March Will Protest 2 Big Projects in the Area

Opponents of the billion-dollar Ahmanson Ranch project in Ventura County and the DreamWorks movie studio in Playa del Rey will hold a four-day protest march through Los Angeles County beginning today.

Sponsored by the Sierra Club, the second annual Earth, Water, Air--L.A. march will begin at the entrance to Bell Canyon Park off Vanowen Street in West Hills, just across the Ventura-Los Angeles county line from the Ahmanson Ranch property.

Participants will set off at 9 a.m. and weave through the hills and pastoral open spaces before ending at the Ballona Wetlands in Playa del Rey on Tuesday.

“It’s all to raise awareness about the value of these treasures that are now in jeopardy,” said Vince Curtis, a member of Save Open Space, the organization that has spearheaded opposition to the sprawling Ahmanson Ranch development.

The project is to include 3,050 homes, a retail center, resort hotel and two golf courses.

Curtis said this year’s trek has added significance because of recent events that have moved the Ahmanson proposal closer to reality.

Several months ago, Ahmanson Land Co. reached an agreement with entertainer Bob Hope for the final two properties needed as open space before developers could pull permits to begin grading.

Additionally, organizers hope the event will send a strong message to Ahmanson’s new parent company, Washington Mutual, that the project should be dropped.

Opponents want the more than 5,000 acres in question left undeveloped to protect the area’s flora and fauna and to provide a buffer between the San Fernando Valley and Ventura County.

Opponents--who have lost past legal battles over the project--vow to file a new lawsuit when developers formally seek permits to extend roads into the project. Ahmanson officials said they have not yet filed for permits, but may do so soon.

In addition to protesting the Ahmanson Ranch project, the trek is also being organized to call attention to the plight of Ballona Wetlands, after plans were announced to build a DreamWorks SKG movie studio there.

In addition to the trek, which will take participants through some of the more scenic areas of Los Angeles County, there will be seminars and short lectures on the need to preserve the area’s dwindling natural preserves.

Today’s kickoff will include a free breakfast, music, public comments and information about efforts to safeguard Southern California’s ecological preserves.

“It’s an important event that I think will call attention to the kind of situation we’re facing right now,” said Mary Weisbrock of Save Open Space.

For information on the four-day event, call (310) 457-0300.