Purpose Statement
The “Friends of French Creek” is a group of local citizens who have joined together to protect French Creek’s 21,000-acre watershed from overdevelopment, by encouraging compliance with the Scott Valley Area Plan.
The Scott Valley Area Plan was developed in 1980 by a citizen's committee comprised of people from different walks of life, all residents of Scott Valley, appointed by the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors. They were entrusted with the task of developing a plan to manage growth and protect the natural resources of the Scott Valley Area. The plan remains in force today, and is a shining beacon guiding sustainable growth in the valley. Its intent is clear: “development policies that shall be adhered to by the Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission when making decisions on future development proposals." (County of Siskiyou, 1980.)
The plan includes a number of worthy goals, all falling under the main goal of protecting the natural resources, including air and water quality. Numerous parts of the plan stress the importance of containing growth to the proximity of existing urban areas, in order to preserve Scott Valley’s rural lifestyle and environment. The plan also addresses the importance of protecting critical deer wintering areas and migratory paths from intensive development. The plan states that the "low density development policies will protect the major aesthetic features and retain the rural character of the valley by concentrating the intense growth within the existing urban areas."
French Creek is a beautiful mountain stream that is one of the primary creeks draining Northern California's eastern slope of the Russian Wilderness. It joins Scott River, which then flows into the Klamath River and runs unimpeded all the way to the Pacific Ocean. During the summer farmers use the water to irrigate their fields, and year round it provides critical aquatic habitat. At least three anadromous fish populations spawn in French Creek.
The Friends of French Creek has become aware that an Alabama corporation has a pending application before the Planning Department for a commercial zoning change allowing them to develop sufficient structures to accommodate more people than the combined population of Etna and Fort Jones. This organization is the JH Ranch Resort. The proposed development would be in critical wintering deer habitat near the junction of French Creek and Paynes Creek. It would negatively affect the entire Scott Valley by increasing traffic, utilizing public services, potentially decreasing water quality and quantity, and overwhelming recreational and wild-land sites. It is the belief of Friends of French Creek that this proposal violates the spirit and numerous regulatory aspects of the Scott Valley Area Plan.
In 1993 the Board of Supervisors approved a plan for expansion for JH Ranch Resort with little outside agency or public input. It is the intent of Friends of French Creek not to let that happen again. The planned huge expansion of the organization’s existing facilities and capacity disrespects the values and principles of the community, as well as violating the goals of the Scott Valley Area Plan. It is the intent and purpose of Friends of French Creek to inform the community, and require a full and comprehensive review of all aspects of this proposal.