OC BEHIND THE SCENES <p><span class=subhead2>

The Open Spaces, Wild Places campaign captures and presents the beauty of Orange County.

Orange County is a beautiful place. Residents know that from their daily experiences, favorite places, and hidden spots. Those who visit know that from the beaches, the canyons, the parks. The plan is to have urban conveniences, suburban lifestyle, economic and academic opportunities, entertainment choices, and open spaces in one area under mostly blue skies. Who wouldn't love this? Who wouldn't want this? The real question is, who is willing to preserve it?

By nature, those places that are beautiful tend to become overused, overplanned, over-developed. Look at our national parks. The very beauty they capture, the very experiences they offer are their biggest obstacle because of the number of people who come to visit. But don't get me wrong, it's a good problem. The difficult task is preserving the beauty of the areas by managing growth and improving access.

It seems that as the unchecked development of the open spaces in Orange County continues, someone has forgotten the fact that things can fill up. Places can become too crowded. Try to drive the Yosemite valley in July, or try to drive the 405 at 8am on Monday. In both cases, you'll wait. In both cases, you'll sense there are just too many people or not enough ways to get around.

In the case of Yosemite, and to the credit of the National Park Service, measures are being taken and solutions are being implemented to regulate growth (number of campsites) and manage access (shuttle buses, public transportation). It seems in Orange County, however, this notion has been ignored. And why not? There are still hills that can be cut down to build more homes. There are still ocean bluffs undeveloped that could provide homes for eager buyers. There are still country roads through the hills that can be straightened to improve traffic flow. But is that what we want to do? Is that what should be done to an area whose very character is defined by proximity to open space?

The Open Spaces, Wild Places Campaign is dedicated to the preservation of Orange County open space. Just as developers must work together to build a project, so must activists work together to preserve open space. The Open Spaces, Wild Places committee is made up of 13 Sierra Club task forces speaking as one voice for preservation. We hired a pilot, an airplane, a cinematographer, an editor, and a writer to develop a media campaign to get our message out.

So what did we capture? The beauty of Orange County that everyone knows in their heart, has felt on the trail or experienced in the ocean - except you'll see it from a bird's eye. Our skilled pilot and cinematographer captured some incredible images. Who knew these places existed? Who knew there were such treasures still undeveloped? We'll help you find them, we'll help you experience them...but we'll also need your help to keep them. And we'll need your friends' help to preserve them.