When California Institute of the Arts student Andy Gohlich discovered that the land he loves mountain biking on was the future site of Newhall Land Development LLC’s 21,000-home development, he decided to take action the one way he knew how: with his photography.

The 19-year-old Newhall resident made four post cards to fight what he says is the destruction of a beautiful landscape.

“All art is political in some way or another,” said the lanky, red-haired young man. “The land out there is really beautiful, and I don’t want to see it encroached upon.”

The developer argued that much of the land would remain preserved as open space, but Gohlich said he doesn’t see the need for a new development in the first place.

Gohlich said he first became interested in the land’s rich oil history, and then learned about the Native Americans who traversed that area that would later become cattle-ranching Newhall Land.

He created four postcards depicting the rolling hills south of Highway 126 and west of Interstate 5, the site of the future Newhall Ranch. Los Angeles County approved the master-planned community in 2003, and an environmental report was prepared.

On the back of the postcards, Gohlich labels the photo “Future Site: Newhall Ranch Development” and quotes the report’s sterile language: “Consistent with the findings of the Newhall Ranch Specific Plan Program EIR, significant unavoidable impacts would occur with respect to the loss of sensitive animal species, loss of coastal sage scrub, the overall loss of wildlife habitat and increased human and domestic animal presence.”

The display, titled “Unlocking the Productivity of the Land,” was on exhibit at CalArts last week. Gohlich borrowed the title from a speech given by James F. Dickason, a former chief executive of Newhall Land.

Santa Clarita Organization for Planning and the Environment President Lynne Plambeck said for a resident like Gohlich to research a project and take action like this is “a dream.”

The organization Plambeck leads, which is also known as SCOPE, was formed 22 years ago to “promote, protect and preserve the environment of the Santa Clarita Valley,” according to its website.

“The postcards look like something you’d buy in a cafe or at a diner, but at the same time, it has this great meaning,” Plambeck said.

Gohlich said the concept behind his postcard project is that it creates a new value and identity for a place. What one sees as a great site for a future housing development, he sees as a historical, scenic area.

He said he’s not sure what he’ll do next with his postcards, or whether he’ll take his anti-development fight any further.

Newhall Land spokeswoman Marlee Lauffer pointed out that much of the land Gohlich is fighting for will remain the same, since 8,000 of the project’s 12,000 acres will be designated open space. That’s a lot of land that the public doesn’t have access to now, Lauffer said.

And about that: Any mountain biking Gohlich was doing on the property is illegal, since it’s private property. And Newhall Land does prosecute, she said.

“It’s a working ranch,” she said. “We don’t want anyone on there getting hurt.”

Gohlich and Lauffer haven’t spoken to one another, but Gohlich said that would be “an interesting conversation.”

“I invite him to learn more about the project,” Lauffer said. “What we’re doing is creating something that will stand the test of time like Valencia has. People like him can find a place to live, a place to work, and a great quality of life.”