Guest Column: ESHA Camping Could Spell Disaster

0
216
Letter to the Editor

Dear Supervisor Kuehl:

There are a number of us aware of your proposal, suggested by the Coastal Commission, to allow overnight camping in ESHA areas of the Santa Monica Mountains and I urge you to withdraw it. While coastal is tinkering with the language, it has already been decided in the case of Ramirez Canyon Preservation v. California Coastal Commission and LA County that: “The Commission’s determination that the LCP’s provisions for low-impact campgrounds will not permit the significant disruption of ESHA resources is incorrect as a matter of law.” [Emphasis added] 

Your fans and constituents, on both sides of the Santa Monica Mountains, simply don’t understand why you, as an avowed environmentalist, would even consider such a provision potentially putting at risk the holy grail of ESHA. We are hoping that you will now focus on the implications of this amendment, which will no doubt be the subject of potential litigation if approved by the commission.

Among the things to consider are the following:

LA County has already tried to do this with an amendment to their local coastal plan, which the coastal commission approved. As mentioned above, the issue of camping in ESHA was litigated by those in Ramirez Canyon in the case of Ramirez Canyon Preservation Fund v. the California Coastal Commission. In that case, the judge ended his 17-page reasoned opinion in essence saying that such activity is against the Coastal Act. Simple as that. Coastal and the MRCA are attempting to get around the hard fought victory of Ramirez. Don’t let them!

How can LA County even consider such an amendment when over 400 homes in Malibu alone were destroyed by the Woolsey Fire, much less structures and environmental resources in the mountains and in communities in your district on the other side of the hill. The lives of hundreds of people and businesses were impacted for years to come. How does this amendment, which increases the likelihood of fire, advance anyone’s interests?

This is a veiled attempt to get around the public outcry over the attempts of the MRCA to build a camping facility with 12 campsites and a commercial kitchen in Puerco Canyon in Malibu. It is no doubt their desire to head off any problem with the environmental impact report, which is already months overdue.

What’s the rush? Why change things even before ESHA can recover from the dramatic damage done to it by Woolsey.

LA County was overwhelmed and unable to adequately respond to Woolsey. At your and others’ urging, the county is spending substantial resources and time coming up with a better plan to address these issues and respond to such a fire. Why add to the risk before the county gets a rational plan in place? It makes no sense.

There are plenty of safe camping spots that are well managed and authorized in the Santa Monica Mountains, so it’s not like anyone wants to prevent the public from camping; we just want it done safely.

The Ramirez judge stated in his opinion that the Santa Monica Mountains is covered with chaparral which “…is one of the most volatile fuel types in the world, and the mountains and surrounding communities are considered to be among the most fire-prone landscapes in North America. The entire Santa Monica Mountains coastal zone is as a ‘Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone” because of long, dry summer seasons, frequent ‘Santa Ana’ winds, dense vegetation that provides fuel for fire, steep canyon and hillside terrain, inappropriate development siting and design, and often inadequate road access.” [emphasis added] Why threaten that resource, which can be appreciated by hikers, by allowing camping in such areas? The amendment is tempting fate and could again cause incredible LA County resources to be used to defend all of the areas of the beautiful Santa Monica Mountains that have not yet burned.

Supervisor Kuehl, we are counting on you as our elected representative, to do the right thing and withdraw your sponsorship of this dangerous and ill thought out amendment.