Rincon Grading Project

* For more than three weeks the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), under the guise of cleaning out a storm drain, has been bulldozing a large section of the Rincon Coast. Press coverage indicates that the work [was started] without any permits and that the county of Ventura considers the work to be simply repairs. Anyone driving along the Rincon can see that the work involves something radically more than clearing out a drain under the Rincon freeway.

Hundreds of truckloads of dirt have been hauled away, leaving a massive scar on the Rincon foothills in clear view of the Rincon freeway and Pacific Coast Highway. This scar of raw dirt extends completely across the canyon mouth and up the ridge, more than 150 feet above the freeway. The possibility of successfully revegetating this wound is remote, if not impossible, because of the near-vertical slopes that are being cut into the canyon walls. The possibility of mudslides blocking the Rincon freeway during the winter has been increased, rather than reduced, as a result of this unpermitted work.

The Rincon freeway provides one of the most scenic coastal vistas in Southern California, with undeveloped coastal hills on the inland side and clear views of the Channel Islands on the seaward side of the freeway. Travelers between Los Angeles and San Francisco are now witnessing a major violation of an important part of the California coast.

The county’s refusal to require any review of this project does a disservice to the residents of all of Ventura County and to one of the county’s most scenic coastal areas. When voters approved the landmark California Coastal Act, it was just this kind of treasure they intended to protect. The Coastal Commission’s efforts to halt this abuse should be commended and supported by all the citizens of Ventura County who care about the preservation of this coastline.

YVON CHOUINARD

Ventura