Time to end UCSD’s abuse of power in closing Scripps Coastal Reserve
It’s disappointing and appalling that UC San Diego continues its unlawful mission to restrict public access to coastal land under the guise of “environmental protection” (“UCSD permit application proposes continuing limited public access to Scripps Coastal Reserve,” Feb. 1, La Jolla Light).
The Scripps Coastal Reserve is one of the most beautiful and treasured areas in La Jolla, offering unique panoramic views of La Jolla Shores, and had been visited by locals, including myself, for decades without incident prior to its unlawful closure. The purported reasons UCSD is offering for the closure are factually inaccurate, which leaves us to question the true motives behind the relentless campaign to restrict public access to this unique stretch of land that just happens to be located next to UCSD Chancellor [Pradeep] Khosla’s residence.
This land belongs to all of us as taxpaying citizens, and it’s a disgusting abuse of power to ignore decades of documented history of public use of the land to appease those few who have a special interest in keeping the public out of their backyards.
The [California] Coastal Commission should take legal action to enforce existing laws that protect our community from UCSD’s overreach and restore our rightful access to the Scripps Coastal Reserve.
Ghalia Mohder
Public needs access to reserve restored as it used to be
My husband frequently walked at the Scripps Coastal Reserve when he was an undergraduate student at UCSD in the 1970s.
When he took a job as a professor at UCSD in 1990, I was delighted to retrace his footsteps and walk with him in the reserve.
We walked there with our family for approximately 30 years until it was closed when COVID-19 began.
I see no reason that the public cannot begin to enjoy the reserve again, as had been done for so many years.
It appears this closure is a thinly veiled attempt by area homeowners to prevent the public from accessing the neighboring coastal reserve and its associated Sumner Canyon beach trail, in violation of the California Coastal Act.
I urge the California Coastal Commission to deny UCSD’s unlawful limited-access plan and restore public access to the reserve as it existed before the closure.
Kathryn Burton
Protecting reserves is important for all of us
Your article “UCSD permit application proposes continuing limited public access to Scripps Coastal Reserve” does a great job of showing the conflicting interests and needs between conservation efforts and recreational activities.
I really appreciated being able to see multiple viewpoints on the issue at hand, and most California residents would agree that this is a sensitive and complicated problem to solve.
As you may know, California has been leading the nation with the creation of a science-based network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) that preserve the natural world that we all love and cherish. California’s MPAs help increase the size, abundance and diversity of species that keep our oceans healthy and that we all depend on.
Although UCSD’s permit application may spark local concerns, it is important that we set aside reserves like this one that are home to ecological resources and help fight climate change and the loss of critical habitats, leading to a more sustainable future for all.
Rory Mendelow
Is Children’s Pool repair project worth it if people can’t enjoy it?
Before we spend a king’s ransom upgrading and protecting our Children’s Pool beach and protective wall, let us decide if it is just open to seals or if our children and their families can claim this choice recreation area, as prior generations have enjoyed.
Mike Schaefer
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