Needless Destruction

I believe that Thousand Oaks is negligent in protecting its ecological balance.

I base my opinion on the continuous destruction of a 20-million-year-old stream system that supplied our community and surrounding area with habitat for golden eagles, red tail hawks, condors, white marsh crane, great horned owls, mallard ducks, migrating geese, bobcat, raccoon, opossum, coyote, fox, rabbit, squirrels, crawfish, toads, frogs, turtles, mosquito larvae-eating fish, ladybugs, praying mantis and green lacewing.

If the list seems to diminish in importance as it gets to the end, consider the fact that the green lacewing eats many times its weight in harmful insects daily.

All of God’s creation was in harmony in this stream system.

The spring that once fed the stream still flows, but it never gets beyond the cement-lined ditch the county created.

During the past 12 years, since this needless destruction occurred, I have asked many state, county and city officials to look what they have done.

I have hoped they would remove the cement and quit spraying poison, allowing the stream to live and rebuild itself.

But giving nature a chance has not been on the agenda.

Having air to breathe and water to drink is too expensive.

Why should we leave any part of the earth to our children? What have they done for us lately?

Ask yourself, where will man be when nature is no more?

JAMES NICHOLS, Thousand Oaks