Canyon Buyer

Corral Canyon in Malibu is the last undeveloped canyon with a year-round free-flowing stream in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. As such its protection is of the highest priority. Your coverage of the development proposed for this beautiful canyon has been excellent, but the Aug.18 story about the County Planning Commission’s vote to approve the “Malibu Country Club” is slightly misleading when it says that there is a shortage of funds preventing the National Park Service from buying it. While Corral Canyon is on the Congressional priority list for funding starting October 1, 1989, it is the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy--a state agency--that has been trying to purchase the canyon for public use.

There is no shortage of funds to acquire this property for its appraised value. A fair-market-value offer has been made, based on an independent appraisal, to purchase the property for cash. The Conservancy is ready to open escrow in a matter of days, if we only had a willing seller.

JOSEPH T. EDMISTON

Executive Director, S.M.M.C.

Malibu