Mountains Conservancy

Director of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy Joseph Edmiston is a missionary with a muddled mission. It certainly is not benefiting the public’s interest very much (Ventura County Perspective Interview, July 11).

Edmiston claims the conservancy is too poor to operate its 80,000-plus acres. Even at a conservative market value of $100,000 per acre, this comes to $8 billion. Because the conservancy is tax-exempt, this means the public is losing about $100 million of property tax dollars because the land is in the conservancy’s hands rather than private hands.

The conservancy’s top priority is not to maintain the land. . . . If you look at the $326,000 it just got to run the place, this amounts to about $4 per acre. Maybe it should sell off some properties so as to have funds to maintain the rest.

One big problem with the low priority for maintenance is that fire prevention in the form of brush clearance is almost nonexistent. It’s too bad the conservancy claims it wants to protect the wildlife and plant life, but keeps vast expanses of explosive brushland that could easily incinerate thousands.

Although the conservancy is a government agency, it does not allow the public to enjoy multiple uses of the land, including the Streisand mansion headquarters. It’s motto seems to be more “keep out” than “come in.”

Los Angeles and Ventura counties have vast government land holdings, including state and federal parks. The conservancy can’t show that it’s doing any better public service than these. Maybe it’s time to fold the conservancy into the state parks system. Then it could become subject to regular public oversight.

CARL OLSON, Woodland Hills