Good-Looking Deal for Wetlands ‘Gem’ : Much of imperiled Bolsa Chica would be saved

The federal government says that in the last two centuries California has lost more than 90% of its wetlands, the most of any state. Draining, dredging, filling, all have taken their toll of a critical part of the environment, one that helps control floods, build soil nutrients and provide habitat for imperiled species.

In Southern California, the crown jewel of wetlands is considered to be Bolsa Chica, more than 1,000 acres along Pacific Coast Highway, next to the Orange County community of Huntington Beach. Only 300 of those acres are protected in a state ecological reserve. The rest is in private hands.

Last week’s announcement that the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are willing to buy about 75% of the Bolsa Chica wetlands and have it restored is welcome news indeed.

In exchange for the purchase and restoration, the ports would receive federal mitigation credits that could be used to satisfy environmental requirements for their future development. The current property owner would give up 800 homes it had permission to build and would receive nearly $62 million in return.

Restoring the wetlands is important; they are badly degraded, and without the deal they undoubtedly would deteriorate further.

By contrast, the U.S. Senate is considering sweeping wetlands legislation, similar to that already passed by the House, that would significantly degrade and in some cases destroy wetlands across the country.

The Bolsa Chica proposal still has many hurdles to clear, and public agencies must be careful not to be overly generous to the two ports. In the past, we have supported agreements that balanced economics and the environment. Gov. Pete Wilson proposed a similar type of compromise between a developer and environmentalists more than a year ago in letting property owners set aside habitat for rare animals, birds and plants in exchange for speedier approval to develop the rest of their land. The Clinton Administration embraced Wilson’s proposal.

These sorts of plans reflect reality. Several years ago, an environmental report on Bolsa Chica concluded that the ideal solution was no development at all. But it noted, significantly, that there was no money to buy the property from the developers.

Environmental groups hope the latest proposal will save all the wetlands. It is certainly a step. Their next target is the adjacent mesa property, where the developer still can build. Over the years, the developer has cut the number of proposed homes at Bolsa Chica from more than 4,800 to 2,500. If someone steps forward to buy the mesa as well, the entire tract could remain open land.