Much of California’s coast may be pristine, but the fight to save it hasn’t ended

To the editor: Thanks to Steve Lopez and The Times for recounting the history of preservation of our 1,100-mile California coastline. His column on Sunday is a template for stories up and down the coast — just change the names, dates and photos, and you have what’s happening now. (“Why California’s northern coast doesn’t look like Atlantic City,” July 25)

There are several projects underway that would harm the environment and marine life, limit access to our beaches and negatively impact fishing, to name a few. Two such projects are the Banning Ranch development in Newport Beach and the Poseidon desalination project in Huntington Beach.

The Coastal Commission will consider these projects, which promote irresponsible growth and will likely increase local water rates, in September. The only democratic aspect of these projects is that we all get to pay for them in some way, regardless of whether or not we use them or receive any benefit from them.

Pat Goodman, Huntington Beach

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To the editor: I want to commend Lopez on his excellent series about our exquisite California coastline and why it’s not like the eastern shore, with its looming high-rise hotels.

I came here from New York 40 years ago, and while I will always love the beauty of the Hudson River Valley, east coast beaches are nothing compared to our unique California coast. We have a treasure that we must cherish and save from development.

Adrienne Kaplan, Long Beach

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