Consider Citizens in Wetlands Debate

* Stephen D. Anderson’s letter, “Wetlands Future Should Be on Ballot” (Feb. 6), talks about the property rights of the developers and how they are being “obstructed.”

These developers who live off in gated areas in their huge estates need to have their property rights “obstructed” when they come into our town and try to jam a massive high-density housing project down our throats. What about the rights of the rest of the nearby homeowners in Huntington Beach who don’t want the added traffic congestion and pollution?

In suggesting that the issue be put to a vote, Anderson knows full well that in the present depressed economic conditions any tax bill will go down to certain defeat. And Anderson conveniently ignores the fact that the present Huntington Beach City Council was elected to do exactly what they are doing--trying to keep the developers from building on wetlands that could be easily restored. (Look what was done at the Talbert Marsh.)

Since the Bolsa Chica wetlands is nationally known, and is a stopover for migrating birds on the Pacific Flyway, its importance certainly extends beyond the city limits of Huntington Beach.

I urge our City Council to stay its course and to continue to seek funds for its purchase--nationally, statewide, countywide; government or private!

More than 90% of California’s wetlands have already been destroyed by “progress.” Those of us in Orange County who care about our quality of life must do everything in our power to fight off any and all attempts by the money-worshipers to destroy the very few parcels of coastal wetlands left.

JAMES R. GALLAGHER

Huntington Beach

* I share the concern of the majority of the Huntington Beach City Council about the lack of public hearings on the proposed development of the Bolsa Chica wetlands. County government recently attempted to exclude Huntington Beach from public hearings regarding bridges across the Santa Ana River at Banning and Garfield. Only at the insistence of the Huntington Beach City Council were hearings rescheduled for Huntington Beach.

I suspect that county government was not pleased to have publicly displayed how out-of-step they were with citizens and taxpayers.

The county’s position on the Bolsa Chica is evident. Their problem now is to effect the plan as quickly as possible to minimize the public opposition.

They intend to make technical compliance with the law regarding public hearings. They will allow public input only in writing and only if submitted by Feb. 18. They will conduct public hearings in a setting that they control. They will schedule public hearings at a time and a place as inconvenient for concerned citizens and taxpayers as possible. While the bureaucrats attend these meetings on the county’s payroll and park free, citizens and taxpayers use vacation time to attend, and pay the county about $10 to park.

JOHN F. SCOTT

Huntington Beach