Pacific Steelhead
Trout used to swim up here. The river hasn’t flowed year round since the 1930s
Photo © Craig Mackintosh
Our good friends at Quail Springs, who are using the application of Permaculture principles to rehabilitate 450 acres of denuded, overgrazed, desertified land in California – and in doing so are showcasing Permaculture’s potential in a most graphic way – keep running up against laws that, if obeyed, would stifle or stop their experimentation, and if disobeyed, threaten to bankrupt them through infringement fines.
But according to Brush — who started the “eco-village” about five years ago after nearly a decade running the much-acclaimed Wilderness Youth Project in Santa Barbara — the nonprofit farm is also simultaneously becoming a battleground between green building and government bureaucracy, a war erupting in various jurisdictions around the country as environmentally friendly innovation outpaces legislation. For Quail Springs, that battle amounts to threatened fines of at least $500 per day for violating various county building codes. If ever levied, these fines would quickly undermine all the positive work being done. Explained Brush during a tour of the property in late May, “Innovative thinkers are having to do things illegally just to test them.” – Santa Barbara Independent
All this is hard to swallow when you consider they’re working without profit – seeking to pioneer a new, replicable future for all, whilst their neighbours are systematically destroying their soils and drying up the water table with tacit official approval.
But, there may be good news on the horizon, with the possibility of Quail Springs’ work receiving special state protection for its sustainable design experiments.
… Brush understands that bringing government into the conversation will only help the green movement at large. “If we are able to partner with these state and county agencies,” said Brush, “that’s when we’re going to see a huge bump and evolution in how human settlements move toward sustainability.” – Santa Barbara Independent
Read all about it in full via Matt Kettman’s excellent article, and consider showing your support by way of comments below it.
