The fire prevention plan is ‘against’ with oil spills

To the editor: Los Angeles County’s decision to bulldoze, chainsaw and burn mature chaparral in the Santa Monica Mountains in the name of fire prevention is controversial and harmful (“Man, Machine and Tut: Inside the Plan to Prevent the Next SoCal Fire Disaster,” October 14).

Contrasted because the old growth is chaparral and sage scrub Less flammable Compared to the flashy, invasive, non-native weeds that displace these native plants and shrubs in the event of encroachment—increasing fire risk. And harmful because the plants themselves, which have intrinsic value and absorb carbon, will be destroyed, and wildlife will be killed or forced into permanent, threatened habitats.

Why is the government using precious public dollars to increase our risk, exacerbate climate change, and dominate and destroy nature?

Tessa Charnowski, Western Hills

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To the editor: Thank you for reporting on the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, which has paid more than $3 million in taxes to keep our original habitat in the Santa Monica Mountains. This ill-conceived project, championed by superintendent Lindsay Horvath, was fast-tracked without giving the scientific community and the public a chance to weigh in. As Dan Cooper points out, we can’t believe that cooking (or slicing) the entire system will provide a viable solution.

Removing invasive grasses with goat herds: Good. Making a Big Fuel Break: A Waste of Time and Money.

Snoddy Dodson, Van Nuys