A Wilderness at Our Doorstep

For 55 miles in Ventura County, Sespe Creek flows through a large wilderness virtually on the doorstep of the nation’s second most-populous metropolitan area. The Sespe crosses the California Condor Sanctuary and is considered the best native trout stream in Southern California. In testimony to Congress, Alasdair Coyne of the Keep the Sespe Wild Committee said: “When wandering along the river, enjoying complete quiet and undeveloped surroundings, it is hard to believe that downtown Los Angeles is only 75 miles away.”

The committee wants all 55 miles of the Sespe placed in the national wild and scenic rivers system as part of a Los Padres National Forest wilderness bill now before Congress. The original U.S. Forest Service proposal was to leave three stretches open to possible dam construction even though the service classified 51 miles of the stream as having “outstandingly remarkable values.” Rep. Robert J. Lagomarsino (R-Ojai) has overcome opposition of some local interests to sponsor a bill that would protect the middle reach of the stream, but leave upper and lower ends open to water development.

The bill would be strengthened under a proposal by Rep. Mel Levine (D-Santa Monica) to set aside the Cold Springs Reservoir site on the upper portion of the creek for further study of wilderness classification. Any dams seem impractical and uneconomic, and there are no specific proposals at the moment. Ideally, there should be no such construction on the Sespe. But it is important to achieve now whatever protection is politically possible.