Decker

The Environment of Menifee, California

I come from a previously small town located within Riverside County named Menifee.

It’s a region of little significance that exists mostly as a commuter community. Many individuals

who live in Menifee are choosing to reside there as a means to commute to their jobs in nearby

cities by traveling on Interstate 215 which bifurcates the city. When I was a child, Menifee was

a town of no more than 40,000 and mostly a farming community. Now it is a city encompassing

forty-six square miles with a population over 80,000 and growing (United States Census Bureau

2016). New houses, apartment complexes, parks, schools, and businesses have continually

been created in the booming city. Where there use to be undisturbed plots of land there are

now Sonics, In-N-Outs, gyms, and housing developments. Everywhere you look construction

crews are lumbering heavy machinery around, laying asphalt or concrete, putting up walls, or

leveling uneven land. I never put too much thought into how these processes were carried out

by the city. I just assumed that the local government signed off on having new roads and

bridges built without another thought to the matter. It wasn’t until recently that I finally got a

grasp of the environmental issues that are involved with the expansion Menifee has undergone

for the past few years.

Menifee has long been a rural area which at one point held a rather busy mobile

home/camping park. Rural areas often encapsulate thriving wildlife habitats but with all the
city’s growth, habitat retention and air pollution could very easily be over looked by businesses

and citizens wanting to see extensive economic growth. The Riverside Conservation Association

(RCA) published the Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP) in 2004 to impose

stronger regulation of land inside Riverside County’s borders. (Regional Conservation Authority

Western Riverside County 2016) The RCA aims to acquire natural lands, keeping them from

entering development. This association has played a key role in retaining 347,000 acres of land,

public and private, with tens of thousands of acres set aside as habitat reserves. Riverside

County is home to multiple protected endangered and threatened species most notably, the

Stephens’ kangaroo rat. Like many other threatened organisms in Menifee’s region, the

kangaroo rat has a very small availability of habitats. The Stephens’ kangaroo rat only exists in

small portions of four Californian counties: Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego

(United States Fish & Wildlife Service 2015). Keeping organisms such as the kangaroo rat in

existence is a top priority to the RCA and should be one for the citizens too. Letting local

politicians know how we feel about the degradation of local wildlife can also help to affect

change to maintain what ecosystem diversity we have remaining.

While the RCA concerns itself with habitat retention , the Environmental Protection

Agency’s (EPA) mission is to protect all aspects of the environment. The EPA is a federal

government entity which creates rules and regulations for environmental impacts made by

“individuals, businesses, […] governments, […] or others” (EPA 2016). This federal government
standing equates to the EPA’s legislature taking effect in every region within the United States

borders which includes Menifee. Continually utilizing congress created laws such as the Clean

Air Act and the Clean Water Act the EPA develops “technical, operational and legal details” for

the implementation of environmental regulations in the United States. Technology and climate

issues are constantly changing, requiring up-to-date laws to protect individual and

environmental health. These changing environmental legal requirements necessitate the

adaptation of Menifee’s expansion plans. The city must also comply with California’s state

governmental regulations as well. California is a national leading force in environmental

protection and takes pride in it. In 2006 Assembly Bill 32 was enacted by the California State

House government, the bill requires California to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to its 1990

levels by the year 2020 (California Environmental Protection Agency Air Resources Board 2016).

To stay within the confines of the law, new buildings created in Menifee’s expansion must meet

energy regulations to cut back on energy usage in forms of light, heating, and cooling. Increases

in city population means an increase in the need for public services such as schools . The strain

of teaching and class resources will cause a movement for the creation of additional elementary

through high schools, all required by law to conform to building codes set by the government.

Residents pushing for renewable energy resources to be installed in these buildings can set

development in a positive direction. By working in concert with governmental agencies, rules,

manner bolstering its economy and society.

A city is nothing without a good infrastructure. If people and products cannot efficiently

move throughout, the city cannot expect to economically grow. Menifee must invest in

infrastructure, the city’s veins. The five main roads it possesses are not going to be enough for

its projected population explosion. Using the services of traffic surveyors Menifee’s roads could

become better streamlined. Measuring traffic patterns at peek and low hours and taking driving

habit surveys from the residents of Menifee traffic congestion can be assisted . Though a little

out of date, Menifee has assessed its internal traffic levels using the 2000 Highway Capacity

Manual (HCM). Per data collected during a 2012 study conducted by order of Menifee , seven of

the city’s 97 corners were close to or exceeded their vehicle limit. These issues continually arise

on Menifee’s five main roads: Newport Road, Haun Road, Scott Road, and both Interstate 215

on-ramp/off-ramps (Urban Crossroads 2013). The creation of more roads and bridges are of

dire need. An example of a project that would make a large impact on traffic management

would be installation of bridges dedicated to crossing over Interstate 215 which could greatly

reduce traffic centered on on-ramp/off-ramps. Increased efficiency of traffic flow will make

Menifee a more attractive location for businesses, service, or specialty oriented jobs. This

project can be implemented more rapidly by the individuals of Menifee calling for action by the

local government bodies.

relatively small area it encompasses. Though a bus service is employed to transport Menifee

citizens through the city it is far from efficient. The Riverside Transit Authority (RTA) services all

Riverside County which a very wide area for one bus service to cover. The efficiency of RTA

throughout Riverside is reasonable but its reliability within the bounds of Menifee leads to an

unutilized local transportation system. In an effort to combat these issues investment in public

transport is crucial. A large portion of Menifee’s vehicle traffic is created by individuals simply

trying to go to school or work at prime hours of the day. A Menifee bus service could effectively

counteract the need for large amounts of inner-city vehicle travel. Many modern cities facilitate

the use of bicycle travel of its citizenry by the installation of dedicated bike lanes along side of

their normal vehicle traffic. Promotion of these bike lanes could increase road efficiency and

usability. Simply calling for more individuals to make the choice of either riding the bus or a

bike as a way of transport will cause the city to react quickening the process of change. The

creation of dedicated bus and bike lanes can create a more energy efficient as well as

streamlined commuting environment.

In order for Menifee to succeed in its efforts to become a location of importance, it will

need more housing units to accommodate new and enlarging family’s. In September 2013,

10,000 acres of Menifee’s land mass was listed as retaining residential purposes either houses,

apartments, or mobile homes. Although it may seem like a large percentage of land has been

allocated for housing purposes there still remains about 15,000 acres of vacant lands
(Environmental Impact Report 2013). As aforementioned, California maintains rather strict

environmental and building codes. Housing created in environmentally conscious ways such as

effective insulation and individual sources of renewable energies like solar will have the

smallest carbon footprint as possible as growth occurs. In this way, Menifee has a chance to be

at the forefront of intelligent green housing design.

Modern population booms entail an enhancement of residential diversity. As of 2015

Menifee consisted of about 70% whites, nearly 30% Hispanics and slim percentages of other

minority groups. As the city acquires more residents, its population will undoubtable become

more diverse. Though social issues may arise so will the local markets. A larger service sector

will be required for all members of the city to be accommodated. One key accommodation

needed for Menifee’s future is the creation of more affordable housing. Growing cities require

large amounts of affordable housing units. As larger amounts of new family units emerge in

Menifee so will the amount of housing needed to accommodate such a change. The addition of

these housing structures will also need to follow green building initiatives in order to lower

Menifee’s greenhouse gas emissions following legislation such as Assembly Bill 32.

Currently Menifee contains two high schools, two middle schools and two elementary

schools that perform at an average level compared to the rest of the nation (Menifee Unified

School District 2016). Though having an average school system is better than most cities there

is always room for improvement. Greater educational programs may enhance children’s
appreciation for growth in learning. Studies completed by the Centers for Disease Control show

a direct correlation between the success of students and the strength of a community (Centers

for Disease Control 2014). These studies showed that investing in educational opportunities

and students lead to improved grades and behavior as well as increased cognitive and social

skills. Improved social behavior in school can translate to a decline in future crime and violence

within the city. Simply volunteering at or donating to local schools Menifee citizens can

contribute to the betterment of their education systems while improving a child’s day.

Empowerment to the youth is empowerment of the city as a whole. This pride can be a huge

factor in the performance of not only a school but Menifee itself. Cities with greater levels of

pride within themselves are often seen as better areas to live in, further enhancing the city.

Menifee could become a great city and serve as a model for many other cities’

expansions if completed to the best of its ability. This massive undertaking will have to be

headed by the residents of Menifee themselves, complete community involvement and

coordination can lead to massive improvements in Menifee’s expansion. Working to exceed set

environmental legislation, controlling negative environmental effects, enabling habitat

cementation, improving infrastructure, invigorating existing schools, and instilling new pride

within itself will all play key roles in the expansion and sustainability of Menifee, California.

Spreading awareness of the environmental implications of the city’s expansion and lobbying for

improvements in city hall meetings can encourage an even greater advancement of Menifee.
By working in concert with governmental bodies, rules and regulations Menifee and its citizens

can expand with minimal harm to the habitats within it whilst providing a blueprint for future

cities to follow.

Bibliography:

Centers for Disease Control (2014) Health and Academic Achievement

http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/health_and_academics/pdf/health-academic-

achievement.pdf

California Environmental Protection Agency Air Resources Board (2014) Assembly Bill 32

https://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/ab32/ab32.htm

Environmental Protection Agency (2016) Laws and Regulations

https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations

Western Riverside County Reginal Conservation Authority (2016) Reserves

http://wrc-rca.org/habitat-conservation/reserves/

Suburban Stats/US Census Bureau (2016) Population Demographics for Menifee, CA

https://suburbanstats.org/population/california/how-many-people-live-in-menifee

The Planning Center|DC&E (2013) Economic Development Background Document &

Definitions cityofmenifee.com
The Planning Center|DC&E (2013) Draft Environmental Impact Report

https://www.cityofmenifee.us/262/Draft-Environmental-Impact-Report

United States Fish & Wildlife Service (2015) Stephens’ kangaroo rat

https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp0/profile/speciesProfile?spcode=A08Q

Urban Crossroads (2013) City of Menifee General Plan Circulation Element Traffic Study

https://www.cityofmenifee.us/262/Draft-Environmental-Impact-Report