River Appreciation

Thanks for the excellent two-piece feature on the Ventura River by Joanna Miller. The articles are a fine example of diligent journalism. Despite keeping in close personal touch with the Ventura River situation, I still learned new details from Miller’s reporting.

It is hoped that her articles and the efforts of local environmental groups will result in a major shift in the city of Ventura’s thinking about the Ventura River. In this time of heightened ecological awareness, it is remarkable that city officials do not see the river first and foremost as a valuable feature that could add greatly to the local quality of life, if managed in an enlightened way.

LLOYD F. KIFF

Camarillo

Lloyd Kiff is director of the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology.