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>> >>PEGGY: THE CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION IS EXPECTED TO MEET ABOUT THE CITY'S PLAN
TO USE A YEAR ROUND ROPE TO SEGUE REG ATE HARBOR SEALS AND BEACH GOERS AT THE CHILDREN'S
POOL PIN LA JOLLA. ED HARRIS JOINS US TO TALK ABOUT AN ALTERNATIVE
BOULDER BARRIER. THANKS FOR JOINING US HERE TODAY.
I THINK PROBABLY THE FIRST THING IS WE HAVE TO EXPLAIN WHAT IS THIS BARRIER?
>> >>: IT'S A SEPARATION. THE SALES ENJOY THE BEACH IN THE WINTER TIME, BUT THEY DON'T
LIKE IT WHEN IT'S HOT IN THE SUMMER CHILDREN DON'T USE IT IN THE WINTER, BUT THEY WANT
TO BE DOWN THERE IN THE SUMMER. BOULDER BARRIER SEPARATES DIFFERENT PERCENTAGES
OF THE BEACH AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE YEAR, AND THAT WAY THERE'S ACCESS TO ALL.
THE SEALS ARE PROTECTED BETTER, IT'S NOT JUST A ROPE YOU CAN GO UNDER AND OVER.
>> >>PEGGY: MAYBE WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THE MAP IS WE'RE LOOKING AT.
WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT? THIS IS THE CHILDREN'S POOL IN LA JOLLA.
>> >>: YOU'RE LOOKING AT A SUMMER EDITION OF THAT PLAN.
IT KEEPS ABOUT 25% OF THE BEACH, WHERE THE SEALS TEND TO LIKE THE MOST DOWN BY THE WALL,
AND SURROUNDS THEM WITH A ROCK BARRIER SO THAT WE WON'T HAVE PEOPLE PETTING THEM, THEM
AND GOING UP TO THEM. >> >>PEGGY: THAT'S WHAT THIS IS SUPPOSED TO
DO. PROBLEMS WITH THE ROPE BARRIER RIGHT NOW,
IT SEEMS LIKE OBVIOUSLY THE PEOPLE WE KNOW, THAT'S WHEN YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO STOP.
>> >>: THE ROPE BARRIER, THERE'S NOT A LAW, PEOPLE WALK UP AND SEE A COMPLETELY OPEN BEACH
WITH NO SEALS ON IT, OR THEY WALK OUT OR SEE THE SEALS ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE BEACH OR
AND THEY WALK PAST THE ROPE UP TO THE SEALS. >> >>PEGGY: YOU'VE BEEN OVER AT THE CHILDREN'S
POOL FOR YEARS AND YEARS, WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN AS FAR AS HARASSMENT OR INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR
EITHER BY THE VISITORS OR THE SEALS THEMSELVES? >> >>: HARASSMENT OF THE TOURISTSÊ NOBODY
HAS A RIGHT TO MAKE KIDS CRY. MY LIFEGUARDS HAVE BEEN PUT ON YOUTUBE, THEY'VE
BEEN HARASSED. BUT PEOPLE CONTINUE TO YELL AT KIDS, TO YELL
AT PEOPLE AND TO INTERJECT THEMSELVES AS AN ACTIVIST WHEN THEY DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO
DO SO. >> >>PEGGY: THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING
TO PROTECT THE SEALS OR SEA LIONS THAT ARE THERE YELLING AT EACH OTHER.
HOW ABOUT TOWARDS THE THE ACK ANIMALS? >> >>: I DON'T SEEÊ I SEE INNOCENT NAIVE
PEOPLE TRY TO PET THEM, TRY TO DO OTHER THINGS STUFF LIKE THAT, BUT BOTH GROUPS ARE GUILTY
OF HARASSING. >> >>PEGGY: ALL RIGHT.
HARASSING EACH OTHER WE SHOULD SAY. IS THIS A DANGEROUS SITUATION HERE? I HAVE
PERSONALLY OVER HEARD PEOPLE SAY THEY'RE MORE AFRAID OF US THAN WE ARE THEM AS FAR AS THE
SEALS GO, IS THIS DANGEROUS? >> >>: THE SEALSÊ IN THE WATER AREN'T AFRAID
OF YOU AT ALL. THEY COME UP, SCRATCH YOU, PLAY WITH YOU, AND DO ALL KINDS OF STUFF.
ON THE LAND, I BELIEVE THEY FEEL VULNERABLE. I THINK THEY NEED A PLACE BEHIND THE BOULDERS
WHERE THEY HAVE A PLACE OF THEIR OWN WHERE THEY CAN RELAX.
>> >>PEGGY: HOW BIG ARE THESE BOULDERS? HOW DO YOU MOVE THEM AND HOW MUCH IS IT GOING
TO COST? >> >>: THAT'S THE NICE PART ABOUT IT.
IT'S CITY EQUIPMENT. WE MOVE THOUSANDS OF POUNDS OF SAND EVERY
YEAR FROM ALL OVER THE BEACHES. IT CAN BE MOVED WITH EXISTING STAFF, THEY
MEED MOO NEED SOME AUGMENTING MONEY TO AUGMENT THE STAFF, BUT IT'S NOT A BIG PROCESS.
TWICE A YEAR, YOU LIFT THE BOULDERS, MOVE THEM OVER, CLEAN UP SOME OF THE SAND CONTAMINATED
WITH FECES. YOU HAVE TO IMAGINE THAT IF NOBODY CLEANED
UP THE DOG PARK YOU GO TO EVER. WE HAVE 300 SEALS AND NO ONE'S CLEANED UP
THE CONTAMINATION. >> >>PEGGY: SO THERE IS CONTAMINATION IN THE
CHILDREN'S POOL, BACTERIA LEVELS, IN THE WATER AND ON THE SAND.
>> >>: THE POOL IS A MAN MADE STRUCTURE. IT'S THE ONLY PLACE I KNOW IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
THAT'S NOT FLUSHED OUT BY THE NORTH, SOUTH, OR WEST SWELL.
YOU HAVEÊ JUST LIKE WE BUILT IT, IT'S ARTIFICIAL, WE HAVE TO CLEAN IT.
>> >>PEGGY: YOU'RE GOING TO BRING THIS TO THE LA JOLLA COMMUNITY PLANNING BOARD TOMORROW
NIGHT. IS THAT ENOUGH TIME TO GET IT BEFORE THE COASTAL
COMMISSION? >> >>: IT WILL ACTUALLY GO TO THEM TONIGHT.
IT'S ALREADY BEEN TO PARKS AND BEACHES. ALREADY THE COMMUNITY GROUPS HAVE VOICED THEIR
OPINION NOT TO SUPPORT THE ROPE. WE'RE CONCERNED THE COASTAL COMMISSION MIGHT
COME IN AND VOTE SOMETHING THAT'S NOT EMBRACED, I GUESS, TBHIE COMMUNITY ITSELF.
>> >>PEGGY: IF THEY SAY NO TO THE ROPE, THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY SAYING YES TO THE BOULDERS?
>> >>: CORRECT. THAT WHD GIVE US TIME TO GET THE GROUPS TOGETHER,
BOTH SIDES BACK TO THE TABLE AND PRESENT THE PLAN.
IT'S SOMETHING EVERYBODY CAN BE HAPPY WITH. IF THEY BUY INTO IT, THEY'RE LESS LIKELY TO
FIGHT, WHICH IS SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE, SOMEWHERE REASONABLE.
>> >>PEGGY: ED HARRIS, THANKS FOR JOINING US.