Sebastopol meadowfoam, a federally protected endangered plant species, has raised objections to a development plan.

Other articles by Terence Chea:

California city in bankruptcy may be model for others Officials warn of salmon population "collapse"Electronics recycling blamed on worker, environment harm 'Offsets' cancel out carbon California readies marine protection areas Silicon Valley turns to cars As 'Big Organic' gets even bigger, worries also grow As gas prices rise, more pump pedals Oddities in ocean spur concernsRising fossil fuel prices boost prospects for renewable energy

Retail
TOTAL WINE & MORE
WINE TEAM MEMBERS, CASHIER & STOCK MEMEBERS General
GROUNDS CONTROL
LANDCAPE FOREMAN & LABORERS Technical
Yavapai College
Analyst Banner Programmer Education
Yavapai College
Teachers Dental
Apache Dental
Porcelain Techs Health Care
Freedom Manor
Caregivers Health Care
SOUTHERN ARIZONA ENDODONTICS I
NSURANCE PROCESSOR

SEBASTOPOL, Calif. — Did someone in this wine country town illegally plant an endangered flower to sabotage a proposed housing development? That is the question at the center of a quarrel folks here have dubbed "Foamgate."

Bob Evans, a 72-year-old retired elementary school principal, says he was walking his dog last year when he came upon the tiny white flowers of Sebastopol meadowfoam poking from shallow pools of water in a grassy field.

The former bean farm happens to be the site chosen for the 20-acre Laguna Vista housing development.

Evans and other opponents seized on the discovery of the federally protected species in hopes it would force the developer to scale back plans for 145 houses and apartments. "It was the bad luck of the developer that it popped up," Evans said.

But state wildlife officials investigated and concluded that the meadowfoam had been transplanted there. They ordered it dug up.

This year, the flowers returned, and with them the controversy. The dispute has held up final approval of the building project.

Sebastopol, a community of about 8,000 people 50 miles north of San Francisco, is known for its environmentally conscious residents and restrictive growth policies.

"Our community takes a very hard, careful look at development," said Kenyon Webster, the town's planning director. "That small-town character is the reason a lot of people want to live here."

When the meadowfoam appeared in April 2005, the Department of Fish and Game determined it had been planted and appeared to be the work of zealous conservationists.

"The people who planted it mistakenly believed that it would be the silver bullet that killed the project," said Scott Schellinger of Schellinger Brothers, the developer behind Laguna Vista.

Threatened by agriculture and urban development, the meadowfoam is listed as an endangered species by state and federal governments. That makes it illegal to harm, remove or transplant them without permission. Wetlands and pools have been set aside to protect them.

Evans and other conservationists say the $70 million development could damage the nearby Laguna de Santa Rosa, a 240-square-mile basin of wetlands that runs through Sebastopol.

Evans called Sonoma State University biology professor Phil Northen and the head of the local chapter of the California Native Plant Society. They agreed the plants were native.

But Fish and Game, reaching the opposite conclusion, launched an investigation into who planted the flowers but never identified any suspects.

A mediator is overseeing negotiations between Schellinger and residents in hopes of reaching a compromise that could involve a scaled-down project.