Golf Course Agreement

Re “Agreement Reached on 183-Acre Golf Course Plan,” March 4.

It was a relief to read that the developers of a new golf course in the Tierra Rejada area have made an effort, as Paul Edelman of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy states, to have “minimal effect on the environment.” But then the article ends by saying the course will include “artificial lakes, waterfalls and a stream.”

While the course will supposedly have “wildlife-friendly fences,” I wonder how wildlife-friendly it will actually be.

Lakes on a golf course can be hazards for more than the players. The developers should realize that water will attract waterfowl, including flocks of coots, which some people find a nuisance. Will course managers ultimately resort to the shotgun slaughters used by Wood Ranch Golf Club and others to control the numbers of birds they have attracted?

Let’s hope the developers have considered all the consequences of adding water to their course and plan to make their project a cruelty-free one. If not, then how about having a truly minimal effect on the environment and omitting the artificial lakes?

JENNIFER COLLOPY, Simi Valley