Readers React: It’s either California’s mountain lions or more development. Choose wisely

To the editor: I have been actively involved in wildlife habitat organizations for more than 25 years and am shocked that once again, the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), an out-of-state gadfly organization, is taking an end-run around local politicians. (“California’s mighty predator — the mountain lion — faces ‘extinction vortex,’” June 25) Seizing on this “hot button” issue is a ruse. Lion habitat cannot be improved in SoCal without the removal of already existing housing and roadways.

The evidence is very clear that the existing habitat is not capable of supporting a healthy lion population and the denial of further housing development projects will not remedy that problem. Tell that homeless man under the bridge, or that single mother living out of her car, or that young immigrant family of six paying $1,500 a month for a one-bedroom apartment that we don’t need more housing because CBD thinks they know better from their office chairs hundreds of miles away.

Mike Post, Winnetka

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Were there a 1 in 4 chance that a flight would be crashed by severe weather, no property developer would board the plane.

Given the same odds that Southern California mountain lions will go extinct, a lawyer for the developers squeals that giving the big cats protective status will raise the cost of building new housing in nature’s blast furnaces.

After the Camp fire burnt Paradise to the ground and claimed 85 lives, honest persons won’t pretend the new normal climate doesn’t exist.

Michael Jelf, Lomita

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