Letters to the editor: Animal overpass too costly; foolish Trump supporters
Wildlife overpasses too expensive
Assemblymember Laura Friedman advocates building animal crossings to save the lives of many native species in our suburban-wildlands interface area. I support that. And the killing of endangered mountain lions on our freeways and roads is beyond sad and unacceptable.
She lists a number of options: “improving existing culverts or installing directional fencing … also overpasses and underpasses.” All these could give our suburban wildlife better access to wilder areas and expand their genetic health.
The least advisable one in my view is the one getting all the attention — overpasses. They will be striking, dramatic, in full view, signs of our laudable commitments to a healthier environment.
However, they are extremely expensive — $60 million-plus for the massive one being constructed over the 101 Freeway at Liberty Canyon. It would be the largest ever built. And they will cost many more millions to keep animal-friendly vegetation on them and human intruders off.
We might better spend money on much less costly underpasses, clearing and expanding existing ones through culverts, storm drains, and washes that animals may already use. These are less visible and less attractive to human intruders. It’s true that animals do follow traditional pathways. However, new underpasses built nearby may entice animals to use them.
We also have to acknowledge that all improved crossings will enable wilder, healthier animals to enter into our suburban areas, exposing them to poisons, traps, and human interference. We have to continue to try to eliminate them.
Attempts to remedy our damages to the environment are costly, complicated, and may be very site specific — not one remedy fits all. This is the challenge of fixing our planet: Will our remediations work? Are they cost effective? What unforeseen consequences will they cause?
Robert Chianese, Ventura
Gullible Trump supporters
About two weeks ago Trump and those who unthinkingly parrot his lines were loudly proclaiming the FBI “planted” documents seized in the course of executing the search warrant a Trump-appointed Federal Magistrate Judge found probable cause to issue.
Today, he and the same parrots are loudly demanding the FBI be ordered to return the very same documents he previously claimed were “planted.”
Anyone wonder why the best that can be said of remaining Trump supporters is that they are gullible?
Ira Cohen, Thousand Oaks
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Letters: Animal overpass too costly; foolish Trump supporters
