Briefly in the news

The California Coastal Commission on Tuesday approved a plan to

restore the wetlands of Bolsa Chica by digging a channel across the state

beach.

The $100-million proposal to revive the 1,200 acres has received a

warm welcome from most environmentalists, who insist that opening the

area up to the ocean is the only way to restore grasses and help the

wetlands flourish.

A notable exception has been members of the Surfrider Foundation, who

have questioned how the beach could be protected from runoff and

pollution coming from the inlet and wondered about the effects of any

jetties built to border the channel.

The plan, which still needs approval by a trio of state and federal

agencies, is tentatively set to begin in 2003 and take about three years.

Bolsa Chica, home to a number of endangered species and rare plants,

has been cut off from the nearby salt water for 100 years.