Another Agency Won’t Help Santa Ana River

Re “River’s Stature Is Rising,” April 12:

Your article failed to mention a number of pertinent facts and issues surrounding the proposed creation of a Santa Ana River Conservancy, which would compete for the same funds that are used by the local agencies which currently are working to eradicate the invasive weed arundo and by those agencies that are providing the habitat restoration described in the Prado wetlands.

Assembly Bill 49 would create a new agency which cannot manage or control the regulatory activities of the three existing federal agencies and the 16 state and local agencies that deal with the Santa Ana watershed. It does create an agency which can sue the other agencies.

A report by the state legislative analyst’s office on conservancies suggests that the creation of the Santa Ana River Conservancy would be wasteful and that a better use of resources might be to support conservation efforts among local agencies. The governance of this proposed entity is convoluted with a majority of its proposed board appointed by Sacramento politicians.

With these issues in mind, the Orange County Board of Supervisors, the San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor Agency, the Foothills/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency and the Orange County Water District have all voted to oppose the creation of this conservancy.

The article cites the possible extension of the Orange Freeway as reason for opposition to the bill. It failed to say that the proposal to extend the 57 Freeway will have no impact on water flows in the river. In fact, I have suggested that OCTA evaluate an underground extension so as to reduce the noise and aesthetic impacts. Also, your reporter failed to point out that the author of the bill lives in a gated estate community directly adjacent to the river.

Bill Campbell

Orange County Supervisor,

3rd District