In response to “Dozens of Residents Voice Concerns Over Proposed Camping at Puerco Canyon” published on July 5.
Thank you for your continuing coverage about Malibu residents’ grave concerns regarding the proposed overnight camping and cooking development at the Cameron Nature Preserve on Puerco Canyon (located above Malibu Seafood, near Latigo Canyon, Malibu Country Estates, Corral Canyon, Malibu Jewish Center and Pepperdine University).
But since you mentioned that the campsite was designed for inner city youth, we would like to correct that assumption.
A handful of residents were sent a Notice of Preparation (NOP) of a draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) by the Mountains Recreation Conservation Authority (MRCA) asking us to submit CEQA concerns about the proposed Puerco Canyon overnight camping and cooking development project but the NOP made no mention of inner city youth, foster youth, youth from the Department of Child and Family Services, underserved youth, or Opportunity Youth, as your article in The Malibu Times implied.
But if you walk up Puerco Canyon this week, you will see that the MRCA is allowing a huge film shoot in the Cameron Nature Preserve on Puerco with 120 people, squibs, blanks, guns and enormous vehicles.
The LA Film office says the MRCA is exempt from needing a film permit from them. Should the Malibu city attorney approve an insurance policy in case disaster strikes due to the filming?
The preserve is just above the city but what happens at the preserve affects the city.
Does the city have any authority over this risk? To get to the preserve, all vehicles have to drive a mile-and-a-half through ESHA to the location.
The MRCA had a three-month exemption to a Conditional Use Permit but that ended in June.
The Malibu City Council and staff sent a phenomenal and very comprehensive letter to the MRCA (bit.ly/PuercoMalibuResponse).
If you submitted a letter to Mario at the MRCA, please take a moment to also send it to ebhpch@aol.com so there is an archive of all of your contributions. When the MRCA presents their Draft EIR, Malibu residents and City Council will only have 45 days to respond.
Julie Hoffman