People, Wildlife Clash
The Times is quick to blame environmentalists for the flooding during recent storms and the unwillingness of our public protectors of the environment to bulldoze the brush and trees out of the river and out of the storm channels.
By definition, a flood plain will flood in a storm. And there is a growing body of evidence that the destruction of natural stream beds and the construction of flood channels creates more problems than they solve. Concrete channels speed up the flow of water, create more erosion problems, prevent ground-water recharge.
My heart goes out to the people whose homes and businesses were damaged during the storms. But if blame for their misfortune is going to be levied, blame those who permitted the channeling of streams and construction on the flood plains so they could have more buildable land and maximize their profits or local tax revenues.
Don’t blame those who are trying hard to protect the few remnants we have left of our native eco-systems.
DOROTHY GREEN
Founding President
Heal the Bay
Los Angeles
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