Plan does more harm than good

Re “Controversial plan aims to reduce future wildfire risk," Oct. 16

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MYUNG J. CHUN Los Angeles Times A FIRE reduction plan includes fuel breaks in the Santa Monica Mountains.

THE decision by Los Angeles County to bulldoze, chain-saw and burn mature chaparral in the Santa Monica Mountains in the name of fire prevention is counterproductive and harmful.

Counterproductive because wind-driven fire will hop right over fire breaks. Plus, old growth chaparral and sage scrub are less flammable than the flashy, invasive, non-native weeds that will inevitably replace these native shrubs and herbaceous plants once this intervention happens - exacerbating fire risk.

And harmful because the plants themselves, which have intrinsic value and that absorb carbon, will be destroyed, and wildlife will be killed or forced to move to ever-shrinking, threatened habitat.

Why is the state using precious public dollars to increase our risk, exacerbate climate change and dominate and destroy nature? TESSA CHARNOFSKY West Hills

Thank you for reporting on the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy granting more than $3 million of our tax dollars to grind up what little is left of our native habitat in the Santa Monica Mountains.

This ill-conceived project, supported by Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, has been fast-tracked without giving the scientific community and the public the chance to weigh in.

As Dan Cooper indicates, we cannot believe that paving over (or chopping down) the entire system will provide a viable solution.

Removing invasive grasses with grazing goats: fine.

Creating massive fuel breaks: a waste of time and money.

SNOWDY DODSON Van Nuys

Ballot claim is easily debunked