Plans to Restore the Ballona Wetlands
Alexander Cockburn’s Jan. 9 Column Left, “Ballona and the Folly of Wealthy Men,†keeps pushing the false idea that Maguire Thomas Partners construction will “wipe out the last remaining large wetland complex in Los Angeles County . . . 1,000 more acres of California’s rapidly disappearing wetlands will vanish under concrete.†In fact, there are only 188 acres of delineated wetlands at Ballona. Not a thousand. There never were. There never will be. Maguire Thomas has agreed to restore and protect 190 acres of salt marsh, 34 acres of freshwater marsh, 25 acres of riparian habitat in a corridor along Centinela Creek and 48 acres of upland and bluff-side dunes. This is 297 acres of habitat--far greater than the publicly delineated wetlands.
The DreamWorks site is not a sensitive wetland habitat. It has been used commercially for the past 60 years: The Spruce Goose was built and stored there.
Opponents say the wetlands will be fine if we leave them alone. Not so: Every day they degrade more. Only with the $12.5 million Maguire Thomas has promised for the restoration will the Ballona Wetlands be “saved.†This money will provide improved tide gates to restore tidal flow into the wetlands, and pay for the planting of 30,000 native plants in the wetlands. Now, exotic weed species, such as ice plant, crowd out native vegetation every day.
If Cockburn wants to save the Ballona Wetlands, he should stop slinging mud and join the ongoing restoration activities.
The battle to save the Ballona Wetlands has been won. Now we have to get off our pedestals and do the work.
JENNIFER LIEBELER
Volunteer Coordinator
Friends of Ballona Wetlands
Los Angeles
* Thank you so much for printing this column. It so well articulates how the rich (DreamWorks SKG) get favors from those in power to benefit themselves.
A couple of months ago, holding a sign, I sat on a bulldozer that was destroying these wetlands and was arrested for trespassing. Let me say that the two days I spent in jail was not a pretty experience. Spiritually it was worth it to get my message out to all who are affected. “Environmental awareness or environmental death.â€
I pray we can leave the Ballona Wetlands as they are now.
VALERIE SKLAREVSKY
Malibu
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