Following the devastating Woolsey Fire, a controversial item regarding overnight camping in the Santa Monica Mountains went before the Board of Supervisors and received a huge response from the Malibu community.
Julie Ellerton, The Malibu Times multimedia director, went around Malibu to ask the following question: What do you think about overnight camping being approved in the Santa Monica Mountains?
Here are their responses.
Editor’s note: Responses have been edited and condensed for clarity.
Ty Whitney
“I think it’s a really bad idea. People can go to the parks and everything but I think overnight camping is really crazy. Especially in the Santa Monica Mountains … No, no it’s bad, because of fire, it’s too dangerous. Right now, all of the overnight camping is real close to the ocean so if a fire starts, when the Santa Anas blow, the fire goes towards the ocean but anything up there, [points to the Santa Monica Mountains] is going to blow this way, right into Malibu. Overnight camping.”
Ava Wagner
“I am extremely disappointed by this decision and I am concerned about the environmental impact this will have, as well as concerned for the public’s safety. There are not sufficient facilities or supervision for campers and, without supervision, those visitors pose a risk to themselves, to ESHAs and to residents.”
Bill Kerbox
“I think it’s insane. I hike at Puerco Canyon and it’s so dry up there and the problem is, you let people go up there camping, they will light fires. They will smoke, they’ll light fires, fireworks, who knows? Who wants to be responsible for that? It’s not a good place. It’s an idealist thing, ‘Oh, we want to have camping for everybody.’ Great; there’s plenty of camping in LA but we don’t need it in Malibu mountains. One mistake up there, it’s a disaster for Malibu. You know what? Put a tent up in your backyard.”
Wailani O’Herlihy
“I think it’s very negligent because there’s people that come from out of town and they’ll start fires and then put them out. And I think that this is high fire ground right now, especially since we had the fire before all the brush came up and now it’s tinder. It’s not good for the City of Malibu or the people of Malibu.”
Bianca Torrence
“I’m very disappointed about the decision. I just found out and I can’t believe it. I think it’s not right.”
Mikke Pierson
“I think the decision by the board of supervisors is frustrating and confusing. The Santa Monica Mountains is a very high fire danger zone and to allow unsupervised camping simply defies logic in my opinion. The 2007 Corral fire proved that more than we should ever need proof again with over 50 homes burned. I think we all are in favor of the general mission of public access in the Santa Monica Mountains—it’s a jewel and people should enjoy it, but it needs to be done the right way.”
