The Region : Concern Over Birds Halts Freeway Job

Concern for two endangered bird species led the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco to reverse a lower court ruling and halt construction on a freeway link and flood control project in San Diego County. The project is to include a link between Interstates 5 and 805, a freeway interchange, widening of I-5 and a flood control channel in the flood plain of the Sweetwater River in Chula Vista. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said the project would destroy the natural habitat of the California least tern and light-footed clapper rail, imperiling both species. The agency also said the Army Corps of Engineers, federal sponsor of the flood-control channel, must acquire 188 acres of nearby wetlands to replace those eliminated by construction.