News From…
Congressman Dennis Cardoza
18th Congressional District of California
Rep. Cardoza Applauds UC-Merced’s New Development Plan |
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New Plan will Support Full Campus Growth and Reduce Impact on Wetlands
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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 5, 2007 |
CONTACT: Jamie McInerney (202) 225-6131 |
| WASHINGTON – Today Congressman Dennis Cardoza applauded University of California-Merced officials and local stakeholders for announcing a consensus plan outlining the continuing development of the UC-Merced campus. The new development plan will support full development of the campus, accommodating up to 25,000 students by 2035 as originally planned, and a contiguous university community. The adjusted campus “footprint” that the new plan calls for will also reduce the impact on sensitive nearby wetlands by 33%.
“This is a great day for the San Joaquin Valley,” said Cardoza. “The revised proposal is a ‘win-win’ for the campus, the students, economic growth for the region, and for the environment. The University and the federal agencies--- the US Army Corps of Engineers, the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Fish and Wildlife Service--- deserve to be commended for developing a plan that will meet the needs of the University and will also serve as a model for growth and environmental stewardship."
Since his first day in the California State Legislature Congressman Cardoza has worked relentlessly to establish a UC campus in Merced. UC-Merced opened its doors to students in 2005 and its student population continues to grow rapidly. Mr. Cardoza feels the university is vital for providing advanced educational opportunities to the underserved central Valley and for economic development.
The reconfigured campus footprint will total about 810 acres, compared with the previous plan of 910 acres. The change in the campus and university community footprint will reduce the amount of environmentally sensitive wetlands affected by campus development from about 121 acres to 81 acres, or approximately 33 percent. The revised campus layout, coupled with modifications made in late 2000, will reduce the university’s impact on native wetlands by approximately 95 percent, compared with plans originally made in the late 1990s.
The reconfigured main campus will accommodate a full student population when completed and support the broad scope of the university’s research and instructional activities. Campus planners will consider a number of options, including repositioned facilities, greater density and other measures, to achieve improved land-use efficiency. Construction activities on the ongoing first phase of campus development will not be affected and will support campus development through a student population of 5,000 students.
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