Mining Big Sur

Will they stop at nothing? Every time we turn around, another beauty of our state is being destroyed for the sake of “progress” and money . Why must our environment suffer, especially our wildlife, every time someone like Stephen Woolpert gets a wild hair--and dollar signs in his eyes?

We are tired of the overdevelopment of our state, which is happening so rapidly that it seems no corner will be left untouched. It goes from the San Diego area to Thousand Oaks, on up our state. But this latest attack goes too far: what they are proposing in Big Sur is just unthinkable.

As native Californians, we ask to be left a haven to visit that has not been developed as a result of overcrowding or dollar signs in eager entrepreneurs’ eyes. Some places should remain to remind us of what this state once was: an unparalleled stretch of land with every conceivable terrain, including places of incredible beauty and majesty that once seemed beyond time and man.

We’d love to hear answers to the following questions: Is Stephen Woolpert a native Californian? Does he have a true love for our state? Our guess is no on both counts. It seems that the only love he could have for green is money.

We are saddened by this proposal and hope that anyone who has the power to influence the outcome of this decision will think to spend three or four days in the area that would be affected. If they would, we know that Big Sur would be safe.

JENNIFER & FRANKDE LA TORRE

Thousand Oaks

MARIANNE & TOM KLARAS

San Juan Capistrano

ALBA ARBOLEDA

Thousand Oaks