Disney’s Habitat Plans Draw Criticism

I was sickened and saddened to read about the county adopting a recommendation by the California Fish and Game Department to kill red foxes and cowbirds as a condition to building Disney’s 650-unit time-share condominium project (“O.C. Time-Share Plan Involves Animal-Killing to Save Birds’ Habitat,” Feb. 22). It’s all based on saving the gnatcatcher? I think not. What’s killing gnatcatchers and all the other little animals is man’s greed. The more I read about the California Fish and Game Department, I see them favoring the developers and their big bucks.

Apparently, Disney is going to grade a 76-acre site to create another “Fantasyland” (just what we need) of Italian-like villas and canals on the hillsides and wilderness areas on the Newport Coast. In return, it will create a 14.7-acre site for a gnatcatcher habitat. With this massive development, I would be very surprised to see any bird ground-nesting in such an area.

State biologists claim that the red foxes don’t adapt well to being relocated. We all know the removal of the fox family on the (Costa Mesa) Freeway to the Santa Ana Zoo hasn’t hindered their existence. The Laguna Coast Wilderness Park should be quite accommodating to those animals.

Nature has faced destruction from the October, 1993, fire and man’s encroachment into its habitat. The fox and the predatory birds should be spared and left to nature to take its course.

L. GIBBS

Laguna Beach

* Disney, also known as “Greedyland” has once again managed to wreak “eco havoc.”

Why, I wonder, can’t Disney pay to relocate the foxes and cowbirds instead of exterminating them. Disney projects are only motivated by the staggering greed of Michael Eisner et. al. Let’s save the foxes. They too have a place in the environment.

Surely the Disney project will do more to destroy the gnatcatcher habitat than several foxes!

JOAN RICHARDSON

San Clemente