| The Newhall Ranch is a large residential and commercial development along six miles of the Santa Clara River in Los Angeles County, California. The development, first proposed in the 1980s, threatened to impact the California fully protected and federally and state-listed as endangered unarmored threespine stickleback, the federally listed as threatened arroyo toad, critical habitat for the endangered southwestern willow flycatcher, and other rare species. Subsequent surveys identified the recently rediscovered and now state-listed as endangered San Fernando Valley spineflower, the newly discovered and described Newhall sunflower, and currently undescribed springsnails present on the proposed project site. A coalition of conservation organizations challenged the project over the years, ultimately prevailing at the California Supreme Court on rare species and greenhouse gas claims. While the developer moved forward to address the issues in the successful court challenge, it also initiated negotiations with the conservation organizations that ultimately resulted in a historic settlement. The settlement (1) ensures development redesign to minimize impacts to the unarmored threespine stickleback and enhance protections for the plants and snails, (2) conserves over 10,000 acres of habitat including river floodplain, (3) provides $25 million dedicated to conservation of the Santa Clara River and watershed, and (4) guarantees a landmark greenhouse gas "net zero" emissions project.
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