[Newhall Land] – The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board voted unanimously Sept. 14 to issue a 401 Water Quality Certification of the Army Corps 404 permit issued last summer. This action completes the more than a decade long process of obtaining all the federal permits relating to environmental issues on Newhall Ranch.

Over the last several years, Newhall Land has been working with the Regional Water Quality Control Board on the incorporation of state of the art water quality control and treatment facilities within the Newhall Ranch plan and have obtained long term federal and state environmental permits from a variety of agencies, including Department of Fish and Game, Department of Fish and Wildlife, Army Corps of Engineers, and US Environmental Protection Agency.

Newhall Ranch, approved by Los Angeles County in 2004, is a model of well-planned infrastructure, jobs housing balance, and innovative land use strategies. The plan carefully provides critical balance to allow for a 3-1 jobs to housing ratio, an array of housing types, transportation improvements and key environmental protection.  With it’s more than 60,000 permanent jobs, over 130,000 construction jobs, 8,500 acres of open space, and its proven design to reduce vehicle miles traveled and carbon reduction at approved target levels, Newhall Ranch will be a long term, sustainable community.

Over 50 miles of trails will extend from the High Country to the Santa Clara River and will connect to trails within the City of Santa Clarita and beyond. Over 94% of the Santa Clara River, a key feature of the property, will be preserved and protected.

As part of the process with the Regional Board, the low impact development water quality protection standards have been increased beyond that required in any other permit the Regional Board has ever issued, even the recently adopted Ventura County stormwater permit.

The revised permit also reflects a hallmark agreement between Newhall and the State Coastal Conservancy to conserve 439 acres of Santa Clara River floodplain land downstream in Ventura County.