Cockburn on Bolsa Chica Wetlands Deal

Re Alexander Cockburn’s Feb. 28 commentary, decrying the recent agreement between the landowners and governmental agencies to restore the Bolsa Chica wetlands:

Cockburn’s premise is that the Koll Co., in selling the lands to be restored to the state of California, somehow pulled the wool over the eyes of environmental regulators and taxpayers.

As it is the federal government’s policy to preserve and restore wetlands and endangered species, who should bear the cost of this noble objective? Cockburn would apparently have the wetlands seized by the state to forward the cause of environmental quality. If there is a public good, there is necessarily a public cost.

STEVEN W. ROSS

Newport Beach

Cockburn’s commentary was inaccurate and misleading. The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, in exchange for providing the majority of the $90 million (not $104 million, as Cockburn claimed) in funding for this project, will receive mitigation credits allowing the ports to expand. But these credits can only be used for projects that minimize environmental impacts. The areas affected by the ports’ expansion plans are deep-water marine habitat, not wetlands.

State and federal environmental agencies determined years ago that restoration of coastal wetlands, which provide essential habitat for fish, birds and other wildlife, was the best way to offset the environmental impacts of port projects. Completed restoration projects in Upper Newport Bay, Seal Beach and most recently, the Batiquitos Lagoon project, have proven the effectiveness of this approach.

Cockburn suggests that federal law would have prohibited any development of the wetlands, so paying $25 million for acquisition was unduly generous. Unfortunately, he neglects the fact that the property was independently appraised at $31 million based on its value as a potential habitat mitigation site.

While this complex deal among federal, state and private entities is not a perfect one, it does provide a mechanism for restoring one of the largest remaining degraded coastal wetland systems in Southern California. The ports will be allowed to build economically beneficial projects that pass environmental muster, while providing funds to offset habitat losses. Contamination of the wetlands will be cleaned up by the responsible parties under government oversight. The landowner receives fair compensation. Fish, wildlife and the public will benefit from restoration of this invaluable coastal wetlands. A clear win for all species.

ROBERT S. HOFFMAN, So. Cal.

Environmental Coordinator

National Marine Fisheries Service

JACK FANCHER

Assistant Field Supervisor

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

ALEXIS STRAUSS

Water Division Director

U.S. EPA, San Francisco