Land Encircles the Mountains
In reference to “Gift of Land to Save Money for Developer” (Times Valley Edition, Sept. 7), it is important to correct the characterization of the subject property.
The report on the proposed Ritter Ranch 6,000-acre public space dedication southwest of Palmdale incorrectly refers to the property as desert.
The property encompasses the bulk of the eastern Sierra Pelona Mountains, a range that exceeds 5,000 feet and looms over the floor of the Antelope Valley. It has woodlands, shrub lands, meadows and grasslands--a unique blend of plant communities that characterizes a mountain ecosystem between coastal and desert ranges. Such marked geological and ecological transitions account for much the diversity and drama in the California landscape.
PAUL EDELMAN
Conservancy staff ecologist
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