Babbitt’s Stance on Ahmanson Disappoints

Just as the Democrats have the opportunity to provide fairly sane policies and a positive vision for America as an alternative to things like President Bush’s environmental, energy and public lands policies, former President Clinton reemerges in Hong Kong cheer-leading for corporate globalization, while former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt is running interference for a major development at Ahmanson Ranch, just over the Ventura County line (June 30). This area has crucial native grasslands, delicate headwaters of the Los Angeles River and of Malibu Creek and is the key wildlife corridor between the Santa Susana and the Santa Monica mountains.

In comparison to Interior Secretary Gale Norton, I long for Babbitt to still be heading the Interior Department. But it shows that Democratic policies, such as getting around the Endangered Species Act through use of habitat conservation plans on corporate lands, definitely aid land developers. We already have the controversially sited Soka University campus near Malibu Creek State Park. We certainly don’t need to destroy at least as vital a wildlife area, which contains an endangered spineflower plant, at Ahmanson Ranch.

Bruce Campbell

Los Angeles