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 The ranch, most of which has never met a plow, has been used for cattle grazing.  "It's a tiny fraction of the wetland/prairie area that used to be out there when the pioneers arrived," says COS biologist Rob Hansen who is working with both the Herberts and Four Creeks. The wetlands are fed by both Lewis Creek emerging from the foothills near Lindsay and Outside Creek - a tributary of the Kaweah.  In a wet year the place teems with wildlife that includes nearly 70 varieties of birds, vernal pool fairy shrimp and rare flowers.  Seen from the air, from a ducks point of view, it's an all-you-can- eat feeding ground - particularly in the winter and spring in wet years.  "There are nesting ducks just a few hundred feet from the highway," says Hansen. The new wildlife habitat will be dubbed the James K. Herbert Wetland Prairie Preserve.

Four Creeks Land Trust which has Kaweah Oak Preserve (7 miles to the north) is taking this huge next step- purchasing a second preserve in hopes of salvaging at least a few remnants of native lands that are left before they all disappear.  That includes not just scenic oak woodlands like Kaweah, but others like this grassland area where only a few months out of a year the colorful flower filled vernal pools come to life, a species of toad emerges from a half year slumber from the dry mud and Canada geese flock here on their migratory route.
Purchase price of the property is $1.3 million.  "We need to go on a major $600,000 local fund-raising drive," says Carole Combs, coordinator for the three land trusts organized in the county, who is assisting with the complicated financial transaction.  The funds will help set up a permanent endowment to pay for the maintenance of the wildlife area. "This fund raising-raising drive is similar to the community-minded effort that restored Visalia's Fox's Theater to its former grandeur," says Hansen. "We're looking to protect a valuable natural treasure, part of what makes this valley a great place."

Kaweah Oaks, a 325 acre oak woodland area east of Visalia originally purchased by the Nature Conservancy  in the early 80's and then acquired by the local  land trust in 1998, actually connects to the new Herbert preserve  by way of Outside Creek that runs through Kaweah Oaks.

 The natural flow of the Kaweah and the Tule in olden times created huge wetland areas that ranged down into Elk Bayou area and onto Tulare Lake in wet years before we channeled the rivers and built dams.  In this way, "a small part of history is being preserved with this purchase, says Carole Combs.  The new preserve "could be a major economic draw for the area," says Combs when visitors wanting to see historic lands like this visit the area.  The wildlife area will be open to the public much like Kaweah Oaks with a trail system and organized tours.  Already Hansen's COS biology class regularly visits the site. Kaweah Oaks, Preserve gets about 5,000 visitors a year now.

 Now the ranch the Herbert's owned to the east has been sold to a dairy farmer, one of the few commodities in Tulare County enjoying boom times.  The Herberts looking to preserve what they call the Wilderness Ranch,  approached the Four Creeks Land Trust in 1998.  Hansen who works with the Land Trust and is a board member, completed a biological survey of the land in July 1998. "It was clear when I walked around seeing the abundance of wildlife here "that this was too good to pass up."  "But if the land were to  be bought for expanding a dairy, the place was probably worth double what the Herberts sold for," figures Combs.
The problem was coming up with the money. The local group scrambled to put together a  funding mechanism that now includes public, private and local monies.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (through the Central Valley Project Improvement Act) made the initial grant of approximately a half million dollars "consistent with the requirements of Section 3406 (b) of the Act to address adverse environmental impacts of the Central Valley Project. "I am pleased to see that some of the CVPIA funds will be used to support a project with the potential to benefit the local environment ans associated wetland species," stated Dennis Keller, a consulting civil engineer from Visalia. Richard Moss, general manager of Friant Water Users Authority, added, "I am glad to see a portion of the Friant Districts' CVPIA Restoration Fund contributions (approximately $20 million/year) coming back into the region to benefit the local environment."

Other major funding commitments have been received from The David and Lucile Packard Foundation through the Conserving California Landscapes program and from the California Wildlife Conservation Board.
  Even after they buy the land, which should close in March, they will need funds to manage the acreage.  "We'll continue to allow cattle to graze on the land," says Hansen, since that is the "only way to maintain a biologically diverse ecosystem." The Trust will continue to pay property tax.

Concern that too much private land is being taken off the tax rolls has been voiced by Tulare County Supervisor Steve Worthley who claims that when you add it all up, there are nearly 10,000 acres being retired when you figure in selenium tainted land near Alpaugh by the federal government, the private land at Dillonwood   to be donated to Sequoia National Park (see the last issue of the Valley Voice) and now this 725 acre preserve.  "The Farm Bureau talks about urban development taking farmland out of production but that is nothing compared to all this," he says.  But Combs says, "That just isn't the case with this deal." Four Creeks will continue to ranch the land, run cattle and pay private property taxes."

Hansen says, "This property is the largest single piece of land left of the original prairie wetland area that covered 104,000 acres between the Tule and the Kaweah in Tulare County as recently as 1855."  The natural water flows in wet years on the way to Tulare Lake - once the largest body of water west of the Mississippi.  A little further to the west is Creighton Ranch - a preserve managed by JG Boswell at the edge of the old lake bed.
Hansen says a corner of the Herbert Ranch has been farmed for a period of time.  The site on the northwest corner of the property is one location where the land may be re vegetated with oaks and other native plantings.  On the remainder portion, the hard pan soil doesn't allow oaks and other trees to take roots.  But along natural river banks, the oaks rule.

Contributions toward this project should be made payable to Four Creeks Land Trust and mailed to 1002 West Main Street Visalia, CA 93291. For more information regarding gifts of securities, phone Carole Combs at (559)561-1915. Your gift is tax- deductible to the full extent allowable by the IRS. Thank you!
For more information about Four Creeks Land Trust, see their website at www.fourcreeks.org.

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Visalia - Doctors Robert Havard and Dean Hsu will leave Visalia Medical Clinic in April to join Dr Madhu John, together the town's only resident oncologist in a joint -venture practice with Kaweah Delta hospital to build a new $8 million regional cancer care center."The exact structure of the joint venture hasn't been worked out yet" says Dr Havard who will relocate to a temporary office in early April at  the former Kaweah Delta Community Clinic site on Willis.

"For the first time we will bring together radiology and chemotherapy  in Visalia at one state of the art location "he says. The "regional" cancer care center will likely be built out at the Cypress campus"" says Havard. The biggest problem with building the proposed 35,000 sq ft center downtown- lack of parking. Currently, the center is located on Willow across form the hospital. Now, chemotherapy  is offered only inside the hospital downtown of out at the Visalia Medical Clinic.

"We can offer  more convenient and comprehensive  care on an out-patient basis" say Lindsay Mann vice president at Kaweah Delta. The outpatient trend for new stand -alone cancer care centers is  sweeping the nation.
"We think the cancer center will be a real big deal for the health care district"says board member Sue McCallister."Now there will be one place to go to get high quality cancer care. Of course McCallister says- the development is"a defensive move" in that oncologist from Fresno were looking to to set up such a center here. Also cancer patients often leave the areas for UCLA or Stanford to get the best treatment."We were looking at lots of  out migration of local patients" say McCallister."This will be good for the community."

Havard says the center will be affiliated with Stanford. He says there exciting developments in the treatment of cancer - the number two fatal disease in the nation. "We are realizing that cancer is  largely a genetic problem - it involves genetic abnormalities involves genetic abnormalities. Certain drugs can target those abnormalities. he says.

Keeping the best docs in town was no small consideration in  this deal says Dr Ron Marconi who heads up the cancer care  committee for the hospital."We want to make sure we keep our specialists in Visalia" says DR Marconi- referring to lucrative opportunities out of town for talented physicians.

Cancer care offers expensive and high dollar treatment- money that can make up for lower returns that  health care providers must take for other treatments. Low reimbursement and turmoil I in the HMO industry has hurt  group providers like Kaweah Sierra Medical Group who disbanded  in the past month in Visalia.  Kaweah Delta- for one wants to offer  comprehensive service for sure-but also stand to be well reimbursed as well. State law prohibits the hospital from owning  a medical practice but as in the case of Cypress Surgery-they have options to form a joint venture partnership.

While the new partnership arrangement is worked  out KDDH has  announced they will continue  with a feasibility study on the new center to decide all its services, design layout  and cost that could run up to$8 million. The center could break ground later this year.

With one center focusing on patient education , a wide variety of treatments  ,and the promise fo  research  the center expects to be a regional draw - a new Canter of Excellence  for their healthcare district- akin to their effort with cardiac care.

KDDH is the only cancer program  in the  central valley accredited by  the American College of Radiology. The programs offered by the hospital to treat prostate cancer is "one of best we know of"says Dr Marconi. The new center will likely mean the relocation of  the Breast Center - currently on Court St -to the new complex. The new building will be designed with the doctor's offices in place.

The idea of comprehensive  cancer care center here evolved out of the research of one fo the partners in the new project Dr Madhu John- recently named one of the "Best Doctors in America" by his peers in radiation oncology. Dr John is an author of a book on "combining  modalities " says Dr Havard.

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Visalia - More than 100 community leaders met to discuss the future of Downtown Visalia this week. At the top of virtually everyone 's agenda was keeping Kaweah Delta as a regional medical center in the downtown area." The issue is number one on my list" city council member Wendy Thomason told the 'visioning' session to a chorus of nodding heads.

The possible relocation of the hospital out of downtown became public when the health care district bought over 100acres out on Caldwell at Lovers Lane in late 1998. The purchase came as the district studied new state seismic rules that would be so costly as to require a new hospital be built by the year 2030. KDDH officials have sought to calm worries that any decisions on relocation or for that matter actually doing it –was way off.

Then this winter the flu season hit hard virtually "filling all beds to capacity for a good part of the last quarter" says a Lindsay Mann, vice president at Kaweah Delta.

That gave emphasis to the study- already under way to expand acute care beds-'particularly critical care and observation beds " says Mann. As soon as next month Kaweah Delta board embers say they expect to see a "thorough study of all the options" to expand hospital beds says KDDH board member Sue McCallister. "That includes looking at the Caldwell property."

McCallsiter says 'what I want to know is how long until we can develop out there" She asks." That we'll be the question I ask of the study."

If it's 15 years – then forget it."

Board member Tess Lira says, "We expect them (administration) to bring in an expert "on bed allocation to "go over all the options" and rate their costs and feasibility she says. In fact KDDH president Tom Johnson-out of town this week told the Voice they were bringing in an "urban planner" to look at the issue.

One option discussed already is to expand to the northwest of the hospital with a new wing that would span toward Acequia out by Taco Bell says McCallister. The problem is high costs and  (lack of) parking she says. Indeed hospital officials have repeated that parking is one of the biggest problems in adding space in the downtown. Right now they are working on a new parking garage they will build on the hospital's eastside later this year with an expensive over crossing spanning Locust to reach the city parking garage, That helps alleviate the crunch right now but what about later?

Just this week (a few months ago in the Voice) the hospital announced a plan to build a new $8 million Cancer Care Center that includes private physician offices – what is actually a new joint venture between oncologists and KDDH. While staff say they are looking at multiple location options for the new 35,000 sq. ft center -sources say the choice will be the newer Akers campus where there is room to build and convenience for the patient.
. In the past decade the district has partnered, built or is working on 5 major projects on Akers and poured tens of millions of investment out there.
"I'm in sympathy with the hospital's problems downtown," say Downtown Visalia board member Phil Laird." I think it would be far cheaper to build on open land but I want the hospital to consider 40 acres just north east of downtown-out by the stockyards" says Laird- a location that got wide support at this week's downtown visioning session.

Still the Kaweah Delta board has never had that option presented to them. "All the city presented to us was the idea of using the city hall block to expand on to" says Tess Lira.
 Phil Laird says while the land out by the stockyards may be more costly -the fact the infrastructure is available would mean the cost for development would more comparable to Caldwell/ Lovers Lane. Laird says the sees the hospital plan to develop out on Caldwell as  " leap-frog development". -Not much differently than the Kashian projects.
Lindsay Mann who attended the meet in with city leaders said, " I heard the group loud and clear" that they wanted the hospital to stay Downtown."

Many see the stockyard area where two creeks come into town as jewel in the rough where MillCreek can be restored, landscaped with a walking path connecting back to Downtown. In fact the city is ready to move forward on some of this. This week, the talk was that  city hall should move that way too.

Cautioning that Downtown shouldn't worry too much-Mann suggest that" we remember that we have four campuses "– Downtown Visalia, Court St, the Akers campus and Exeter – he notes. "Still all of that hasn't taken anything away from Downtown". It's not an "either /or choice" He expects the hospital will always have a presence in the city center.

McCallister says the district is considering the  Caldwell property but "we don't want to be bullies" Both the city and county object  t o development outside their general plan boundaries.

 "If the city wants to work with us that's fine" she says "But I don't understand why they question the design of our parking structure" she says. Apparently, in the planning and permit process to get the parking garage. built the city has made suggestions that may have ruffled a few feathers

The city council and board of the big district hospital have had only one meeting last year on  this whole issue. But with the subject at the top of the agenda for both the community and the health care district and  a major study  coming up – it may be a good time  to rekindle the conversation. "It's still a small town- we can talk, "says KDDH board member McCallister- a downtown merchant herself. 

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Visalia - Berkeley-based consultants MIG Inc have held three "vision" workshops downtown and are planning a final report that will go to the City Council in the next two months. The workshops have come up with recurrent themes that include:
 

Develop a Mix of Land Uses
Strengthen Retail Uses
Develop Public Gathering Places
Highlight Mill Creek
Increase Entertainment Opportunities
Improve Wayfinding
Build Employment Opportunities
Attract Diverse Patrons
Develop Marketing Strategies

Listening to the report this week were members of the city's Parks and Recreation Committee, Planning Commission and City Council- a total of about 100 people attended the meeting. There was broad support for the overall effort but when asked to prioritize the group offered the following:

Many said a first step would be to improve both lighting and planting trees downtown and in fact join the two with a "theme lighting" as is done in some parts of the downtown now.

One new theme-was at the possibility of siting a downtown baseball stadium for the Oaks possibly in the Ben Maddox/Goshen area northeast of Downtown. "It would be a civic tragedy to let the Oaks slip away" said Planning Commissioner member and chair on the Downtown Visalians Victor Perez. The Oaks have been in the news recently when the California League announced they were again talking over the team providing one more indication their exit from Visalia was near. None of the owners over the years have made money and attendance this past year was a league low. The big question- is the taxpayer willing to dig in their pocket to pay for a stadium.

Expansion of downtown uses into the northeast got support around the table- a message former Mayor Greg Collins has pushed for years.  Colins suggested joining a stadium with possible city hall relocation and as site for the hospital. City council member Wendy Thomason said a decision by the hospital was at the top of her list as most important for the future of downtown. Hospital officials have said they are considering their long-range options.

City Council member Jim Harbottle highlighted the need to restore MillCreek and add more trees downtown. "It can make a huge difference" He appeared to support the idea of establishing architectural standards that might be proposed to give downtown a certain look to it- a hot button issue a few years ago. Most said they want owners to restore the brick buildings downtown to their historic look.

Planning Commissioner Phil Cox suggested expanding downtown well to the east where the consultants have identified a large 200acre area that could be major employment area for the city. Realtor Marty Zeeb warned the group that the cost of relocating big users like the walnut processor would be high and that the city should seek grants to do it.

Both Mike Lane and Jesus Gamboa suggested that economics guide what we can afford to do now and in coming years. "We need dollar signs attached to these proposals," says Gamboa. While some suggested certain projects were "too expensive many appear to support a publicly funded Oaks stadium but will have to face up to the high cost-estimated between $12 to 17milion that would need to be raised to pay for a new stadium. Most urged a mix used -multiple sports facility that could handle not just baseball but concerts and sports for schools. The council is studying whether there is public support to increase the sales tax to pay for new stadium.

On the city's western edge of downtown there is an effort to site a needed parking garage- a move supported by merchant Ted Shurson of Juice Appeal (next to the Fox.)"We need more short temp parking and corridors north and south "to get pedestrians to walk form Center and Acequia where there is a place to park over to Main where there isn't enough parking he said.

One policy effort apparently coming out of the visioning process is a push to add more retail to Center St where there is lots of room, Another new move apparently early in the works- sell permits for downtown parking -attractive to long term users who would pay for the permits.

A piece of news is that in an effort to site residential uses downtown. The council may consider allowing the Tolkin Group-now marketing the city owned land across from the 10-Plex Theatre-to build three stories with retail/restaurant on the ground, office on the second floor and residential on the third floor.

Regarding the Oaks, Mayor Don Landers suggests that "we don't know what the Cal League requires to keep the team in Visalia. Just getting a new owner and adding more seating might not be enough. Regarding the future of Kaweah Delta's building Bob Aquilar suggested the current hospital would make a good site for a 4-year university.

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Tulare County - A team of Chinese officials visited the U.S. in mid-January winding up in the citrus orchards of Tulare County late in the month. After inspecting our insect traps designed to monitor any fruit fly infestation, they appeared to come away pleased that exports of oranges could soon start to flow to the world's most populous nation.

"We think it could be major market for Tulare County citrus taking maybe one quarter of our crop each year," predicted Tulare County Agricultural Commissioner Leonard Craft. "From what we understand the Chinese could take as much as $1 billion of citrus over the next five years form California and Tulare County produces nearly half the state volume."

The group that included ag scientists was to tour U.S. ag producing states like Florida, Arizona and California last year but the unscheduled bombing of their embassy in Yugoslavia put a damper on the planned visit.  The Chinese announced they would open their markets last April but inspections of pest fighting efforts by U.S. producers that include beef were needed.

Craft said the delegation told officials here that included California Ag Secretary Bill Lyons that they need to report to their findings to the home office but all indications were that "they were impressed with our efforts and growers knowledge of the issues." Craft said citrus growers are expecting the green light soon."  We've been told we could be shipping oranges by the end of March."

The Chinese get U.S. oranges now but only through the Black Market," says Craft. Sunkist and independent marketers will be gearing up to enter the Chinese market with advertising and distribution contacts in cities there, predicted Craft.  The fruit is highly prized in China as it is in other Far East countries fetching as much as $2 an orange.

Craft says the County monitors some 330 insect traps around the County's orange belt area every two weeks looking particularly for any sign of the Mexican Fruit Fly and the Mediterranean Fruit Fly. Right now only San Diego has a problem with the Mediterranean Fruit Fly that they are eradicating.  The Chinese have their own domestic orange industry they don't want see infested by foreign pests.

The offer to open the Chinese market for agricultural goods is part of that nations efforts to improve normal trading relationships with the rest of the world.  China is looking to gain entry to the World Trade Organization. To gain entry China must open the market reducing tariffs for citrus imported not the country from 40% to 12 % within three years.

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The above stories are the property of The Valley Voice Newspaper and may not be reprinted without explicit permission in writing from the publisher. 

February 2, 2000